Farmer cheese turns out inconsistently
A couple of years ago I made farmer cheese from this recipe. It turned out great: creamy and delicious. Today I made the same recipe, and it turned out dry and crumbly instead. What would explain the inconsistency? The only thing I did differently is halve the recipe this time, but I can't see why that would alter the texture of the finished product.
Best Answer
Based on lots of experience making farmer's cheese (and backed up by the book One Hour Cheese), there are three factors which control the scale of creamy to dry & crumbly:
- the degree of acidity at which you set the curd;
- the length of time you cook it (keep it at 180F+)
- the length of time you drain it
So my guess would be that you increased two out of three of the above, or all three, without intending to. For example, you might have added the whole amount of vinegar instead of halving it, or, because you were draining half as much, it could have dried faster. Note that all textures from gloopy to sawdust are "legitimate" farmer's cheeses, and in Russian delis you can buy cheeses with the whole range of textures, for different applications.
Also, your cheese is not unsalvageable. Depending on what you're using it for, you can add a little cream, sour cream, or full-fat yogurt to make it creamier. And for that matter, dry and crumbly is perfect for making blintzes.
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Is Farmers cheese a good melting cheese?
This is an easy home made farmer's cheese. It doesn't age well, so be sure you eat it within a week after it's made - well, if you can let it last that long. If you bake with it, it melts very beautifully. It makes a perfect soft cheese for snacking.What is the difference between cottage cheese and farmers cheese?
Farmer's cheese is a variant of cottage cheese, made by pressing the whey from the curds (compared to just draining). It tastes more acidic than cottage cheese and has a firmer texture due to its lower moisture content.Is Farmers cheese the same as ricotta?
Farmer's cheese and ricotta are fairly interchangeable when it comes to recipes, though the more assertive farmer's cheese holds up especially well to the powerful flavors of other fermented foods, such as olives, capers and preserved lemons, while softer-edged ricotta is particularly good in desserts.\
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Answer 2
Most likely a critical mass is required. I would recommend the full recipe.
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