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Ever wondered how to make cheese? Funky blue, creamy triple cream, sharp cheddar—the world of cheese includes a whole range of tastes, textures, aromas, and character. But at their core, every cheese starts out the same: as coagulated dairy. Talented cheesemakers use everything from wild bacteria to mold to coagulate their cheese, but at home you don't need anything of the sort—if you follow a basic blueprint, you can use items you probably already have on hand.
As the Lee Brothers put it in their cookbook Simple, Fresh, Southern, "If you can boil water, you can make this buttermilk cheese." And learning how to make cheese really is that simple: heat dairy low and slow, then add in an acid and salt to trigger the coagulation process. Almost instantaneously, you'll see the dairy separate into thick milky curds and a pale yellow liquid that's called whey. (It's pretty cool to watch.) After that, you just spoon the curds into a cheesecloth-lined strainer, and voila, homemade cheese.
Here are four easy steps for how to make cheese:
1. Use the Right Amount of Acid
While the brothers Lee aren't exaggerating about the ease of the task, we found out during several rounds of testing that using the right ratio of dairy to acid is hugely important. Too little, and your mixture won't curdle and set into cheese; too much, and the flavor will be overpoweringly tart. There are many different approaches, and you'll find recipes calling for lemon juice, buttermilk, and even vegetable rennet, which can be ordered online. We settled on using distilled white vinegar, because we always keep a bottle in our kitchens (convenience is key) and it has a more consistent acid level than lemon juice or buttermilk.
2. Choose Your Dairy
As for the dairy, we like a mixture of high quality milk and heavy cream; the cream helps make the cheese rich and velvety. And don't forget about the salt! The first addition helps with coagulation, and the second, more generous portion helps brighten the cheese and give it an addictive bite.
3. Season the Cheese
Feel free to leave the cheese plain, but we like throwing in a handful of chopped herbs to help further season and flavor it. Lemon zest, toasted cumin seeds, and chili flake all also work well.
4. Choose Your Texture
Awesomely easy, this technique also wins points for its diversity. After the curds sit for the first pressing, you'll have the soft texture of a ricotta. For a second option, pat the cheese into a disk in the cheesecloth, and press between two plates. After a few hours, the cheese will set into a creamy, moist, feta-like texture, just the right consistency for spreading onto toast or serving as an appetizer with a little salt, pepper, and oil drizzled on top. And if you'd like a firmer cheese, press it overnight—you'll have a paneer that you can cube and toss into soups or curries, or just eat out of hand.
