DivineCuisine Viva La Food!

Fromage Blanc is a fresh, easy-to-make cheese. Of French origin, its name simply means “white cheese” and it makes an excellent cheese spread with herbs and spices added to it. This cheese is incredibly popular in Ukraine, we use it in lots of different recipes, in sweet and savory dishes. My favorite are Lazy Dumplings and Crepes filled with Fromage Blanc. I remember my grandma used to make me some fantastic fromage blanc pancakes, that was a real treat! You know, sometimes the dishes from our childhood seem to us much more delicious then any fancy chef can cook. Oh, I’ve almost forgot about amazing Fromage Blanc Casserole, but I’m still working on this one =)

The best thing about this recipe is that you will need only two ingredients to make your own fresh and healthy Fromage Blanc. No special cultures or expensive ingredients needed, the process is easy and straight forward. So go ahead and learn how to make this delicious cheese at home!

Homemade Fromage Blanc

By voloshyna, August 25, 2014

Ingredients:

• whole milk - 1 gallon (not ultra-pasteurized)
• buttermilk or kefir - 1 1/2 cups

Instructions:

In a big pot combine milk and buttermilk or kefir. Stir, cover with a lid and leave undisturbed for 24 hours. At the end of the culturing period, the milk will have set up and look somewhat like thin yogurt. Place the pot over medium low heat, begin to heat the mixture very slowly stirring occasionally, until it reaches 175 degrees F. It should take about 20 minutes. As soon as the temperature reaches 175 degrees F, remove the pot from the heat and allow to sit, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. You will see that the mixture is separated to curds and whey. Line a large colander with a few layers of fine cheesecloth or linen towel and set over a large bowl. Gently ladle the curds and whey into the colander and allow to drain until the drips of whey slows, about 3 minutes. Bring the corners of the draining cloth together and tie them off. It should then be hung for several hours to allow the whey to drain off. This can take from 3-6 hours depending on the final moisture desired. You can reserve the whey and use it in baking instead of milk.