From Cow to Cheese

Today my friend gave me some Fresh Raw Milk that she had just milked from Bella this morning. I was so excited, I have been wanting to make cheese for so long! I made lots of goat cheese last year, but this year all the goats are feeding their babies, so no milk to buy. So you can understand why I was so happy to get this milk from my friend, Lesa!

Later this afternoon, we went out to her and her hubbies farm and I got to meet Bella and her new babe, Baby Bella :). Sweetest cows I have ever met! My hubby and I petted them, scratched the top of their heads, and even got cow kisses (on our hands). So tonight, I made cheese! Yummy, fresh, no weird ingredients, cheese!

Original recipe makes 1 pound

1 gallon whole milk
1 pinch salt
1 large lemon, juiced (or 1/2 to 3/4 cup lemon juice)

Pour the milk into a large pot, and stir in a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching on the bottom of the pot.

When the milk begins to boil (small bubbles will first appear at the edges) temp will register at 195 degrees, remove from heat. Stir lemon juice into the milk, and the milk will curdle. You may need to wait 5 or 10 minutes.

Line a colander with a cheesecloth, and pour the milk through the cloth to catch the curds. What is left in the cheesecloth is the Farmer's Cheese. The liquid is the whey. (I keep the whey and use it my bread recipes and in my garden.) Gather the cloth around the cheese, and squeeze out as much of the whey as you can. If you like a drier cheese, you can hang the cheese inside the cloth and let more whey drip out. Once your cheese is the consistency you want, Wrap in plastic, or place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.