If you’re blessed with a family whose milk usage varies from half to 2 gallons a week, depending on their cereal jones, you have faced the same dilemma: Should it stay or should it go? Here’s an easy-peasy way to use up the darned stuff that takes less than 30 minutes (most spent simmering on its own).
You’ll need:
sour or milk about to turn – use the sniff test – whole works best
white vinegar (if your milk doesn’t form curds on its own)
dash of salt to taste
stainless steel pot
cheesecloth
colander
candy thermometer
Dump milk into pot over medium flame; attach candy thermometer. When temp hits 180-200° move pot and wait a few minutes to cool.You are looking for curd separation, so if you don’t see anything after the temperature hits about 150° add a tablespoon of vinegar (more or less, depending on amount of milk) until you get some clumping.
This is how the cooled mixture looks when poured into cheesecloth-lined colander.
I put the colander on top of a pot to collect the whey instead of pouring it down the drain. While people rave about whey for baking, Chicago in August is not the time to take up a bread-baking hobby. Twist the cheesecloth to squeeze out more whey, but that’s it. Leave as-is and crumble on tacos. Press out more liquid for a firmer and drier cheese that will keep longer in the fridge. Add a tablespoon or two of milk or cream to make creamy cottage cheese.
My gallon yielded roughly 3 cups of very tasty cheese. While I added a teaspoon of salt, your craving might be different. I now mourn all those years of wasted milk…