Organic Homemade Whey & Cream Cheese

2 cups raw milk

Pour the raw milk into a glass container that is easy to cover. It will need to be covered with plastic wrap and secured with a rubber band (or you can use a sealed glass container with a lid). Place the glass container in a warm area, like a cupboard, and check on it every 24 hours. This process normally takes three days.

After 36 hours, the raw milk should look something like this. The cream has separated and the whey is beginning to sink to the bottom, as seen by the vertical 'lines' in the milk. If you do not prefer a buttery taste in your cream cheese, using raw milk that has already had the cream separated is fine.

This shows the cream cheese beginning to form as the natural solids, or curds, begin to merge together.

You will know when the whey and cream cheese are ready when the liquid is clear and the curds are all floating on top.

To separate, place a large sieve lined with a tea towel (or two-to-three layers of cheesecloth) over a large glass bowl. Make sure the sieve does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Carefully pour the whey and curd into the sieve and allow it to rest for one hour. This will allow ample time for all the whey to drain from the curd. It should not be necessary to squeeze whey from the curd; if it remains wet after one hour, make sure the drained whey is not touching the sieve and leave it to rest for another hour. If properly drained, the whey will be slightly cloudy, but should not contain any pieces of curd.

Pour the whey into a sealable container and keep in the refrigerator for up to six months. The curds should have settled into a more solid form of cream cheese. Transfer to a sealable container and keep in the refrigerator for up to one month.

~Yields approximately 3/4 cup whey & 3/4 cup cream cheese.

Recipe printed from Le Grand Fromage: http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/

URL to recipe: http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/09/raw-milk-how-to-make-whey-cream-cheese.html