Kefir Cheese

Learn how to make probiotic-packed kefir cheese from homemade kefir. With a tangy flavor and rich creamy texture, this simple cheese is perfect as a spread for a morning bagel, a replacement for ricotta in lasagna, and more.

Course Condiment, Fermented Foods, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword how to make kefir cheese, how to make milk kefir, kefir cheese, milk kefir

Prep Time 15

Additional Time 1

Servings people

Calories 75kcal

Author Lisa Bass

Equipment

1 Flour Sack Towels
1 Large Bowl
1 Strainer

Ingredients

2 Cups Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Kefir Grains

Instructions

Add 2 tablespoons of kefir grains to a clean glass jar. Pour 2 cups milk over the grains.
Cover the jar with a coffee filter, or small towel, and secure with a rubber band.
Let the jar sit on the counter at room temperature until the desired thickness and sourness is reached. For purposes of making cheese, let it sit for about 12 hours.
Place a strainer over a bowl and pour the kefir and grains over top. Set the grains aside for the next batch.
Once the grains have been removed, cover the bowl (or jar) and allow your milk kefir to continue sitting at room temperature until you notice the whey and curds separating. About 12 hours, maybe less.
Once you see the separation of liquid kefir and curds, place a flour sack towel over a colander or strainer. Set the strainer over a large bowl. Strain the milk kefir through the cloth for 15 to 30 minutes.
Gather the edges of the flour sack towel or cheese cloth and tie with twine. Let the tied towel full of curds hang above the bowl and continue to drain.
Let it strain until you've reached the desired texture.
Add any add-ins desired and then refrigerate.

Notes

You can control how soft your cheese is by playing around with the straining time. The longer you strain, the more firm your cheese will be. 12-24 hours
Don't throw out the leftover whey! I've used it for lacto fermenting. You can also add it to smoothies or use it to make fermented "wheymonade". If none of those sound good to you, you can always throw it in the compost!
When you first get kefir grains and start using them, your milk kefir may not turn out really well for the first batch. This is because they are adjusting to a new environment and after a few times they will start making really good batches.
It will last about a week in the refrigerator.

Nutrition