Description
This is a step-by-step recipe for making cream cheese using whole milk. You can use this cream cheese as a spread on bread and crackers. You can also use it as a base for cheesecake, dips, and frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
- Half a gallon of whole milk
- One packet of cream cheese culture mixture
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- The first step is to culture the milk. Heat the milk on a low to medium heat. Attach the thermometer to the pot to monitor the temperature. The suitable temperature to heat milk at this step is about 80° to 86°F.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in a packet of cream cheese culture mixture. Stir well using a wooden or stainless-steel spoon for about 10 to 15 seconds. Avoid mixing the contents vigorously.
- Cover the pot with a lid to allow the mixture to culture for about 12 hours at a temperature of 72° to 77°F.
- Check the contents once in a while after 12 hours until it appears like yogurt. You may also see the whey separating from the cheese. The whey looks like a clear liquid.
- Place a piece of butter muslin or a tight weave towel in a colander placed in a bowl. Pour the cultured milk into the towel or butter muslin gently. Gather the corners of the cloth and hold them up to tie knots to secure.
- Then, hang the tied butter muslin containing cultured milk over a bowl to allow the whey to drain. It may take about 6 to 12 hours for the cream cheese to drain completely and reach the desired consistency.
- Add salt as per taste and knead gently.
Notes
- Add extra cream to whole milk before heating it if you want the cheese to be creamier.
- Be careful while heating the milk. Heating milk too quickly can prevent it from setting properly and cause the cheese to taste a bit unpleasant later.
- If you want to make a larger batch of cream cheese, use the same proportion of ingredients. Add the contents in multiplied amounts of quantities to maintain the same ratio of whole milk and starter.
- You can spice up the cream cheese with different flavors! Add herbs or spices like cinnamon, garlic, or oregano to enhance flavors depending on your taste and preferences.
- Allow the milk to ferment for a longer duration if you want the cream cheese to have a tangier taste.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dairy product
- Method: Fermentation
- Cuisine: British
