Quick cheese is a no-fuss\ no-fail recipe and therefore a perfect beginner cheese making recipe! When you have a family milk cow, making cheese is at the top of the list of skills you will want to learn. It melts into a smooth, creamy cheese making it our go-to cheese for dishes such as macaroni and cheese and queso.
I remember when I first started milking our jersey cow I could hardly wait to make cheese. I had always dreamed of making all of our cheese at home. Well, after many attempts and lots of not-so-great cheese I decided maybe I should start with a simple cheese recipe to ensure success. QUICK CHEESE was the perfect beginner cheese making recipe. It sure gets discouraging to spend 24 hours making cheese and it not turn out well.
This quick cheese recipe is the answer for all of you beginner cheese makers. You will succeed and will be inspired to keep going! Making cheese at home is easy with this recipe. Despite the fact that quick cheese is the easiest cheese you will ever make, it is one of the most delicious and sure to be your family’s favorite. If you want a healthy, made-from-scratch cheese in a hurry, quick cheese is perfect.
Can I make a smaller or larger recipe for quick cheese?
Yes, most definitely! This recipe scales down or up easily. I make this recipe from 1/2 gallon all the time. Moreover, if you have a milk cow and lots of milk. you can scale this recipe up and make lots of cheese for your freezer for when your cow is not in milk.
Is quick cheese fermented?
Quick cheese is not a fermented cheese. This version uses vinegar to curdle the cheese, but there is a fermented version of this cheese that I will show you at a later date. The recipe I use is called “Cooked Cheese” or “KochKase” in German and is passed down from the German culture in my community. This version can take up to nine days to make!
Do I need special equipment like a cheese press to make quick cheese?
No cheese press is required for this recipe. You most likely will have everything you need for this recipe except maybe a thermometer that clips on the side of your pan. These are very useful for cheese making, and you probably will need one sooner or later. Here is the exact thermometer I use: HERE
Is Quick Cheese for beginner cheesemaking a good recipe to make at home?
Yes, this recipe is a great place to start making cheese at home. You need very little equipment to make this cheese in contrast to most cheese recipes that require a cheese press.
Can I use store bought milk or raw milk?
Another great thing about this recipe is both milks will work! So all of you dreaming of owning a milk cow can start learning how to make cheese with this recipe. To all of you with family milk cows please read this!
Equipment
Stock pot that will hold a gallon of milk (I use All-Clad cookware)
Spoon
Strainer
Thermometer
Measuring cups and measuring spoons
Glass dish (I use a Pyrex glass loaf pan)
INGREDIENTS
1 gallon of raw or store bought milk
White Vinegar (organic if possible)
Baking Soda
Sea Salt
Butter
Cream
HOW TO MAKE QUICK CHEESE FOR BEGINNER CHEESE MAKERS
- Pour 1 gallon of milk into pot
- Attach thermometer
- Heat milk slowly to 128 degrees
- Remove pot from the burner to prevent temperature from continuing to rise.
- Drizzle 1/2 cup of vinegar into the milk and stir
- If the milk does not separate into curds and whey then add 1 tablespoon of vinegar at a time then stir until the milk separates.
- If the milk separates and the whey is clear then you have added enough vinegar.
- Cover pot and leave up to 1 hour.( I usually go on to the next step).
- After 1 hour (or less) drain the cheese and squeeze to remove all the whey. You can refrigerate/freeze until you are ready to make cheese.
- Break up cheese into small pieces
- Add 1 heaping teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste).
- If using a hand mixer to mix cheese and baking soda this the where you would do it. This is optional but helps the cheese to melt faster.
- You can cook the cheese now but I like to set it aside for about 30 minutes. Look back at our queso cheese video to see a fast method for making this cheese.
- Melt butter in pot with cheese curds
- By adding cream you can get the consistency you want.
- Melt cheese until smooth.
- Pour into mold or glass dish of your choice.
- Store in the refrigerator.
This cheese freezes well.
Tips
- Start with 1/2 cup of vinegar to add to the milk. Stir and give it minute to start forming a curd. If the liquid is milky white then add 1 tablespoon at a time until the curds separate from the whey. The whey will be a yellowish color.
- Instead of breaking up the cheese into small pieces you can use a hand mixer. I add the baking soda before I use the mixer.
- Take your milk out of the refrigerator a few hours before making cheese so it won’t take long to heat the milk to 128 degrees.
- Shake your milk jar to get all of the cream off of the jar and into your cheese.
- The time of letting the cheese sit in the whey for a hour can be reduced. I always need to do some chore right quick so I like a bit of a break.
- At any stage of the process you can refrigerate your cheese and get back to it the next day. Just bring to room temperature and pick up where you left off.
NOTE ABOUT COOKING THIS CHEESE:
- If you are in a super big hurry and don’t want to break up the cheese into small pieces, you can cook the cheese after draining and it will make the same great creamy cheese. For instructions refer to our Queso video.
- If I have time, I use the above method because the cheese will melt faster and is less likely to stick to the pan.
- There is not a large yield with this recipe, but is so worth it to have made-from-scratch healthy creamy cheese!
Please make this recipe! You will find many uses for this versatile cheese and you made it from scratch with just a few ingredients. Here are a few ways I use this cheese:
- queso
- enchilada sauce
- macaroni and cheese
- topping for grits (photo above with bacon)
- smeared on homemade bread-this is how the German settlers in our area used “Cooked Cheese”
Even if you don’t have your own milk cow you can make this recipe! You control the ingredients!
One more step into your made from scratch food journey!
Best,
Caren
QUICK CHEESE RECIPE FOR BEGINNER CHEESE MAKERS
Ingredients
- 1 gallon of raw milk or store bought milk
- White Vinegar-organic if possible
- Baking Soda
- Sea Salt
- Butter
- Cream
Instructions
- Pour 1 gallon of milk into pot
- Attach thermometer
- Heat milk slowly to 128 degrees
- Remove pot from the burner to prevent temperature from continuing to rise.
- Drizzle 1/2 cup of vinegar into the milk and stir
- If the milk does not separate into curds and whey then add 1 tablespoon of vinegar at a time then stir until the milk separates.
- If the milk separates and the whey is clear then you have added enough vinegar.
- Cover pot and leave up to 1 hour. (I usually proceed on to the next step.)
- After 1 hour (or less) drain the cheese and squeeze to remove all the whey. At this point you can refridgerate/freeze until ready to make the cheese.
- Break up cheese into small pieces
- Add 1 heaping teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste).
- If using a hand mixer to mix cheese and baking soda this the where you would do it. This is optional but helps the cheese to melt faster.
- You can cook the cheese now but I like to set it aside for about 30 minutes. Look back at our queso cheese video to see a fast method for making this cheese.
- Melt butter in pot with cheese curds
- By adding cream you can get the consistency you want.
- Melt cheese until smooth.
- Pour into mold or glass dish of your choice.
- Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- If you are in a super hurry and don't want to break up the cheese into small pieces or use the hand mixer you can cook the cheese after draining and it will be fine.
- If I have time I use the above method because the cheese will melt faster and is less likely to stick to the pan.
- There is not a large yield with this recipe but is so worth it to have made-from-scratch healthy creamy cheese!
