Fresh Cheese - Queso Fresco Mexicano

Last Saturday I struck up a conversation with a Mennonite lady who was selling organic raw milk, yogurt, cheese and honey. Her family’s farm, Sunset Valley Farm, is located in Perry County, Pennsylvania.  When she wasn’t too busy, I asked her about the difference between raw milk and pasteurized milk, its benefits and uses. She proceeded by giving me a sample of raw milk. I was a bit hesitant – not because it was not pasteurized – but because I am not a big milk fan (unless it has cocoa powder in it). I tried it and was surprised to find that I actually really liked it: it was very creamy and somewhat sweet. It was also very fresh, a quality you cannot find in the milk you buy at the supermarket.  She told me that raw milk has many uses – you can make cheese, yogurt, butter, ice-cream etc. She told me that if I wanted, I could make my own butter, since all you have to do is to whip the raw milk until it creams. She told me that the “liquid” that separates from the butter is buttermilk, which you can use to make pancakes or breads.  You learn something new every day.

We continued talking and, after a few minutes, I told her that I have wanted to make cheese but that I had not been able to find raw milk – which I thought would be more appropriate than pasteurized milk.  She told that making cheese – such as mozzarella or ricotta – is quite easy. However, venturing into “harder” cheeses – such as Gouda, cheddar, Swiss – is a more complex process. She gave me some tips and the confidence to finally make cheese. That day I bought from her half gallon of raw milk – and fresh eggs, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream.

Four days later, I bought citric acid (aka sour salt) and cheese cloth and ventured to make cheese.  I settled for a recipe I had wanted to make: Queso Fresco, a mild Mexican cheese that resembles the taste of mozzarella but its consistency is that of feta cheese.  The Mennonite lady was right, making cheese was quite easy – you basically mix the warm milk with citric acid, drain it and let it cool. Yes, it’s that easy. You may be wondering “ok, you said it was really easy to make but, was it good?” Yes, it was. It tasted like queso fresco but a bit creamier. It was really good and actually, I am planning on making it for the holidays. Maybe I’ll add some dry herbs or fresh chopped jalapeno pepper. This is what the husband had to say about it:

“I was shocked that the cheese came out like, well, cheese on the first attempt! The consistency was perfect, and the smell and taste were as well. I was also surprised that it didn’t take all that long… I was expecting maybe a days-long process. My wife can do it all. She made a pie a few minutes later!”

If you are a culinary adventurer, why don’t you try to make your own cheese? It is a fun experience.



The final product



Fresh Cheese

Queso Fresco Mexicano

Adapted from Fiesta at Ricks, by Rick Bayless

Makes about 1/2 pound

Ingredients

½  gallon raw milk (if you cannot find raw milk use ½ gallon 2% milk plus 1 cup buttermilk)
1 teaspoon citric acid – aka sour salt (if you cannot find it, use 1 cup fresh lime juice)
1  teaspoon salt (pure fine-ground sea salt works best here)

Directions

1.  Culture the milk.   Pour the milk into a large (at least 8-quart) pot. Attach an accurate thermometer that registers temperatures as low as 75 degrees and set the pot over medium heat.  When the temperature reaches 75 degrees, turn off the heat, cover the pot and let stand 3 or 4 hours.

Raw milk

Citric Acid - AKA Sour Salt

2.  Set the curd.   If using citric acid, stir it into 1/4 cup cool water, continuing to stir until dissolved.  Uncover the pot, set over medium heat and stir in the dissolved citric acid or the fresh lime juice. You will start seeing small curds start to form.  Every couple of minutes, stir slowly, gently and thoroughly over the entire bottom of the pot until the milk reaches 195˚F—it’ll take just over 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes without stirring.

3.  Drain the curd from the whey.   Wet a large piece of cheesecloth and drape it into a large colander. Set the colander in the sink.  Using a large slotted spoon or a fine-mesh skimmer, carefully ladle all of the curd into the colander. Sprinkle with salt. Gather the cheesecloth up around the curd and gently press with the back of a large spoon to expel a bit more whey. Unwrap the curd onto a plate.  

4.  Finish the cheese.   Gather the cheese curds into a 1-inch-thick disk, transfer to a plate, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.  The cheese should last about 1 week in the refrigerator.