Fromage Blanc

Due to a hankering for Fromage Blanc, I decided to make more.

Ingredients

1 gallon whole milk
1/4 teaspoon MA 4000 cheese culture
1/4 cup water [unfluoridated]
4 drops rennet (either vegetarian or veal)
Onion
Garlic
Dried chives


Equipment

Digital thermometer
5 quart pot and lid
Mixing spoon
Measuring cup
Measuring spoon
Flour bag cloth
Colander
Large pot and lid
Salad spinner basket
Two cheese molds
Two loosely-woven napkins or linen handkerchiefs 


FROMAGE BLANC

Step One

Put four drops of rennet into 1/4 cup of water.

Pour the gallon of milk into the pot.

 
Turn the burner on high and heat the milk until it's 75 degrees F, stirring all the while.

Remove the pot from the heat, and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of culture on top of the milk and let it sit for four minutes, then stir the milk 20 times, top to bottom, with a spoon. Pour in the water and rennet mixture.

Cover the pot

and let the pot stand on the counter. Check the pot daily, waiting until the whey separates from the curd. This can take up to three days.


 Step Two

Place a colander in the sink and line it with flour sack cloth. Empty the contents of the colander.

Gather the ends of the cloth up, trapping the curds inside. Squeeze the whey from the cloth-wrapped curds, being careful not to let any of the curds escape. Return the curds to the pot.

Chop an onion

And add it, cloves of pressed garlic, and chives to the pot.

 
Stir the contents until blended.

 
Place the basket of a salad spinner upside down in the bottom of the tall pot.

Set the cheese molds on top of the salad spinner basket,

 
Line the molds with the small cloths.

 
Ladle the curds onto the molds.

As the whey drains,

 the level in the molds will gradually go down.

Continue to ladle more curds into the molds until all of the curds from the pot are in the molds.
More whey will collect in the bottom of the pot.


This process can take three days.


Step Three

Take one of the molds from the pot and turn it upside down on a plate.

Remove the mold

then gently remove the cloth.

Repeat the process with the second cheese mold.

This cheese is wonderful on bagels, fresh baked bread, on top of pasta, or even added to pasta to make a cheese sauce.


Note:

The recipe for Fromage Blanc is from Barbara Skapa of Echo Ridge Organic Cheese. If you ever have the opportunity to take a cheesemaking class from her, do so! Her cheese is wonderful.

The Dairy Connection was recommended by Barbara Skapa. Within the past few years, the company expanded their site which originally catered to the commercial cheesemakers to include the "hobby-level" cheesemaker as well. The Dairy Connection now sells a wider selection of molds like the basket molds and more. Their customer service and prices are excellent.
 











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