Home Made Farmer's Cheese

I've made this sort of cheese for 35 years and I can tell you that one must beware of ULTRA Pasteurized milk. I couldn't figure out why all of a sudden I had little curd formation. Thought I had lost my touch or something...but found that the problem wasn't me...it was my buying a real good brand of milk (vs a store brand) that was ULTRA Pasteurized. Since then I have read it has poor yield if it even works at all. Not worth the time and effort. Hope this helps those who had issues. It probably wasn't you...just the milk.

I use buttermilk and it works much better. I just put the half gallon container in a large pot, turn it on and wait for the water to boil when the water starts boiling, wait 10 minutes and turn water off. let sit in the water until cooled (about 2 hours) then pour into cheesecloth and drain for 4-12 hours and "bam" great farmers cheese!

(Sept. '08)Since lemons vary so much in acidity and yield of juice, I have had much better and more consistent results using white vinegar. I started with a quarter cup, as I did not want a vinegary taste, but it was not sufficient to fully curdle the milk, and I had to repeat the process. A scant half a cup worked perfectly, and no vinegar taste that I could discern. Although the whey looks kind of gross, it's a great ingredient, especially for stews and soups, to which it adds body and richness. I, however, usually mix it with my dog's food. He LOVES it OK fast forward 2 years...(Oct, 2010) I've probably made this 40 or 50 times - whenever milk is on sale- and it always works. Sometimes the curd is finer than other times. Sometimes it takes longer to set up. but it's always good. I only use whole milk and I only use white vinegar. It gives a more consistent result and I think a better, cleaner taste. I pour about a cup of milk out of the gallon jug (to make room), set the jug in a pot of water big enough to hold it, and put it on very low heat. When the water simmers, I turn off the gas, add a half cup of vinegar, give it a quick stir with something long, and just leave it for a couple hours until everything is cool (be careful. At first, the jug is very hot and pliable) - then just pour it out of the jug into the prepared sieve. I like that there is nothing much to clean up. I salt to taste afterwards depending on what I'll use it for.

That's almost the way my Grand Mother was doing it except she wouldn't use lemon (as it was not really avaiable in polish country side) but just let stay fresh unpasterized milk for about 2 days to allow it to get sour by itself. The rest is the same. I would suggest not to throw away whey - if drunk,it is a all-natural detox for your body (ie. hangover), if applied on skin, cure for sunburn and, well, it taste good as well :) As for variations - traditionally we add finelly chopped fresh herbs (parsley, spring onion's green) with more salt and some pepper but you can add about anything (my Mother's special was farmer cheese mixed with smoked mackrel and onions - tastes great but no kissing afterward ;) ).

We were skeptical and scared yet hopeful after reading everyone elses reviews on this recipe. But we tried it. We stood over the pot for a really really really long time. We finally saw some bubbles and got excited and added 1/4 cup of lemon juice and waited 10 minutes. We were crushed because it only yielded about 1/4 cup of cheese. My friend here cried and swore she would never make cheese again. Since it sort of worked and we had all this leftover milk, we decided just to do it again. We had nothing to lose. We heated up the milk again (which took much less time since it was already almost boiling) and when it started to bubble we threw in another 1/4 of lemon juice. (This makes two lemons of juice now.) This time, we had almost immediate results! The glee and glory we felt was great. It actually made a good pound or so of cheese this time. What next? Disneyland.

I tried this recipe tonight and the results were excellent. I had only 4 cups of milk, so I used 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. I heated the milk to 190F, removed it from the heat, and stirred in the lemon juice, then let it sit for 10 minutes, then drained it in cheesecloth. Perfect -- I'm going to use this recipe again!

This recipe worked wonderfully for me. It made a cream-cheese-like cheese. My only compliant might be that it wasn't salty enough. But I suppose you could put this on salty crackers and it would be fine. Note---I halved the recipe just to try it---1/2 gallon of milk, juice of 1/2 a lemon. Also, I didn't use fresh milk, I used week-old milk. Worked beautifully, thanks for the great recipe.

I followed the tips from some of the other reviewers and was able to get a wonderful amount of cheese from this recipe! This is so great and easy to do! : )

People, read the reviews on this one! The advice by another poster helped me make perfect cheese the very first time with this recipe. Make sure you measure your lemon juice (1/4 cup to a gallon of milk) and use a thermometer. Letting it rest the full ten minutes is important. Also, every time I have made this (and I now use this recipe all the time to make ricotta cheese but also to make syrnyky and blintzes) I have had to reheat the milk mixture to get the full amount of cheese. Remember, until you only see yellow whey left behind, you still have milk solids that, if reheated, will become cheese! Strain it once and if your liquid is still milky white, reheat and add more lemon juice and it will all turn into cheese.

I tried to make this cheese,a pinch of salt..... heated the milk till the bubbles came to the edges and added the lemon juice....poured it into a cheese cloth....but no cheese.

Don't throw away the whey! It can be used as a buttermilk substitute. I've used it in biscuits, gravy and many other things where milk is called for, adding a unique flavor. The easiest way that I've found to keep it is to pre-measure amounts, pour that into small ziploc bags and freeze. That way you have a handy supply that only takes a few minutes to thaw in the microwave.

I took the advice of the other reviewers and used 1/2 cup of white vinegar to 1 gallon of whole milk and it worked beautifully. I didn't need to reheat for more curds and it yielded about a pound of cheese. It smelled and tasted delicious! No vinegar taste whatsoever. Highly recommended if you enjoy making pierogies with this sort of cheese since it's hard to come by in the stores and this recipe makes it so much cheaper than buying it yourself anyway! Enjoy!!

Use vinegar, not lemon juice.

Beautiful recipe!! The vinegar seems to be the key, and since I don't want the lemon flavor in my cheese, I'll stick to vinegar - Farmer's cheese IS bland after all. I come from an Eastern European family and my great aunts miss good Farmer's cheese for their recipes. Well, now I can make it, AND our traditional recipes like Plakcinta and Hunklich!! Thanks so much!!!

Wow. Okay, so I was totally intimidated at first...but this was super easy - and I'm no Martha Stewart, either. I dumped a gallon of milk in the pot, stirred it a couple times, saw foam first but waited until I saw bubbles and then turned off the heat and added 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar. Saw the separation immediately, let it sit for ten minutes (while I danced happily around my living room) and then strained it through cheese cloth. Voila. It is a very mild, sweet cheese - a great base for anything you might want to do with it. Great recipe....and super cheap!!! :) Shazaam! :)

What a great recipe! I can't believe how easy it was to make farmers cheese! I wanted to make perogies for my husband, but the closest place I know of to get farmers cheese is almost an hour away, so I thought I would give it a try. I halved the recipe (only because I didn't want to waste a whole gallon of milk if it didn't work). I did have 2 cups of heavy cream in the frige that had just expired, so I threw that in there too. I didn't have any luck with the leftover whey, but I didn't expect to because it was pretty clear. The cheese turned out sweet and velvety, I am really hoping that I have enough for the perogies after I've been taste testing it! I will be making this all the time. AMAZING!!!!

I tried this recipe, followed very carefully, and I never saw much of anything in the way of curds. Basically I still had milk. I was very excited to try it, and it didn't work for me, which was disapointing to say the least. Waited a lot of milk as well.

I made this with a half gallon of whole milk. I followed other reviewer's recommendations and used a vinegar/lemon juice blend. Curds formed immediately. I waited the full ten minutes before straining through clean panty hose. I got just over a cup of cheese and seasoned it with garlic, onion, black pepper, paprika and celery salt.

Made 1 batch using lemon juice and it didn't work, tried again using vinegar and it worked great. Used as filling for pieogies. Cost much less than store bought and I can use organic milk.

I tried this recipe twice, with some success. I used a 1/2 gallon of whole, organic, pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized) milk and 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar. I used a candy thermometer to tell when the milk got to 190 F, and added the vinegar. The milk curdled almost immediately. After setting up, I used a jelly-strainer bag to squeeze the last of the whey out of the cheese. The first batch made a nice, semi-firm cheese, but with only about a 1/4 tsp of salt in the mix, it wasn't overly flavorful. Not bad, but not exciting. It does have a nice mouth-feel, so it's satisfying that way. I just made a second batch with the other half-gallon of milk I had left. This time, after draining most of the whey, I transferred the curds to a bowl and added some jalapenos, onions, red pepper flakes, and more salt (about 3/4 tsp). It turned out much more satisfying. So the moral of this story is that this is a good recipe, just experiment for yourself to find a flavor that you like. Good luck!

My mom used to make a hot sausage frittata and mixed farmers, or basket cheese into the egg mixture. That is sometimes hard to find in a store except around Easter time (the good kind). This is a very easy recipe to make your own cheese. I used whole mlk, and once the milk was over 190 degrees i mixed 1/2 lemon juice and 1/2 cider vinegar, turned off the heat and let the magic happen.

We are making Pirogi's tomorrow for Christmas dinner and I didn't get to the wholesale market to purchase my farmers cheese. I decided to try this recipe. I followed everything except I used vinegar instead of lemon juice. It worked perfectly!! Thank you.

I made this using the vinegar instead of the lemon juice. It was fantastic. After it drained for a day or so I added some garlic and onion powder and a tad bit of parsley to it, oh and a little bit of salt. It is delicious on crusty french bread. I tried some yesterday with a couple of mandarin oranges cut into it. The difference in the two textures was wonderful. I think I will try this again and add different spices this time. The variety of tastes you can give this cheese is endless.

As written, I give this a 3 stars. You have to bring the milk to a full boil, not just bubbles around the edge or it doesn't make hardly any cheese. If you bring it a full boil, you'll have no problem getting it to set up. I tried this recipe again and used the microwave to heat the milk. It took a long time because of the volume of liquid but it was much easier, not so much stirring or worrying about the milk scorching on the bottom of the pan

I made this last night, used the microwave method that works great for yogurt. It is super easy to make, can be set up 30 minutes before bedtime. Pour half a gallon of whole milk in a glass bowl - I use the pampered chef 8-cup batter bowl. Microwave to 180 degrees, about 13 minutes - use your thermometer and never let it boil. Meanwhile, pour 2 cups of buttermilk in a large bowl and add the salt. Pour hot milk over buttermilk and stir gently. Pour 3 Tablespoons of white vinegar into bowl and stir gently. Don't touch for 10 minutes. Drain into paper towel-lined colander in your sink. Cover with paper towel and let sit in fridge while you sleep. In the morning you have about 3 cups worth.

PLEASE READ: Do NOT use skimmed milk. It will curdle and give you rubber cheese. I know the recipe called for whole milk, and it does so for a reason. I had both so did a test. Whole milk wins hands down! Made with whole milk and it was perfect.

Reduced recipe to accomodate my pot size... Half gallon of whole milk to 1/8 C white vinegar. I let the milk just come to the beginning of a boil and removed from the heat. Added some salt and then my acid, stirred once and it curdled. Super easy. All that was left behind was the yellow whey. Can't wait to make it again. I want to try with goats milk from the farmers market...

My first attempt came out alright, if a little bland, although I used less lemon juice I believe (having quartered the recipe.) I added some minced garlic and some black pepper to the mix when I added the lemon juice. I folded in a little salt to the finished product, and it was pretty darn good. It ended up with a soft texture, like feta but more moist. I came up with a nice idea on my second attempt. Just as I added turned the heat off, I ladled a bit into another pot with some cooked and slightly buttered angel hair pasta, adding some lemon juice to this as well as the rest of the liquid. After adding some various seasonings and letting it sit for a few minutes, it had become a pretty great cream sauce. My batch of farmer's cheese itself turned out quite crumbly, so I topped the pasta off with some. If you don't want to go to the trouble of letting the milk clot with the pasta, I've also found that the whey can add a nice rich and creamy texture to any cream-type pasta sauce you like to make.

I took the advice of the reviews after trying this recipe the first time. I got a much better yeild. I also let the milk come to room temperature, and that will help to keep the milk from scorching before coming to temperature. Good idea...fun for the kids and my son came in 2nd in the science fair for making cheese!!!

WOW! I actually just finished this! It worked. I did a full gallon of milk - first time around I kind of scortched it and didn't get much out of it. I cleaned the pot and reheated the milk (was still white). I got it boiling again and added another 1/4 cup of lemon juice and now a have A LOT of farmers cheese! I am so excited! My family is doing a project like we are eating like the world and this week we choose Poland for our country and so many recipies called for Farmers Cheese! So happy I found this recipe here!

Thanks Mylin! I used 2% milk. I even blundered by putting the lemon juice in before cooking. After cooking I did put in some additional vinegar and "poof" it was like magic when the curds formed! Fun for the kids to watch too. Will never buy ricotta or farmer's cheese again! Will try with some fresh herbs as a spread for crackers, yum...

Didn't seperate until I added 1/4 cup of plain white vinegar in addition to the lemon. Scald until 180 degrees, don't wait on bubbles as you create them my stirring. But result was my 86 year old Polish mother couldn't tell this chesse from the store bought and this is so much cheaper. I made two batches (2 gallons of milk) and it was enough for 5 lbs of potatoes for a day of pierogi maknig.

This was great. I used it as part of my X-mas gift to some co-workers, Very easy and impressive. Thanks so much.

Second try, it went better: much more lemon, I saw yellow liquid...left outside from eve to morn in a very windy night, it came out dry this time. I'll keep trying, but this is the right way

I AM POLISH,AND THE STORE I SHOP AT DID NOT HAVE FARMERS CHEESE WHICH IS WHAT I USE FOR MY HOMEMADE PIOROGIS, WELL I TRIED THIS RECIPE AND EVEN THOUGH I HAD TO DO IT TWICE, IT LOOKS AND THE TEXTURE IS LIKE THE STORE BOUGHT STUFF. HOPE MY PIOROGIS ARE AS GOOD AS THIS CHEESE LOOKS. I DID ADD MORE SALT, BLACK PEPPER AND ONION POWDER TO THE RECIPE CAUSE I ADD ONIONS WHEN I MIX IT IN MY MASHED POTATOS. I,VE ONLY MADE PIOROGIS 3 TIMES IN MY LIFE SINCE MY GRANDMOTHER TAUGHT ME IN 1960. I DID NOT FORGET ANYTHING SHE TAUGHT ME, HOORAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad I read the reviews! The first go round I had about a 1/4 cup of cheese and thought - that doesn't seem right? So I read the review that stated what was left over and still white, boil again. And VIOLA! This time instant curdle! Fantastic! Thanks for the great recipe and the helpful reviews!

I'd like to try this. I'd like to add a little garlic, parsley, and some green onion. Should I do this during the cooking or after. If after while its cooling or after draining the whey. thanks for any advice. RD

Good easy way to make cheese - turns out more like ricotta cheese. I didn't have a thermometer handy, so I guessed as to the temp and added the lemon juice but only got a small portion of the milk to curdle. I strained that out, and put the milk back on the stove to heat up again. The second time I added the lemon juice, the curdling happened instantly and it worked like a charm. You know you're done when the liquid is a clear yellowish color, and no longer white. Just make sure you have a couple big bowls and a good strainer. As another reviewer mentioned, fold your cheesecloth a couple times so the mesh is very small to get all the curds. The cheese was very bland, since I probably didn't put enough salt into the milk at the beginning, so I ended up adding a bunch of salt to the cheese afterwards, and that helped. Next time I will put more salt in the milk at the beginning stage. I used the cheese as a spread on top of bagels, then also for making lasagna. Both tasted very good!

This is great! I make buttermilk by adding 1 T of lemon juice to 1 C milk and wait 5 min. If the milk doesn't curdle, you either don't have enough lemon juice or did not wait long enough. After making the cheese, save the left over butter milk for pancakes (my kids love buttermilk pancakes).

I tried the recipe and it came out well... As per another reviewer, I boiled the whey second time with more lemon juice and the cheese separated from water completely.... very simple and easy...

I've made this before, maybe 5 years ago, i heated the milk for a short time, and the result was a cheese that tasted like glue, i added little salt and the vinegar overpowered it. I made it once more today and the taste was amazing, as well as the texture, if at first you don't succeed :)

This did not come out..it was way too watery. I had to add another lemon and a quarter cup of white vinegar to make it curdle..it's still sitting on my stove...I hate to waste a whole gallon of milk!!!!!!

1st time making cheese, super easy recipe. I had some 2% milk that was getting close to going bad and lemon from one of those plastic bottles. I also used paper towels instead of cheese cloth (just bought some on Amazon). I threw in Basil, Chili Peppers, and Garlic. Came out perfect and after chilling I ate it all with crackers in 1 sitting. Thanks for the recipe!

I've made this a few times for my family and they love it!:) I want to try it with goat milk but haven't yet!:)

Works great I use it like ricotta cheese. Don't throw out the whey it adds character and nutrition to homemade bread instead of plain water!

I followed the comments and used vinegar instead of lemon juice. Also added quite a bit of salt (couple of pinches) before adding the vinegar. I used 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar with 1litre of milk just to try. Ended up with a small fist sized cheese that I rolled in crushed black pepper.

This was great! I had some milk that was going to spoil anyway, so I thought what the heck and gave it a whirl. I only had 1 1/2 cups of 1% and 2 1/2 cups of 2%, but it worked out wonderfully! 4 cups of milk + 20g of vinegar and a squirt of lemon. My own homemade *lowfat* cheese!

Kind of worked, but not as well as I would have liked.

I halved this recipe since it was my first time making it. I put the milk in the pan straight from the fridge and so it took a long time to heat up and it scorched - I'll let it reach room temperature first next time. I added the juice of half a lemon and nothing happened. So I added the other half and voila! The curds seperated from the whey so quickly I didn't need to wait 10 minutes! The cheese came out beautifully! However, it is rather bland, with only the slightest taste of lemon. Next time I will add herbs and spices (I'm thinking sun dried tomatoes and basil or hot peppers would be wonderful). I used the cheese to attempt a grilled cheese sandwich. Unfortunately, the cheese didn't melt well at all and I was rather disappointed. I'll try using it in other recipes to see how versatile it is.

Followed the directions used 1/2 gal of milk and an 1/8 cup lemon juice. The result was very little curd after 10 minutes. Ran liquid thru cheesecloth then took the remaining liquid and reheated then tried the white vinegar. Within seconds my liquid separated into curd and whey. My recommendation is not to waste time on the lemon juice but go straight for the vinegar. 1/2 gal of milk produced 1 cup of cheese. Next time I do this I might try different vinegars and see how this affects the flavor

So easy and delish!

Awesome. I've been wanting to try to make cheese forever, but figured it would be difficult. I decided to just try a small batch and it is totally cheese! Now I'm thinking of so many creative things to make using this basic recipe. Thanks!

Some people call it bland cheese. It lacks good bacteria and a zest of sourness. I tried both with lemon juice and buttermilk. It curded great, yielded a bit less then my usual method, but it was tasteless. I made several batches, did my research, let my American friends taste it and then gave them my original version to taste (where buttermilk added to lukewarm milk, ferments and separated from whey in the oven). They liked the fermented farmer's cheese. It tastes great in crepes, bakes, and pastries.

Tasted ok. Will probably reserve this recipe when I need ricotta cheese in another recipe that also requires lemon.

Quite excellent simply because of how easy it was. It turned out fabulous!!!!

Awful! I ended up throwing a whole gallon of milk and the juice of one whole lemon down the drain - no cheese whatsoever. Big waste of time!

I'm glad I read all 63 previous reviews, I used vinegar, and used the one reviewers method of heating the milk in the jug, it worked great! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because it has taken ALL DAY to strain through 2 layers of cheesecloth...Maybe I should have used a single layer? Was really hoping to make pierogi TODAY...wish I had done it last night!Ready in 25 minutes, HAH!!

I totally messed this up the first time,but cause i did not read other peoples tips.But i will do it again,the little bit of cheese i did get was great. I may have to up grade this to 5 stars,if i can do it right. Thanks for sharing this,cheers

I've always hated throwing expired milk out- now I have a use for it! I might have overcooked it....I had a quarter gallon of 2%, so I set the jug in a large pot of water, turned the stove on. After the water started boiling, I waited for the milk to boil, but it didn't (is it supposed to??), so I just let it set for almost 30 minutes at probably 190ish F, then added several tablespoons of lemon and tarragon vinegar, as well as a little seasoned salt. I gave the jug a good shake then let it cool for an hour. Then I put an old (but clean :) ) knee high over the tup of the jug and turned it upside. To my surprise and delight, about a cup of cheese is now hanging out in the bottom. I just tasted it- delicious! Texture reminds me of soft cottage cheese- still looks like curdles, but so much fun and so yummy! Thanks! p.s.- I'm adding a photo to show texture a bit...

Like other reviewers, I needed more acid, so in addition to the lemon I added 1/4 c. vinegar and it turned out wonderfully! I plan to play around with different milks, seasonings and even vinegars for subtle nuances.

I had curds and whey before I added the vinegar. Do I still add the vinegar? Did anyway. I plan to save the whey for use on other things.

Worked great! First time I've made cheese and it was a lot of fun. I may have the cheese-making bug now.

This was my first time making cheese and it turned out beautifully! I agree with one other user that the plain cheese was rather bland on its own, even with the pinch of salt. I thought it would have made a lovely herbed cheese spread if I'd gone that route. As it is, I ended up making a couple lasagnas with it, and oh man! It was DELICIOUS! I typically use cottage cheese, not ricotta, in my lasagnas, but this by far topped them both! My husband couldn't get over how creamy and rich this was! Thanks for a fun easy recipe!

I had no problems with the cheese forming. And I followed the recipe exactly. But I didn't like the flavor or the texture of the cheese. The flavor really wasn't bad it just wasn't there. Sorry.

Good basic farmer's cheese recipe. I stir in buttermilk prior to adding the lemon juice, that's the way I was taught. Haven't tried it without buttermilk. Broqnwing, try again. As one review mentioned maybe the lemons weren't acidic enough, though lemon always works for me. Also DO NOT use ultrapasturized milk, won't work.

I pressed mine under 10 pounds of weight for two hours. It turned out fantastic.

first time making this cheese was a success easy to follow and nice rich soft cheese.

FANTASTIC! And to think I was going to drive 30 miles round trip to Whole Foods to pick up "Farmers Cheese"? Gallon of whole milk with a pinch or two of salt boiled to 195 degrees at medium heat, stirring. 1/2 cups of white vinegar, stir and let sit for two minutes. Drain into a cheese cloth. Done.

Thank you for this recipe and helpful reviews. I moved to Oklahoma where soft farmer's cheese wasn't available. This saves one of my family's best recipes. I used white vinegar. 1c per gallon of whole milk. I let it sit as suggested for about 8 minutes and it made about a pound of cheese. It was mild and a tad sweet. No vinegar flavor and all pure whey left. Love it!

To make farmer's cheese with lemon juice or vinegar will yield much inferior results than with lacto-fermentation. If you don't want to spend much time buy buttermilk and heat it until curd will separate. But if you want to make perfect farmer's cheese read this recipe http://nerdygreenmom.com/farmers-cheese-recipe

What a delicious, fast, simple & satisfying pursuit. First tme cheese maker, Result = perfect with this recipe. Supermarket whole milk

WOW! I really can't believe this works! I had a box of UHT milk that went bad somehow, so I thought it was worth the experiement and it really worked. I did not have any cheese cloth OR pantyhose, but a regular dish towel worked fine and did not even stick. Amazing! Will do it again for sure, probably adding some flavors. Thank you!

Ingredients 1.) 1/2 Liter of milk, (very little curdage, must be ultra pasturized, don't know, because everything is in korean xD) 2.) x amount of whipping creme 3.) half a lemon 4.) half a teaspoon of salt Absolutely loved this recipe, added a little twist though , just made a starter batch thus far but will attempt again. I'm living in korea and haven't bought a measuring cup yet so I had to improvise, used a 500ml water bottle to measure out half a liter of milk, then added, x amount of whipping cream (notched bottle, 2nd notch from bottom, something like 1/6th of 500ml, and yes I'm horrible at math so don't ask what 1/6th of 500ml would be) xD. brought this to a slight boil for 30 seconds, then turned off the heat, added half a lemon/juice and slowly stirred it in, let sit for 10, realised I forgot to add salt, added salt, 3 pinches -ish and brought back to a light boil, let stand for 10 then poured out into collander w paper towels, have a very soft cheese, very little curd, firm in the fridge, has a wonderful hint of lemon and is outstandingly refreshing, wonderful recipe, thanks again!!

This was my first time.making any cheese whatsoever and it worked wonderfully. I am trying again right now and had to come find this recipe specifically. One too: you can keep the whey, and put it in your crock pot to make ricotta. Then you can use *that* why to make gyetost (or, rather, myseost) and all are super yummy. My ricotta didn't circle before it was in the pot for like a full day and the sugars had carmelized, so I got some lovely fresh-tasting carmelized ricotta. You can't buy that. The gyetost was also fudgy and good, so do yourself a favor and DON'T toss.that lovely whey!

I'll make it again or try other cheeses. It was easy and fast.

First time I tried this was ez and good. Second time nothing happened, must have been that ultra pasturized milk. My question now is can I try this with old milk that has expired in frig? Wouldn't that be like sour cream? Please let me know as I've a gallon of milk still aging in frig--or should I just trash it? I've used this in former recipes when buttermilk was called for and it tasted fine & no one got ill or even noticed anything "sour". I hate wasting food ( especially since prices have soared), but no dollar amount compares to someone's health & wellness (which includes good flavor)!

I used Lactaid milk because I wanted a lactose free cheese that did not involve nuts or soybeans. It worked perfectly and tastes wonderful. New go-to recipe for cheese.

This was simple enough, but more hassle than it is worth for the amount of cheese you get. I added crushed garlic and was please with the result though.

I grew up spending summers on a dairy farmer with my grandparents. They were dairy farmers. Grandma would often leave a bowl of fresh milk out over night. The next morning, it would have curds and whey. She would strain it and eat the curds. She called it "curddle." This is very similar.

I would love to make my own farmers cheese but I am diabetic and have to watch the carbs. Does anyone know how many carbs will be left in farmers cheese made from 1 gallon of 2% milk? Thank you,

Perfect. Thanks!

I cook for kids at a daycare. I have been wanting to make a simple cheese that would also be easy for the kids to watch me make. I found "farmer's cheese" and decided to try it. I used 1 gallon of milk, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 cup of white vinegar. It turned out perfect. I did stir and watch the temp until the milk was around 185 degrees. I want to make it, as the kids watch, and let them taste it. I then want to add some flavor and let them taste, again. I know they will love it.

I am so so sorry, but this recipe was not very good. I had wish it would be because I always wanted to try homemade cheese. It was bland and tasteless. Maybe someone can tell me what went wrong. Will try it again with more salt and maybe add something else. Sorry

It is MUCH easier to strain this through a clean polyester PAINT SOCK which you can pick up at Lowe's or Home Depot or any hardware store. The paint sock is washable and therefore can be reused time and time again! My paint sock is really large, narrow at the bottom and has an elastic top. I also like to use it when straining grapes during jelly making!

Fantastic! I had no idea making soft cheese was so easy! I used goat milk and made goat cheese. Thank you!

Worked great! Top tip- if it’s not working it needs more lemon. I had to use the juices from 10 lemons , different varieties of lemons have different acidity. Also you can use white vinegar instead of lemons. This cheese is perfect for pierogi

good recipe. i will try it today and feed back

Having read several of the reviews, I made sure my milk was pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized; used a thermometer (which was good, because if I were judging only by bubble formation, I would have taken the milk off the heat too soon); and used white vinegar instead of lemon juice, and a scant half-cup. With the benefit of others' hard-earned wisdom, this came out perfectly. It began to curdle almost as soon as I added the vinegar, and I could see that the liquid was a clear yellow, telling me I'd left no milk solids behind. I got a nice amount of cheese, which I will use to make paskha cheese to break the Lenten fast on Pascha (Easter).

I followed this recipe to a T, but got bad results. I even used a thermometer to make sure it reached the temp that some have indicated was needed, 190*F. I got mostly all milk with a teensy bit of whey. I'm just glad that I only made a half recipe. I did have high hopes for this recipe.

Why have I never done this before? I started with the vinegar but found it didn't turn all the milk solids whole so I added lemon juice a bit at a time and almost instantly the curds and whey separated. I will be making this from now on. Thank you!

I grew up eating peach farmers cheese and used the plain farmers cheese to make blintzes

Hey, it worked and was a lot of fun, and the flavor was fine (I added onion, garlic, and spices), but the consistency and the unwillingness to melt was a turnoff.

Only 5 stars if you do it right. This is the same as a basic ricotta cheese recipe. Heat slowly and be patient. The milk should not boil. Just heat until it just gets there, 190 degrees and pull off the heat and add the acid. It takes a LOT more acid than 1 lemon. I use a combination of vinegar and lemon. Add more as needed to get the curds. I start with a gallon of good quality whole milk. Don't use the lower fat milks. I've made my own with a similar recipe many times.

This is the cheese I use for white cheese pierogi. It is fantastic and takes flavors well. So much better than any dry cottage cheese from the grocery store, if you can find any. This cheese can be pressed into a flat block for snacking or paneer, an Indian cheese dish. Of you don't have a lemon, you can also substitute with 1/2 cup store bought lemon juice. Just be sure the juice is fresh. My success with different brands of milk has been hit or miss....just experiment.

It was easy enough to make. Used in pancakes. Very, very good.

This definitely did not work well. It yeilded less than a cup.