Raw Neufchatel Cultured Cheese

Place a 1 gallon bottle of raw milk in a sink full of hot water. You can use store bought if that is your only option.

Leave this for a while and let the water warm the milk to room temperature. I like this method better than stirring milk over the stove until the right temperature is achieved as some people do.

Once the milk is warmed, remove it from the sink of water and pour it into a large sterilized stainless steel pot.

Add ¼ cup kefir, or ¼ cup cultured buttermilk (store-bought is fine for either, or use your own).

Dissolve ¼ tablet of rennet in ¼ cup of water and add this to the pot. I use Junket rennet tablets purchased from Walmart.

Stir milk thoroughly, cover, and let sit overnight undisturbed at room temperature. If it is winter and your house gets very cold overnight, place the pot in an ice chest (without ice of course) to stop it from chilling.

In the morning, the whey (liquid) should be separated from the curd. You will see a solid white mass with cloudy looking water around it. Slice the curd into cubes while in the pot. In other words, you slice the block of curd with a knife into several smaller pieces.

Make sure your colander is over a pot that can collect the whey as it can be used for adding to your oatmeal soaking water, or to inoculate your cultured vegetables with the good bacteria for fermentation. You can also throw it on the garden, give it to your pets, or better yet, to your children if they’ll accept the lemony tart flavor. It is filled with minerals and living enzymes, but don’t drink it if you’re seeking weight loss as it has not been fermented long enough and still holds carbs.

After your first drain, grab the top of the mesh bag and give the bag a good shake a few times. Knead it a little with your hands to help get out extra liquid.

Put the bag of cheese back in the colander. Place a small plate on top of your cheese bag then weigh it down with a large can of beans or a heavy rock. This ensures there is enough pressure to keep the draining process going. Place this weighted colander in the fridge with a large dinner plate underneath to collect the extra whey and let drain for another 12 hours.

Once the whey has been drained, take your soft cheese and flavor to the creative whim of your imagination. I like to add a high quality finely ground Celtic sea salt. You could also divide your cheese and make different flavor combinations. I like to use red pepper flakes, fresh herbs like dill or chives, or garlic.

Mould your flavored cheese into a round mound with your hands and cover with cling wrap.