Lemon Cheese

This is the starter recipe in the book "Cheesemaking Made Easy" by Ricki and Robert Carroll. It is a wonderful book with helpful hints and tips. I've made the cheese twice. It was great the first time. The second time I must have made a mistake. This will make a spreadable cheese with a light lemon flavor. The yield is a guess. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week (that I can vouch for) in a tightly sealed container. Though the whey is nutritious, I can't help you with a recipe for it. NOTE: Though the authors don't say this in this 1982 book, don't use lactose free milk for cheese making.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 5 ounces

Ingredients

• 16  ounces  whole milk, fresh
•  lemon juice, from one lemon

Directions

1. In a double boiler, heat the milk to 100 degrees F.
2. Remove from heat and remove the milk pan from the water pan.
3. Add the lemon juice. Stir well.
4. Leave the milk/lemon juice sit for fifteen minutes. You can see the stringy curd appear and you'll see the whey form.
5. As that is sitting, prepare a colander by lining it with a sterilized piece of cheesecloth; set the colander inside of a larger bowl or pan to collect the whey.
6. Gently ladle the curds into the cheesecloth with a slotted spoon or ladle.
7. Tie the four corners of the cheesecloth together.
8. Hang the bag of curds over a bowl for an hour.
9. Your cheese will be ready to eat.