| Author | Message | ||
| Amy N. Unregistered guest |
The recipe is simple, but I'm wondering about the potential for a reaction. Heat 1 qt. of whole milk to 100 degrees for 15 minutes to sterilize. Add the juice from 4 lemons, watch it curdle, then strain through cheesecloth to gather curds. Let the curds drain for 30-60 minutes, then let it age in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Voila, cheese. Crumbly, creamy cheese, but cheese nonetheless. Do the resident experts see potential for catastrophe and migraines here? Also, this process produces a whole lot of lemon-flavored whey, rich in protein and at this point barely heated. Could it be safe to use this for other purposes? Seems like a shame to just pour it down the drain. Sorry if this topic has been covered elsewhere. I'm the queen of not-finding-things. | ||
| Jennifer Unregistered guest |
I've never heard of that, but it's something I'd be willing to try. Rennet, a traditional cheese making enzyme (Junket tablets) does the same thing as the lemons. However, heating at 100F Will *NOT* sterilize it....that's a perfect temperature for bacteria to thrive. If you meant Celsius, then that's overkill. I think 140F is the temperature you want. I don't really think it needs to be sterilized at all if your immune system is in good shape. I'd just use a brand-new carton of pasteurized milk. It won't be sterile, but should be close enough. Goat milk would be a good thing to try this with too - it has a bit less glutamate than cow's milk. Jennifer | ||
| Amy N. Unregistered guest |
Thanks Jennifer. Yeah, I was looking a bit askance at the "100 degrees to sterilize" thing, but then the recipe didn't come from a site that seemed terribly scientifically sound. When I tried it last night I let it get to room temperature and then dumped the lemon juice in. And if I could find goat milk in my area? I'd be all over that! Gotta love goat cheese! | ||
| Jennifer Unregistered guest |
Whey....is used to make a different kind of cheese. Shoot, I wish I could remember what it was. My hubby gave me a box of Junket tables as a gift a few years ago (which I have yet to use) and the instructions came with many, many recipes..... Ah, it's Ricotta cheese: http://www.junketdesserts.com/cheeserecipes.aspx Did you try your lemon cheese yet? Lemon curd sounds classier - though I think that's a totally unrelated product. Jennifer | ||
| Amy N. Unregistered guest |
Ah cool, I'll have to check that out. I've never had much use for ricotta outside of lasagna, but hey! Lasagna! The lemon cheese is actually pretty good - my husband loves it (which is all that matters, really, as I was making it for him). It's a little tart since I didn't add any sweetening agents or anything, but we tried a bit on home-made bread with a little honey and it was wonderful. Apparently this stuff works really well for making cheesecake. Lemon curd really is a separate entity, but it's delicious as well. Lemon curd on hot scones... Yum. | ||
| Jennifer Unregistered guest |
What if you use limes? I'm thinking Key Lime cheesecake. Hmmmm.... I've always hated cheesecake, but I doubt I've ever had one that was free of processed crud. I'd guess a graham cracker recipe is in order. Jennifer | ||
| Amy N. Unregistered guest |
That's a marvelous idea - I'll have to give it a shot sometime. I've got a couple of graham cracker recipes... but I haven't tried them yet. | ||
| Jennifer Unregistered guest |
Lime flavored whey? Could you make a pina colada type of thing from it? I don't know what kind of lasagna would work with lime flavored cheese... Pineapple, pork lasagna? That would either be great, or "EWWWW". An Iron Kitchen type of dish - Jennifer | ||
| Amy N. Unregistered guest |
Well, I haven't tried limes yet, but I did try using cold milk instead of warming it on the stove. The temperature of the milk definitely affects the curdling action. I ended up heating the mixture slightly after adding the lemon juice, and ended up with a cream cheese instead of crumbles. It's good both ways, of course, but I'll have to keep that in mind if I need the cheese for a certain purpose. |
