Gone are the days when freshly made cheese was limited to rural families with a cow in the backyard. Thanks to a special program started by Avery’s Branch Farm and Rebecca’s Natural Foods, you can actually buy a share of a cow and get access to fresh, raw milk.
Although it’s illegal for farmers to sell raw milk to the public, it’s totally legal to drink fresh milk from a cow that you own. By buying a share of a cow at Avery’s Branch Farm, you become (at least partially) a legal owner.
Raw milk from your cow is then delivered weekly to Rebecca’s Natural Foods, where you can pick it up and enjoy non-pasteurized milk within the limits of the law.
And what can you do with that raw milk, you ask? Make fresh Indian cheese with it, of course.
Paneer is a mild tasting cheese that doesn’t need any aging or culturing. Since it won’t melt when heated, paneer is a favorite ingredient in many Indian curries and soups.
Authentic Indian paneer is typically made with raw milk, but don’t fret if you’re not ready to commit to cow ownership just yet. This recipe also works with store-bought milk—just make sure to get whole milk and check the label to make sure it isn’t UHT pasteurized.
Here’s how to make fresh paneer cheese in only 15 minutes.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2-4
Ingredients:
Photo by Stephanie DeVaux
½ gallon whole (or raw) milk
¼ cup lemon juice
Directions:
1. Pour milk into a saucepan.
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2. Heat the milk on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
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3. Just before the milk comes to a boil, remove it from the heat. It should look frothy and steamy.
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4. Stir in the lemon juice. The milk should curdle immediately.
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5. After the milk has completely curdled, drain the curds through cheesecloth.
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It should look something like this…
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6. Squeeze out any excess whey (that greenish liquid) from the cheesecloth.
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7. Enjoy on its own or use in a quick breakfast dish like this one.
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Photo by Stephanie DeVaux, Design by Shira Beder
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