31 Days of MOO No. 3: Real Cream Cheese
This is a cream cheese almost like the one you'd buy in the block at the supermarket, it is nothing like the yoghurt cream cheese/Labna.
Ingredients:
2 x 600ml bottles cream
1/4 cup cultured buttermilk (do not use the MOO buttermilk)
Large clean bowl
Fine cheesecloth
Sea salt to taste (optional)
Method:
Use a sterilised glass container to hold your cream and gently stir in the buttermilk. I use a Pyrex mixing bowl when I make cream cheese. Loosely cover (not airtight!) with a food net or a linen tea towel or serviette - something that will keep the bugs and dust out but let the air in. Leave on benchtop 8 to 12 hours to culture. The time varies depending on temperature; in summer you will find 8 - 10 hours will be enough, in winter you might need to leave it a little longer. Like MOO yoghurt I've left this up to 18 hours during the middle of winter. It's ready when it looks like yoghurt. It will be set, but a soft set, not hard. Tip the thickened cream into the cheesecloth and hang it over a large, deep bowl or jug and allow whey to drip out at least 12 hours (the longer it drips, the firmer your cheese will be). Scrape out of cheesecloth and lightly salt to taste (salt is optional, but it acts as a preservative and the cream cheese will last longer). The cream cheese will be soft, just like the bought stuff is if you've left it on the bench. The cheese will firm up as it chills. Store in an airtight container in fridge for up to five days.
Don't throw the whey out - use it in baking or cooking to replace water or milk. It is full of good stuff so replace the milk or fruit juice in cakes, muffins or pancakes with the whey.
Ingredients:
2 x 600ml bottles cream
1/4 cup cultured buttermilk (do not use the MOO buttermilk)
Large clean bowl
Fine cheesecloth
Sea salt to taste (optional)
Method:
Use a sterilised glass container to hold your cream and gently stir in the buttermilk. I use a Pyrex mixing bowl when I make cream cheese. Loosely cover (not airtight!) with a food net or a linen tea towel or serviette - something that will keep the bugs and dust out but let the air in. Leave on benchtop 8 to 12 hours to culture. The time varies depending on temperature; in summer you will find 8 - 10 hours will be enough, in winter you might need to leave it a little longer. Like MOO yoghurt I've left this up to 18 hours during the middle of winter. It's ready when it looks like yoghurt. It will be set, but a soft set, not hard. Tip the thickened cream into the cheesecloth and hang it over a large, deep bowl or jug and allow whey to drip out at least 12 hours (the longer it drips, the firmer your cheese will be). Scrape out of cheesecloth and lightly salt to taste (salt is optional, but it acts as a preservative and the cream cheese will last longer). The cream cheese will be soft, just like the bought stuff is if you've left it on the bench. The cheese will firm up as it chills. Store in an airtight container in fridge for up to five days.
Don't throw the whey out - use it in baking or cooking to replace water or milk. It is full of good stuff so replace the milk or fruit juice in cakes, muffins or pancakes with the whey.