Cream Cheese

Name: Cream Cheese
Yield: About 350 g (12 oz)
Ingredients: 950 ml (4 cups / 1 quart) whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized); 240 ml (1 cup) heavy cream; 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice; 60 ml (¼ cup) plain yogurt with live cultures (or 1/8 tsp mesophilic culture); ½ tsp fine sea salt

Tangy, spreadable, and shockingly easy. This is a cultured product — you're essentially letting good bacteria do the work.

About 350 g (12 oz)

Yield

24-36 hours (hands-off)

Time

Refrigerator for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container.

Keeps

Tangy, spreadable, and shockingly easy. This is a cultured product — you're essentially letting good bacteria do the work.

Ingredients

950 ml (4 cups / 1 quart) whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
240 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
60 ml (¼ cup) plain yogurt with live cultures (or 1/8 tsp mesophilic culture)
½ tsp fine sea salt

Method

Gently heat the milk and cream in a pot to 30°C (86°F) — barely warm to the touch.
Remove from heat. Stir in the yogurt and lemon juice. Cover the pot and let it sit at room temperature (21-24°C (70-75°F)) for 12-24 hours. The mixture will thicken to something resembling a loose yogurt.
Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Pour in the thickened mixture. Gather the cheesecloth and tie it into a bundle. Hang it over the bowl (tie it to a cabinet knob or wooden spoon across a pot) and let it drain in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours.
Unwrap and transfer to a bowl. Add salt and mix with a spatula until smooth and creamy.
*Storage:** Refrigerator for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container.

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