Cream Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Set the curd
Set the milk in a cool place overnight.
In the morning, remove the thick cream and strain the morning milk into the same vessel.
Warm the milk to 90°F (32°C).
Add 1 tablespoon of prepared rennet to the milk.
Let it set for 10 minutes after coagulation, then cut the curd with a long knife in both directions.
Let it stand for ½ hour, stirring gently every 10 minutes for 4 to 5 times.
Drain and salt
Place a thin cloth strainer over a basket or tub with holes.
Move the curd from side to side a few times, then let it set for a few minutes and twist the cloth.
Cut the curd into 1-inch squares and twist the cloth again.
Repeat until the curd is dry enough to chop and salt.
Use 1½ teaspoons of salt for every pound of curd.
Put the curd in a hoop and press.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Milk
- Forms the body of the cheese and, once coagulated, becomes the curd.
- Rennet
- Enzyme that coagulates the milk proteins so they set into a solid curd.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the curd and helps draw out remaining whey as it firms.
The step that matters
Cutting and stirring the curd. Cutting the set curd releases whey and shrinks the curd pieces; gentle, timed stirring keeps them intact while whey drains. Cutting too early or stirring too hard leaves the curd soft and lossy.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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