Farmer’s cheese is a mild with a slightly sweet fresh cheese with a slightly tangy flavor. It’s similar to ricotta but the curds are a bit more dense, and you can make it drier or creamier according to your preference. While you can buy fresh cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella, and and cottage cheese at the store, I haven’t had as much luck finding this beautifully rustic cheese outside of Greece. And there’s nothing quite like the delicate texture of freshly made cheese! You need no special equipment to make this simple cheese. You stir the milk over medium-low heat until you begin to see many bubbles at the edges of the pot, then you slowly add the vinegar. Curds will immediately float to the top of the liquid (whey). After it cools, you’ll drain it using a cheesecloth and the cheese is ready!
Food Stories
On my recent trip to Greece, our group spent a day exploring the mountain villages of Crete, the largest of the Greek islands. We stopped in the home of a local shepherd named Andreas at Livadia in the southwestern part of Crete. After touring his field, it was time to milk some goats–yes, I got to milk a goat!–and make farmer’s cheese. We got to enjoy the freshly made cheese at lunch as part of a big feast that included Grilled Lamb, Greek Salad, potatoes, and platters of fruit. The fresh cheese was served in small bowls with bottles of olive oil and plates of bread. Andreas made a large batch of cheese to feed our little crowd of 25, but I was able to adapt the recipe for my little family of four using the cow’s milk I buy from my supermarket. I’m thrilled to share it with you!
Ingredients to Make Farmer’s Cheese
You only need two ingredients to make fresh cheese:
Milk: Be sure to use whole milk. The fat not only makes a creamier texture and richer flavor, it also forms a firmer curd so you’ll get a lot more cheese out of the half gallon. Vinegar: To make fresh cheese, you’re essentially curdling the milk on purpose. Vinegar is an acid (acetic acid to be exact), which makes the warm milk’s proteins solidify to form curds. I use distilled white vinegar, as it’s mellow enough in flavor to leave the delicate milky taste alone. Optional: salt. You can make farmer’s cheese without salt, it just may taste a bit bland. I recommend a touch of kosher salt to enhance the flavor.
How to Make Farmer’s Cheese
Making cheese may seem like a big undertaking, but fresh cheeses made by curdling whole milk are surprisingly easy.
Warm the milk. Add 8 cups (1/2 gallon) of whole milk to a large heavy-bottomed pot. Season with salt if you’d like (about 1 teaspoon). Heat over medium-low for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching and never allowing the milk to boil. Make the curds. As the milk heats up, you should see steam and small bubbles forming at the edges of the pot. When this happens, begin to slowly pour in the vinegar. Gently stir briefly with a wooden spoon, then wait about one minute before stirring again. The milk should curdle and turn a yellowish lime green color. This is what you are looking for here. Cool. Remove from the heat and cool at room temperature, about 1 hour. Strain. Line a sieve with a cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Pour the cheese mixture into the cheesecloth. Form the cheese. Gather the corners of the cheesecloth around the curds, twist, and squeeze to drain excess liquid, which is the whey. For a firmer, dryer cheese, squeeze all the water (whey) out. You can empty the whey and let the cheese rest in the strainer and cheesecloth set over an empty bowl for an hour or more to let it drain further. For a creamier cheese, leave a little bit of the whey moisture in. You can discard the whey or keep it for another use (see “Ways to Use Whey” below). Use or store. Transfer the cheese to a glass container with a tight lid. Use immediately or refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to 1 week.
Ways to Mix it Up
This is a simply farmer’s cheese recipe that’s delicious on its own, but you can always jazz it up a bit.
Make it herby: Fold in finely chopped tender green herbs, like basil, dill, oregano, parsley, tarragon, or a combination. Make it sweet: Mix in dried fruits like cranberries or dried figs. Make it briney: Salty pickled things, like capers and olives, go well with the creamy mild cheese.
Ways to Use Whey
Whey is the liquid left behind when you skim off the curd. It’s the second best thing about making fresh cheese! It adds a delicious tangy flavor, as well as vitamins, minerals, and about 2 grams of protein per cup (see the USDA for the full breakdown). This recipe makes an acid whey with salt, so it will add a tangy, slightly salty layer to dishes—use sparingly as the flavor can dominate. Some ideas:
Baking: Substitute some of the water or milk in baked goods, like bread or Blueberry Muffins. Smoothies: Add a small amount of whey to smoothies, like our Minty Green Smoothie. In soup: Add in place of some of the broth for depth of flavor. To cook veggies: When you reduce whey, it forms a beautiful glaze for cooking vegetables that gives them almost a pickled vibe (you see this in fancy restaurants sometimes). Simply stew small-chopped veggies in whey, stirring often until softened and glazed. Cooking grains: Replace a half cup or so of the water when you cook grains, from Farro, Basmati Rice, and beyond.
How to Use Farmer’s Cheese
The mildness of farmer’s cheese makes it very versatile, fitting in well with both savory and sweet. Some ideas:
With bread, flatbread, breadsticks–you really can’t go wrong. Use as a dip for Crudité, Pita Chips, or part of an Antipasto Platter. Crumbled on top of salads. Enjoy with a drizzle of honey or along with fresh fruit.
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