Fun with milk.

[Mr. McD]

When I was a boy mama said son don’t play with your milk. Well, now I can play with it all I want.

Here are a few items I make on a fairly regularly basis.


Curd Cheese (German Quark, Austrian Topfen)

Quark (Qwark) is a soft, white, unripened, cow's milk cheese with the
texture and flavor of sour cream. Quark simply means "curd" in
German. Quark can be made from whole, skimmed or semi-skimmed milk or
even buttermilk. Quark is soft and moist, like a cross between yogurt and fromage frais.

4 tablespoons yogurt
2 quart milk

Bring the milk to a near boil and then leave it to cool. Mix the milk
with the yogurt in a bowl. Put in a warm place for 4 to 5 hours to set
as solid as yogurt. I place the bowl in a crock-pot with water in it
and maintain 100 to 105 degrees.

Pour sieve lined with a scalded clean cloth. After a few hours fold
the cloth over and put a plate on top to weight and encourage the whey
to drip through. The curds in the cloth are the cheese. Refrigerate,
it will keep about 5 days

To get a creamy Quark (Sahnequark) Add to every 4 cups of milk 1 cup
of heavy cream.

Do not use yogurt thickened with gelatin, because it just will not
work. Most fat free yogurts contain gelatin.

Do not use skim milk or ultra-high pasteurized milk (the kind you can
store on the shelf).

Use 2% or 4% milk only. Than higher the percentage, than creamier it
will be.

Rinse all equipment (including cloth) with boiling water. This
reduces the risk of infection with other organisms.

If you have had German cheesecake you have had Quark. I mix it with a
little fruit and honey or use it for savory dips. Fold it into omelets instead of cream or use it as a filling.



Whole milk Buttermilk

1/2 cup fresh commercial buttermilk, or starter held from a previous batch

1-quart whole milk

Combine the buttermilk and milk in a clean glass jar, stir and cover. Leave in a warm place until the milk thickens and starts to curdle. About 24 hr, when finished, the thickened buttermilk coats the glass. Refrigerated and enjoy. It keeps easily for weeks. Reserve ½ cup for the next batch. I just started a fresh batch today.


Cream Fraiche (European style sour cream).

1 tablespoon commercial or whole milk buttermilk, or commercial cream fraiche or cream fraiche from a previous batch.

1-pint quality cream.

Mix the starter and cream well cover tightly and put in a warm spot for 20 to 24 hr. Chill well.


Cultured butter and buttermilk.

1-quart quality cream or cream fraiche.

Leave the cream at room temperature until sour, chill slightly then put in a food processor with a steel blade, and process until butter forms. Transfer butter to a bowl and use a spoon to press out the buttermilk. Makes 1/2 pound butter and 2 cups buttermilk.

[mike_c]

1. three words....

dulce de leche