Queso Blanco
This recipe will help you learn to make your own cheese with milk, lemon juice, and fresh herbs.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 500 milliliters whole milk
- Juice of one lemon freshly squeezed
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Fine herbs of your choice: parsley, chive, dill, etc.
- 1 garlic clove, chopped, optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan, bring milk up to 40°C or 104°F. Be very careful as the temperature rise quickly. Take it off the heat. Add lemon juice and stir with a wooden spoon. Little by little small curds will separate from the whey.
- Let the curds harden for a few minutes, then strain them out with a slotted spoon. Drain into a colander lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth. When cool enough to handle, tie up opposite ends of the cheesecloth and squeeze out remaining liquid. At this point you can eat the cheese.
- To soften it, stir in one soupspoon of whipping cream or Crème fraîche if you have any (adjust to get the softness you are looking for).
- Season the cheese with salt and pepper and add some fresh herbs to your liking: parsley, dill, etc. and some crushed garlic. Pour the cheese in a nice glass bowl or nice small ramequin and leave it in the fridge overnight.
Notes
This recipe is actually the base for making many different kinds of cheese. Go on the Internet or grab a book and experiment. Your cheeses will never look as good as the ones you purchase, but you will be rewarded by the satisfaction of eating something you made yourself.
