How to Make Cheese From Raw Milk

Raw milk, if you can find it, can make the most wonderful homemade cheeses. With practice you can make everything from simple cheese spreads to exotic foreign treats. Unless you know, with absolute certainty, that the milk came from a certified disease free cow, you should pasteurize the milk first.

Things You'll Need

• 1 gallon raw milk
• Stainless steel pot
• Candy thermometer
• Cheesecloth
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Allow the milk to sit on a tabletop or counter until it reaches room temperature. Skim off the cream that rises to the top if desired.

2. Pour the milk into the stainless steel pan. Attach the candy thermometer to the side making sure it is submerged several inches into the milk.

3. Bring the milk temperature up to 190 degrees, stirring often. Add the apple cider vinegar stirring well.

4. Remove the pot from the heat source, cover and let sit for 10 - 15 minutes or until the curds separate from the whey.

5. Pour the curds into a colander lined with cheesecloth. Let drain for 5 minutes. Tie the four corners together and hang the bag for 1 – 2 hours.

6. Remove the cheese from the bag and place in a container that can be covered. Add a pinch of salt if desired.

7. Store covered in the refrigerator. The cheese will keep for approximately 1 1/2 weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• Pasteurize the milk by bringing the raw milk to 145 degrees and holding that temperature for 30 minutes. After the time has passed, plunge the pot into a sink filled with ice. Stir the milk constantly until it reaches 42 degrees. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

• The cream that is skimmed off of the top of raw milk can be used to make butter.

• Add fresh herbs and spices to make this ‘queso blanco’ cheese more flavorful and exotic.

• Look for a copy of Ricki Carroll’s book Home Cheese Making for dozens of simple cheese recipes you can make with raw milk.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish