There’s not much left of the craft of food.   Busy lives, industrialization, the commoditization of food production and a myriad of other forces have turned food made from scratch into a luxury item sought after only by ardent foodies or those with enough time and ambition to make a Meal with a capital “M.”   The rest of us masses gnaw on pre-packaged string cheese and pop open jars of Ragu. OK, maybe it’s not that bad. But we have lost some of the beauty and satisfaction of making our own food. So it’s about time we buckle down and make ourselves some cheese.

“Cheese?” you ask quizzically. I know, it sounds complicated, time-consuming and like it would involve a lot of equipment. I too was skeptical, but making this simple farmer’s cheese is incredibly straightforward and overwhelmingly satisfying. To make farmer’s cheese, you basically curdle milk and press its curds. You end up with a soft cheese somewhere between ricotta and Mexican queso fresco. If nothing else, it might be a good conversation starter; you will be able to casually toss around the phrase “curds and whey” and know what you’re talking about. Go buy some cheesecloth (cotton mesh to strain the cheese through), give yourself thirty minutes and re-enter the craft of food.

Supplies:
Cheesecloth (available in any grocery store)

Ingredients:
1 gallon whole milk (raw if available or at least organic or not ultra-pasteurized)
½ cup white vinegar
herbs and spices
salt

Line a colander or sieve with two layers of cheesecloth, using enough of the material so that it folds over the sides of the colander. Put the colander over a bowl or pot and set it aside. To begin the cheese making, pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring it to a low boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning. As soon as the milk begins to boil, remove it from the heat and slowly add the vinegar, stirring as you pour it in.   The milk will begin to curdle, separating white solids (the curds) from a yellowy liquid (the whey).

Let this sit for a few minutes then pour the curds and whey through the cheesecloth-lined colander. Now you have a cheesecloth full of curds and a bowl full of whey. At this point you can crumble into the curds whatever herbs or seasonings you desire. Try a few tablespoons of fresh thyme or parsley and a few cloves of pressed garlic. As you mix in the herbs, also liberally sprinkle salt into the curds to assist in drawing moisture away from the cheese.   You should use a few teaspoons of salt.

Once you have achieved a pleasurable amount of herb mixing, draw up the corners of the cheesecloth and twist it into a tight ball.   Tie a rubber band around the ball.   Find a place to hang up the ball o’ cheese to let the moisture drain out and the cheese come together.   Place a bowl under the cheese for this excess whey to drip into. After a few hours, unwrap the cheese and use your hands to form it into a log or ball.   Now it’s ready to transfer to a sealable container for refrigeration or to be eaten all in one go.   Spread your cheese on hot toast, on crackers, on tortillas; crumble it on salads, in tacos, atop sliced tomatoes; mix it into pasta; layer it into lasagna; or just savor it by the spoonful with friends around the kitchen counter.
As for the whey, save it! Keep it in the fridge and add it to soup stock or cook grains or beans in it in place of water.   It will make for a rich, sweet batch of beans or rice.

Once you’ve got the hang of cheese making, spruce up your cheese with different seasoning mixtures. Try adding herbs or minced jalapenos when the milk is heating so that they get infused into the cheese (this works especially well with dried herbs).   Good luck!

James Most contributed greatly to this article.