dairy – Homestead Kitchen

Yogurt

Full fat yogurt from organic milk is expensive. Make your own, for the cost of milk and an heirloom starter culture. You can use plain, store bought yogurt to culture your milk, but I have had better success and more consistent results using a dedicated starter. The Bulgarian strain is hearty and produces a thick,Continue reading “Yogurt”

Farmer’s Cheese

This post is part of series on different ways to use, transform and preserve fresh milk. Main article here. Your classic, easy to make fresh cheese with a kick of buttermilk. Use plain, herbed as a dip or as a filling for dumplings. Recipe Makes about 12.7 oz/360g of cheese. Ingredients 2 quarts/64 oz ofContinue reading “Farmer’s Cheese”

Cream Cheese

This post is part of series on different ways to use, transform and preserve fresh milk. Main article here. This recipe is for cultured cream cheese. Industrially made cream cheese uses thickening agents. What you’ll be making is the real stuff: milk, cream, cheese culture and salt. I use both mesophilic culture and animal rennet.Continue reading “Cream Cheese”

Sour Cream

This post is part of series on different ways to use, transform and preserve fresh milk. Main article here. In this recipe, you’ll use finished kefir to culture heavy cream. If you haven’t made kefir at home yet, store bought will work here. Make sure to use a whole milk and unflavored variety. There areContinue reading “Sour Cream”

Kefir

This post is part of series on different ways to use, transform and preserve fresh milk. Main article here. There’s no comparison between store bought and homemade kefir. Fresh kefir tastes rich, tangy without masking all other dairy flavors, and is slightly effervescent. Similar to how a kombucha “mother” turns sweet tea into kombucha, aContinue reading “Kefir”

Pot Cheese

This post is part of series on different ways to use, transform and preserve fresh milk. Main article here. This is one of my favorite fresh cheese recipes and is something in between farmer’s cheese and cottage cheese. I use it as a ricotta substitute. It bakes wonderfully and has a rich taste with veryContinue reading “Pot Cheese”

Buttermilk

This post is part of series on different ways to use, transform and preserve fresh milk. Main article here. Here, I am referring to cultured buttermilk, not the leftover liquid from churning butter. My buttermilk isn’t as thick as strained yogurt or kefir. I use it mostly for fresh cheese recipes (farmer’s cheese, pot cheese),Continue reading “Buttermilk”

Fresh Milk Many Ways

Every other week we drive 15 min to our small, local dairy to buy four gallons of milk. The farm’s small herd of grass fed Dutch Belted cows produces incredible milk. Even though it is not raw, the low temperature pasteurized and non-homogenized creamy goodness rivals any of the best raw milk I’ve had. WeContinue reading “Fresh Milk Many Ways”