Of course, it wasn't all my fault that things didn't go well, just partially my fault.
I used this recipe to make Fromage Blanc and that's where things went downhill. The printed recipe is not correct, but the one on the video is. So, guess what I didn't do? Yep, skipped the video, printed out the directions (or destructions as we call them around here) and proceeded to the actual making of the cheese. I could have saved myself a lot of grief by just watching the darn thing.
I used a half gallon of whole milk - the two quarts that the written directions called for, and only got a half cup of cheese. Methinks that's very little return for the investment folks.
This photo is what I got when I didn't add enough buttermilk and lemon juice. Do you see lots of curds forming? Me neither. I reheated it to the proper temp three times and ended up adding more of the buttermilk and lemon juice. It helped some, but not lots.
But. I kept what whey that I had and used it to make pancakes and I'm going to use the rest to make some muffins. So, it's not a total loss I suppose. Made the pancakes healthier too and the kids never noticed what went into them.
The little bit of cheese that I did make successfully, I used in a nice little lasagna. I layered red sauce ( made from diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and some tvp (textured vegetable protein), lasagna sheets, spinach and cheese and baked it all for about 30 minutes. It made for a great meal.
The Hillbilly Housewife has a frugal version of a recipe that makes this kind of cheese as well. I might give that recipe a shot instead. Her recipes are pretty darn good. I ran out of chocolate syrup and made hers and it was better than what I had been buying!
I'm going to try to make cheese again and this time I swear it's going to work. Well, I hope it's going to work anyway. :)
