Absolutely divine cream cheese

Ingredients

5 litres fresh milk
OR
4 litres (non-homogenised) & 1 litre cream
½ tsp mesophilic starter
0.5ml microbial rennet or ¼ tsp | 1.25ml calf rennet
1 tbsp cooled, boiled water

Yield 1kg
Prep time 5 minutes
Holding time 24 hours

Sweet and soft cream cheese is a joy to have at your fingertips and cheese doesn’t get much easier to make than this. At 33% fat, you would think this might be a calorie counter’s nightmare, but the high moisture content of close to 60% means that you can use it sparingly without too much guilt.
This is a very simple cheese where the quality of the milk really shines. But whether you make it from supermarket milk, have a house cow or goat, or source your milk from a local farmer, the options for using its slightly tangy sweetness are vast.

Method

1. If you’re using raw milk, pasteurise it before you begin, then let the milk cool to 25°C. If you’re using a mix of whole milk and cream, gently stir them together, then warm to 25°C.
2. Add the mesophilic starter (I use Flora Danica) and stir gently for 1 minute. Dissolve the rennet (I use Hannilase microbial rennet) in 1 tbsp of water, then add to the milk. Stir gently for 30 seconds to
blend it in.
3. Cover the pot with its (sanitised) lid and leave for 12-18 hours. I do this overnight at room temperature in summer (20-25°C) or you can put it in the hot water cupboard during cooler months.
4. Pour the curds into a sanitised sieve lined with sanitised cheesecloth and drain for a further 12 hours (on your kitchen bench is fine), or drain it for longer if you want a stiffer result. Store in an
airtight container in the fridge – it will last for up to 10 days.

Jean’s tips
• Don’t use homogenised milk – you need the fat from the whole milk and cream to get the right consistency.
• This recipe can be halved successfully.
• If I’m making a large amount of cream cheese, I use a sanitised (boiled) white polyester/cotton pillowcase in Step 4.

©  Jean Mansfield, How to Make Cheese, www.makecheese.co.nz