Farmer's Cheese?

[Huskee]

I recently saw a post online about Farmer's Cheese, I forget the brand featured, but what I saw looks exactly like a block of cream cheese, similar consistency, appearance, etc. From what I gather it's similar except it's got yogurt bones, aka probiotics and such, which cream cheese doesn't.

So I have a couple questions for those with firsthand experience.

Is the above true of all Farmer's Cheese, or is it likely just the brand I saw that's unique in the 'like cream cheese but has probiotics' thing? I could Google it but I trust y'all far more. Next question: if you use it yourself, is it used like cream cheese or is it different entirely?

EDIT: For clarification I'm curious about the commercially-available product and its likeness and uses, not homemade.

[mrteddyprincess]

My knowledge and I can't say it's complete: If you put an acid (vinegar/lemon juice) into milk on the stove and gently heat it up you get cheese. You squeeze the wet stuff out and shape it. I've done this a few times a decade or so ago at the holidays and served it to guests. It was pretty good. I think what I read about the process called that "Farmer's Cheese."

Yes, and as I recall it had the consistency of those little logs of goat cheese you can get at the grocery store.

[Huskee]

Interesting. So between you and Richard below, Farmer's Cheese is more of a homemade thing than a storebought thing? Maybe this particular brand is introducing it to being a commercial product? I remain curious.

[Richard Chrz]

If it’s yogurt based, it might be Labneh, it’s taking greek yogurt, try several, as flavors will matter. My friend who taught me this, likes Cabot whole milk Greek yogurt, he said it is closest to how it tasted as a kid in Lebanon. i use Chobani whole milk greek yogurt.

Thentake cheesecloth and lay it over a bowl, add a bunch of whole milk yogurt set it on the cheese cloth in the bowl, pull up the cheese cloth on the sides and make a small knot or something similar to hold it, you then tie some twine or other to it.

‘’Then and hang it over a bowl on a counter for at least 24 hours, I feel I have gone 48, over that time the whey will drain out of it, leaving you with a yogurt cream cheese. My friend makes smaller balls out of the mass, rolls them in various seasonings or spice mixtures, and then puts them in a jar filled with olive oil,

if you really want a sweet one, make yogurt with heavy cream, and then strain, that is so good!

again, this might be what your thinking?

[Huskee]

I have zero idea if this is what I'm thinking. I just saw an ad of some sort for a brand (forget which) of Farmer's cheese, which stated it had probiotics. Made me think "hey, cream cheese with probiotics", and I don't know if it's not like cream cheese at all, or if it is and that's all of them or only this new special 'magical' brand. It definitely wasn't crossing my mind to make it, but you've taught me something!

[texastweeter]

Saw alton brown make it this way

[theroc]

The Farmer's Cheese that we have tried is closer to the consistency of ricotta. Presumably, it is made in a similar way, as indicated by mrteddyprincess. It has a simple, clean taste with just a bit of tanginess.

[Huskee]

I definitely love ricotta. This is helpful, since if it's more akin to ricotta then it's not another cream cheese nor used as one.

[CandySueQ]

I make L.Reuteri fermented dairy product, aka "yogurt" but not with the prescribed biotic strains. L.Reuteri is a human biotic that has been decimated in people by anti-biotic use. Lots of stuff in Googlesphere and YouTubia about it.

It's a finicky critter this L.Reuteri! Incubates for 36 hours at 100 degrees in a water bath. Failure is quite common. A failure is a product that's more the consistency of cottage cheese instead of smooth, creamy yogurt. I have played with straining the failure through cheese cloth to produce "cheese." Forgot about it and it molded in the frig. I will definitely try again!

Following this thread!

[Huskee]

Y'all are PhD scientists compared to me!

[Richard Chrz]

36 hours at 100 degrees, sounds like a perfect job for the SV.

[ecowper]

Hmmmmmm, in Hungary there is Túró ... it gets translated as cottage cheese, but it is not at all like American cottage cheese. It's a fresh, soft curd cheese LIKE Farmer's Cheese or German Quark.

This recipe is from Taste Hungary, but is very similar to how my grandmother made it as well as I can remember standing in the kitchen sometimes and watching.

Ingredients
1.5 L raw whole milk

Directions

1. Pour milk into the pot, cover, and let sit for about two days at room temperature. Do not move it during this time.
2. On your lowest burner, very slowly heat the milk. Do not stir. As the milk heats, notice the whey (the yellowish liquid) separating from the curds. Heating the milk should take 1-2 hours depending on the strength of the heat. Check the progress occasionally with the slotted spoon; remove from heat when the curds are set in a large clump on the bottom (it should look similar to sour cream).
3. Place the strainer in a bowl and line it with cheesecloth. Use the slotted spoon to transfer the curds into the cheesecloth. Drain the whey from the curds by tying the cheesecloth to something secure and hanging over the bowl.
4. Drain for a few hours, until the consistency is right. The longer it is drained, the drier the túró will be. Reserve the whey if you plan to use it for something else. The túró will keep for four or five days.

If the milk has been pasteurized, curd formation will be limited. You can fix that by adding calcium chloride to pasteurized milk.

I think that Túró is what, generally, is meant by Farmer's Cheese FWIW

[mrteddyprincess]

Huskee your post made me want to recreate the same cheese I made a decade ago. So I picked up half a gallon of whole milk at the store today, came home and made it.

I heated the milk up pushing almost to boiling, but not quite and then put in 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and stirred, turning off the heat.

Waited for it to cool a bit, put the curds into a strainer lined with cheese cloth, let it drain a bit, squeezed it with my hands a bit, added salt and fresh chives, and formed it into a shape to be enjoyed tomorrow at our NYE gathering.

Thanks for the motivation!

And happy New Year.

Brian

[ecowper]

that looks just like Túró .... nice!

[mrteddyprincess]

Thanks ecowper (Eric). Why don't I do that more often?

B

[Willy]

New England Cheesemaking Supply Company is a pretty authoritative source for all things homemade cheese. Google them and add "farmer's cheese". Lotsa hits, plus the NECSC website itself is very good. I mostly make "fresh" cheeses like paneer, chevre, and queso fresco, tho once I made a cheddar. Happy cheese making!

ETA: Let's make cheese making an AR thing like bread and pizza. LOL