Farmers Cheese or Country Cheese as we call it, is a fresh cheese. It is fast to make for a cheese, and if you do not eat it all immediately it will sit in your fridge for about a week. I have used it on pizzas, in grilled cheese, sandwiches and salads. And as a snack. 
You will need some good fresh live yogurt. Buy a plain greek yoghurt or make your own. Here is what I do.
Homemade Yogurt
In the morning, bring 1 gallon of fresh raw milk just to the boil. You can use pasteurised too. Just avoid ULTRA pasteurised. Let those first few bubbles break then take it off the flame. You may cool it quickly in a water bath or cool it slowly depending on how tangy you want it. Once it is cooled to hand hot (about 95F) add 1/4 cup of yogurt, either from your last batch or I buy a pot of Danon plain greek yogurt every now and then to start afresh. I let this sit for the day, until it is thick and smells good. If you like it thick like I do. Then drain it through a cheesecloth lined colander, lift the yogurt filled cloth, twist. tie and hang on a hook for the night to finish draining. I read this method on the blog Chef in Disguise. It is simple and always works. If it is a hot day I put it on the cold concrete floor of the cellar cave and let it drain down there. Or pop it in the fridge.
When I take it out of the muslin, I usually whisk it into lovely thick creaminess and store in the fridge. Remember to keep a cup aside for your next batch.
Now for the Country Farmers Cheese.
Heat two gallons of milk or in my case cool two gallons of milk to 95F, add 1 cup of yogurt and sit for 15 minutes. Make sure to add some milk to the yoghurt first and whip it into a slurry then mix this into the warm milk. I forgot to do this yesterday and the first batch curdled and became pig food. 
The pigs eat like kings when I am making cheese. Especially when I fail. They ate the Monterey Jack yesterday! It grew more mold than I have ever seen in the three years I have been making cheeses. Maybe I will stick to cheddar and parmesan and this lovely farmers cheese.
Anyway. I was discouraged so I went out into the garden to moan a bit and pulled a couple of onions to make a quick jar of fresh picked onions. 
But pickled onions are sad without cheese.
So I took another two gallons of milk out of the fridge and started again. (Lucky I have a COW!) I heated it to the 95F, I mixed in the yogurt smoothly, then added 1/2 a tablet of rennet (or 1/2 a teaspoon of liquid rennet), dissolved in 1/4 cup of cold water. Stirred thoroughly but gently and set it aside for 30 minutes. No curdling -phew.
My favourite indication of a clean break, meaning everything is going according to plan, is when the curd pulls away from the edge of the pot. And the whole thing can spin like hot porridge in a pool of cold milk. Then you push at it with your finger and if it slices cleanly you are good to go. 
You will be able to get a big knife and slice the curd into little 1 inch pieces. Like lots and lots of sugar cubes. Sometimes I cut the curds with a big whisk. Using the whisk as a knife. Be gentle. Let this sit for 5 minutes. The curds will drop out of sight.
Now, ever so slowly, cook the curds, stirring and lifting gently as you go so they do not mat. Over 30 minutes raise the temperature of the curds and whey to 120 F. The slow cooking and stirring will allow the curd to release all that pesky whey as it is cooking.
Once cooked, tip your hot curds into a colander lined in cheesecloth (or my trusty pillowcase). Rub in a teaspoon of salt (or not), lift , tie the cloth together, hang and drain until it stops dripping (about an hour).
Line a container with a fresh cloth and push your curds in. Then set a one pound weight on top. (I use an old glass power line insulator) Pop this in the fridge to set. Eat as soon as you like. It will keep for a week in the fridge, less if unsalted. 
Feed the cooled whey to your pigs and chickens. Or make ricotta cheese. 
Good morning. I will make a couple of these a week for after work snacks. One more thing I do not have to buy at the supermarket.
Soon I should only need to shop once a month. Won’t that be a joy.
Have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
67 responses to “How to make Fresh Homemade Yogurt and Farmers Cheese”
Your photos this morning are just so refreshing…love the jar of pickled onions especially. And the lovely platter of snacks. And…
Oh, heck. Love ’em all…
Happy Sunday, Miss C!
That snack tray looks gorgeous, although I can’t eat onions anymore. I’ve never seen onions pickled like that before, pinky is so gorgeous. I was eating farmhouse style giant pickled shallots before I had teeth. I miss pickled onions! 😉
what are farmhouse style shallots, I have just harvested our shallots! c
We used to call them shallots although I’ve seen pictures of shallots since, and sometimes they look rather dainty, but these giant onions with smaller onions inside. They were pickled probably in malt vinegar, I remember it was very brown. Each onion was a mouthful for an adult. 🙂
Ah,I think probably a potato onion………a very old variety(from the 1700s). The bulbs increase in size as well as multiplying; they don’t set seed, they are propagated by planting offsets. Celi if an older farmer offers you potato onions say yes,yes,yes!
Potato onions … fascinating! They tore up the vegetable garden to build a bungalow when the old man died many years ago otherwise I would go investigating! Thanks for sharing that. 🙂
I am learning such a lot from you. Son (Ming) milks cows for our neighbours so we always have fresh milk so I am going to try this – thanks c! jx
EXCELLENT.. I am looking forward to seeing how that works.. i love this little cheese and once you get your rhythm it is easy peasy! c
PS I loved the peacock on your post today but i could not comment.. it would not let me!!
The stupid system put the comments off – argh!
I will let you know re my cheese!
mmmmmm….. tasty! I would love to have snacks with you!
I can definitely make pickled onions but I’m not sure about cheese. And I have no pigs or chickens to feed my disasters. Great effort! I just loved your comment on my blog. Who knew you had a combi! It’s my husband’s dream to own one. I was so worried about Archie wanting to go to Nimbin and do all that driving but Carl was ecstatic and enthusiastic almost asking, ‘Can I come too?’ It’s something he’s always wanted to do as well. Next time for all of us it seems xx
you will need a trailer for the combi then, because all the mates will come along too!! AND another trailer for the food!! c
I have just made yoghurt with raw milk for the first time. I always use a probiotic culture rather than a yoghurt base; there is a thick layer of cream on top and the yoghurt is not quite as thick as with regular organic milk……..do you find yoghurt is thinner when made with raw milk?
Can’t wait to make the cheese!
.I had never made yoghurt until I found raw milk close by about 4 years ago. so i do not know about the difference. but yes.. I always strain it to make it thicker.. to get the last of the whey out. and it is a good idea to restart with a culture every 4 or 5 times otherwise the yoghurt just gets tarter.. but tart yoghurt makes good cheese.. c
Celi, you’ll be pleased to know I made your yoghurt again with some of my previous thinner batch of raw milk yoghurt and it’s quite thick this time without any draining…….clever you!
now that in interesting, must be the natural cultures working! c
The last photo is beautiful, with the peacock feather and all. Looks scrumptious.
J
morning jess.. c
I tried making yogurt yesterday. It wouldn’t thicken for love nor money, so I threw a handful of raspberries into it and whizzed it into a fluid smoothie of sort. Don’t know why I can’t get yogurt to thicken anymore. Very discouraging.
this is why i strain it, however I have a friend who adds milk powder to thicken hers.. if that is any help.. c
I also add milk powder. I suspect that the milk was heated too high. Or maybe the milk was too pasteurised.
oh dear.. c
Is it possible to make the cheese from pasteurized milk? I would love to try your recipe but don’t have access to raw milk. I have made yogurt and it turned out great.
I think you should try, by adding the yoghurt you have reintroduced lots of good live cultures! you would probably get a smaller cheese and it might be a little blander but i don’t see why not. – let us know how it goes i am sure many people would like to know. c
Oh, to only have to go to the supermarket once a month! You lucky lady!
christine
That last photo of the plate of snacks looks delicious. It is just what I need while sitting watching Tour de France.
How do you pickle your onions. These look amazing. My husband just caught a glimpse of the photo. He’s drooling now.
Tempt me all you want, Dear Lady, I’m not expanding my cheese making operations! Yes, your farmer’s cheese looks oh, so very good, your instructions quite clear, and I bet the cheese would be wonderful in my sandwiches or on my burgers but no, I just won’t do it! You cannot make me! Nice try, though.
Have a great day, Celi.
Ah well, I tried!!! (laughter!) I am making mozzarella tomorrow! c
Was waiting for you to post these recipes my friend! Will try them today!!! Happy Sunday!!!
what a cheesy post! 🙂
Love the last shot – the bread looks wonderful as do all the little extras that make bread and cheese such a good thing.