Quark

Quark?  That's that character from Star Trek, right?  Sure, that's his name but today I am talking dairy!

I first discovered quark in Munich, Germany.  Although at the time I didn't really know what it was.  I just knew that I had been seeing the runnier, semi sour European yogurts up until that point in my trip.  This one was drizzled with walnuts and honey and looked thicker. I took a small scoop to try.  It was so delicious!  Super creamy and just a little sweet.  I was pleasantly surprised.  

I belong to a German page on Facebook and one day she was discussing this treat called "quark."  I was pretty sure then that it was what I had in Munich.  I set out to see if I could make it from my goat milk.  I found a few recipes for using cultures and this is what I came up with.  Every milk is a little different so you may have to play with the draining times to get what you want but it is easy to make so give it a go!  

We'll still make our runnier type of goat yogurt for smoothies but this is my new go to thick yogurt type of recipe!  I also found that if I don't sweeten it that it works similar to sour cream.  I plan to try it with a baked potato soon.  I read that the un-thinned version can be used like cream cheese for käsekuchen (cheesecake.)  Maybe we'll have a go at that too!

Quark                                                                                                  Printable Recipe

1 gallon whole milk (not ultra pasteurized)*
Buttermilk culture  - USE 1 packet from New England Cheesemaking Culture or 1/8 teaspoon bulk from GetCulture
3 drops liquid rennet
Extra whole milk (amount needed depends on amount of quark making at serving time)
pure maple syrup or honey
pecans or walnuts

Homemade Feta Style Cheese

This tangy, salty cheese originated in Greece.  They usually make it with a combination of sheep and goat's milk.  I use our goat milk but you can use cow's milk too.  This cheese can be sliced and frozen to crumble later or crumbled now, frozen on a sheet and then bagged to keep. Its one of the easier cheeses to make and is a bit more forgiving that others. 

Homemade Feta Style Cheese

1 gallon milk (preferably raw and can use cow or goat) 
1/16 teaspoon Mesophilic starter culture powder
1/8 teaspoon liquid rennet 

1 cup (approx) canning salt (non-iodized)
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Heat the milk in a double boiler until it is 86 degrees. 

Chèvre (Homemade Goat Cheese)

Chèvre is the French word for goat so it is used to describe any cheese made from goat's milk. Next to paneer it is one of the easiest cheeses to make. Chèvre cheeses come in a variety of sizes and shapes including cones, cylinders, discs, and hearts. It takes the shape of whatever mold you put it in. 

 It can be mild or tangy.  Most of that depends on the quality and taste of the goat milk is to start. We keep a good check on our goat's milk and people have often said they cannot tell the difference between it and cow's milk. If you taste your milk plain and it tastes "goaty", your cheese is going to also.  Some people like that.  We do not.   I use a dry culture from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company.

Chèvre

1gallon goat's milk  (not ultra high pasteurized*)
1 packet dry chevre culture

 Heat a gallon of goat's milk to 86 degrees

Add one packet of Chèvre starter, mix well.  Let set in the pot with a lid on for 12 hours, at room temperature (at least 72F). ** I tipped the pot here so you can see the separation of the whey.

Gently ladle the curds into a mold in the shape of your choice or dump into a cheesecloth lined colander. The one I am using here is the Crottin (2-1/2"x4-3/4") and has small holes on the sides and bottom to allow for draining.  If you are using a cheesecloth you will need to tie and hang up to drain. 

Allow to drain for 6-12 hours, at room temperature.  I forgot and put mine in the refrigerator and it was just fine.

The longer it drains the drier it will be.  Just check in on it every few hours. This is how much it shrunk in 12 hours. If you use cheesecloth  that one will be drier I believe than the one in my mold since it has more places for liquid to escape.

Wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator.   I hear it can be frozen.  I have not done that myself but will here to use up milk.  I will let you know how it works out. This batch made two logs approximately 11 ounces in weight.  Will vary by goat milk and how long you drain it.

Slice and serve with honey, jam, or fresh pesto and crackers. I will be trying this soon in other recipes and will be sure to share any successes.

*The proteins in ultra high pasteurized milk have lost their ability to set into curds.

** By mistake I let it set for 24 hrs before draining in the fridge.  I found it made more curds that were more moist and less tangy the the original version. It is the same amount of time spent at room temperature but the difference is whether it is in the whey or not.  Please ask me questions if you have any.

Pin it:  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/273593746085836972/

Homemade Yogurt using Dry Culture

Homemade Yogurt using Dry Culture

1 gallon milk (We use our own goat milk)
6 vanilla beans
1/8 teaspoon dry yogurt culture (We use ABY-2C - see below)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Resident yogurt maker!  Carl does all the yogurt biz in this house!

In a double boiler, dump in milk.  Add the vanilla beans which should be split and the "cavier" scraped out into the milk. Heat to 180 degrees and hold for 30 minutes.  Normally we don't like to heat our milk so high but this time we want to take out the bacteria and add in our own to take on this yogurt's flavor.

Strain to get all the vanilla bean pods out.

Feel free to use your clean fingers to press the goodies around to get all the milk thru the strainer.

Cool to 115 degrees by placing the jar in cool water/ice.  When it reaches 115 degrees add your culture and stir to incorporate.

This is the culture we use from Dairy Connection  It it meant to be a thicker sweeter yogurt.

Place in a cooler filled part way with hot water.  The temperature of the air inside the cooler with the lid shut should be 110 degrees.  If not add more hot water or change out some of the water but don't let them go over the glass dishes you will set in there. Carl has now put the yogurt into two half gallon containers.  He places his jars into glass dishes so the hot water does not directly touch the glass.

Place lid on top and let sit for 9 hours.  When it is done, stir in maple syrup and place in fridge.

We enjoy ours with homemade granola and fruit or in smoothies.

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Blueberries, granola, and yogurt.

Apples, granola, and yogurt.

Berry Smoothie

Homemade Mozzarella

You can easily double this recipe and save time!

Homemade Mozzarella

1 gallon whole milk (not ultra high pasteurized*)  - I use our own goat milk
1-1/4 teaspoons Citric Acid Powder (cow's milk recipe says 1-1/2 tsp)
1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet, liquid
1/2 cup cool water cool (divided in half)

salt to taste

Put the cool milk into a stainless pot, preferably a double boiler. Dissolve the citric acid into 1/4 cup of cool water. Stir into the milk. Bring the temperature of the milk to 88 degrees and remove from heat. Mix the rennet into ¼ cup cool water and stir into the milk for about 10 seconds.  Use the spoon to slow down the turning of the milk so it can rest.

Allow the milk to set for 10-15 minutes to coagulate. You should be able to press down on it and it should bounce back a little.  If you cut it with a knife it should break clean.  I always  start checking it at 8 minutes.

Using a large icing spatula cut into 1" grid vertically.

 Then use a bent ladle to cut to cut 1" horizontally.  Let rest for 10 minutes.

Place the pot of curds back onto heat and slowly bring the temperature of the curds to 108 degrees. Hold at 108 degrees for 35 minutes.  Since I use a double boiler it doesn't require much if any heat to hold that.

Stir every 5-10 minutes to keep the curds from matting together.

 They will slowly turn into a more curd like product.

Drain the curds into a colander for 15 minutes. SAVE THE WHEY for RICOTTA!!!
(While you are waiting fill a bowl with cool water. There needs to be enough to cover your cheese.) 

Place colander on a plate, sprinkle with salt.  I use about 1/2 teaspoon. Heat in the microwave for 50 seconds. Remove from microwave and work to mix the curds together. Return to microwave for another 25 seconds.

Divide mozzarella into the size you want.  Shape into balls.

 Place in cool water. Place in fridge until mozzarella is completely cool. 

I pat mine dry, then freeze on wax paper lined cookie sheets.  After they are frozen I use a vacuum seal system to put them in bags.  When thawed they are just as good as fresh.

Shredding the cheese....

for pizza!!

*The proteins in ultra high pasteurized milk have lost their ability to set into curds.