[Cheese] Quark(g), Ricotta

[Rita P]

Hi,
Quark or Quarg is a german/austrian style cheese.  It
can be anywhere from a thick liquid to a dry creamed
styles cheese, depending on how much you drain from
it.  Basically, if using pasteurised milk (cow) - warm
milk to 20-25C, add mesophilic (and flora if you have
it) starter.  Mix well, leave overnight at 20C until
solid curd has set. It can be used as is with the
addition of fruit, or can be poured into a cheesecloth
(buttercloth better) lined colander until desired
dryness is reached.  If wanting it very dry, add a
weight.  From 1 litre milk there will be about
680-700ml whey, and 165 grams cheese.  Use as is, add
salt, herbs of chioce or dried fruit, even chocolate
sprinkles, roll into a log, cover the log with stuff,
or not, roll in gladwrap and refrigerate a few hours.

You can make quark using skim milk, whole milk or milk
with cream added, depending on the fat level you want.

The ricotta I made from this whey did not work, I
assumed because there was no rennet in it (my reading
says use fresh whey from rennet made cheese), BUT, you
can make ricotta using whole milk - so I am very
confused on this one.

My working method for ricotta is the same regardless
of whey/milk used.

If using whey add 10% whole milk, bring to 90-95C, add
vinegar and stop stirring. Wait 5 minutes and then
scoop of curd (ricotta) if there is any.

Using the quark whey I started with 10 ml vinegar, and
when nothing happened ended up with 1/3 cup vinegar in
 just over 1 litre of liquid.  Just didn't work.

Whole milk ricotta same as above, but put in 25ml
vinegar, nothing, then added more (without reheating)
still nothing.

Whey from Neufchatel didn't work either, but I think
that was because it was too old - I drained that
cheese for 24 hours.

Whey from Blue cheese (6 litres whey plus 600 ml whole
milk) heated to 90-95C, added 30 ml vinegar, waited 5
minutes, some foam came to top, scooped it off.  But
there was very little, so reheated to 93C added more
vinegar, more foam, scooped, still very little,
reheated etc again.  I decided that it really should
not be heated and reheated, so I stopped.  I got under
200grams of ricotta from the 6 litres.  Tasted good,
but I don't think this is what is meant to be.

Obviously I'm doing something wrong but what?  Any
ideas?

Rita



 

    















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