Fromage Blanc - A creamy and mild spreadable cheese!
A French favorite that's soft, creamy & spreadable. Can be made with cream, whole milk or skim milk, depending on desired fat content. Often combined with herbs or used with desserts, Fromage Blanc makes a good substitute for cottage cheese or ricotta.
Easy to make- the rennet is included.
Cultures at room temperature
Direct-set (single use)
You will receive: 4 packets Fromage Blanc cheese culture (includes rennet) and instructions.
1 packet will culture 1 to 4 quarts of milk
You will need:
stainless steel pot with lid (no aluminum)
non-aluminum spoon
thermometer
butter muslin
tight-weave dish towel or yogurt bag
colander bowl to hold colander
raw or pasteurized milk (avoid ultra-pasteurized or UHT milk)
1 packet Fromage Blanc starter culture (store remaining packets in fridge or freezer for future use)
non-iodized salt
Directions:
On low, slowly heat 1 to 4 quarts of milk to 86 degrees F. Heat the milk NO FASTER than 1 degree per minute- this can take 30-40 minutes for a gallon. Remove from heat.
Add one packet of Fromage Blanc starter and mix thoroughly for 15 seconds (no longer).
Cover the pot with the lid and allow to culture in a warm spot at 72-77 degrees F for 12 hours.
The Fromage Blanc should be set after 12 hours. There may be some separation of the whey- this is normal. Place the colander in the bowl & line the colander with a double layer of butter muslin or dish towel. Spoon the cheese curds into the colander, gather up the corners of the cloth, and tie them together to make a bag (or use a yogurt bag).
Hang the cheese-filled bag over the bowl to drain the whey for 6-12 hours (the whey can be reserved for other uses).
Store your finished Fromage Blanc in a closed container for about a week. If freezing, remove as much of the whey as possible and salt well first.
