Farmers Cheese Tvorog Recipe
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This is my mom’s method of making farmer’s cheese. Grandma made this cheese in Ukraine. It takes a few days, but the steps are easy and the results are wonderful. Not to mention you will feel like a ninja after you’ve made your own cheese.
You end up with a good amount of farmers cheese and whey. Use organic milk for the best tasting cheese (I buy discounted organic milk that is about to expire just for this!). You can use the cheese to make syrniki or cheese crepes (nalesniki). Keep the whey (yellowish juice) to make bread.
Substitute water for whey and your bread will always taste better and it will be healthier since whey contains protein that is easy to digest. Are you a cheese ninja? How do you make your farmer’s cheese?
Ingredients for Farmers Cheese:
1 gallon whole milk (get the best quality you can; organic is best), At room temperature.
1/2 gallon Cultured low fat buttermilk, at room temp
What you will need:
4 layers of cheese cloth
Time to make:
3 days
Day 1:
1. Allow the milk gallon and buttermilk to come to room temperature on the counter (about 7 hours).
2. Pour milk and buttermilk into a large soup pot. Cover and place in a warm (100 ˚ F) oven for 1 hour or until mixture feels luke warm.
3. Remove from oven and place in a warm room (I put mine on the floor next to the heating vent in the laundry room) and let it sit for 24 hours. When it’s done, it should become the consistency of sweetened condensed milk. It pulls when you lift it up with a spoon and should not really stick to your spoon if you insert it vertically and remove it straight out. Do not stir.
Day 2:
4. Place on the stove again over LOW HEAT, UNCOVERED for 40 minutes or until it is WARM. Do Not Stir. You have to heat it up slowly, since high temperatures destroy the nutritious protein.
5. Remove from stove and place in a warm room for another 24 hours (again, next to the heating vent on the floor).
Day 3:
6. Place on the stove over medium/low heat UNCOVERED for 40 minutes or until hot (do not boil). The cheese will separate from the whey. Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for an hour (this helps for the curds to separate as well).
7. Place 4 layers of cheesecloth over a large colander set inside a large bowl.
8. Pour cheese mixture over the cheesecloth.
Here’s the Leftover whey. Refrigerate this stuff and use it for bread. There will be some settling on the bottom
9. You can tie a knot with your cheesecloth and hang it over your kitchen faucet for 8-10 hours OR place a cutting board either in a baking dish or in the sink. Put bag of cheese on top. Cover with another cutting board and place a heavy weight over the top (i.e. dutch oven filled with water or a large jug of water).
10. Remove cheese after 10 hours and make something tasty or refrigerate. You can let it sit longer if you want a drier cheese.
So, how do you make your cheese?
Farmer's Cheese Tvorog Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 gal whole milk at room temperature, organic is best
- 1/2 gallon Cultured lowfat buttermilk
What you will need:
- 4 layers of cheese cloth
Instructions
Time to make: 3 days
Day 1:
- Allow the milk gallon and buttermilk to come to room temperature on the counter (about 7 hours).
- Pour milk and buttermilk into a large soup pot. Cover and place in a warm (100˚ F) oven for 1 hour or until mixture feels luke warm.
- Remove from oven and place in a warm room and let it sit for 24 hours. When it's done, it should become the consistency of sweetened condensed milk. It pulls when you lift it up with a spoon and should not really stick to your spoon if you insert it vertically and remove it straight out. Do not stir.
Day 2:
- Place on the stove again over low heat, uncovered for 40 minutes or until it is warm. Do Not Stir. You have to heat it up slowly, since high temperatures destroy the nutritious protein.
- Remove from stove and place in a warm room for another 24 hours (again, next to the heating vent on the floor).
Day 3:
- Place on the stove over medium/low heat for 40 minutes or until hot (do not boil). The cheese will separate from the whey. Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for an hour (this helps for the curds to separate as well).
- Place 4 layers of cheesecloth over a large colander inside a large bowl.
- Pour cheese mixture over the cheesecloth. Tie the top of the cheesecloth and hang it over your kitchen faucet for 8-10 hours OR place a cutting board either in a baking dish or in the sink. Put bag of cheese on top. Cover with another cutting board and place a heavy weight over the top.
- Remove cheese after 12 hours and make something tasty or refrigerate. You can let it sit longer if you want a drier cheese.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Natasha, My grandparents came from Slovakia, in the early 1910’s. My Baba made her own cheese for cheese strudel and cheese pie. This is as close to Baba’s cheese as I have ever made!! Thanks for the memories!!
That’s great, Debra! I’m so glad you found this recipe!
My whey has already separated on day one before I even put it on the stove (it looks similar to your day two picture). Did I do something wrong?
Hi Victoria, it may have gotten too hot but it will still work to proceed.
Have you tried making this with raw milk? Since about 1/3 of the gallon is cream do I still need the same amount of buttermilk?
Hi Nicole, I haven’t tested that myself, but my readers have mentioned they have made it with raw milk, I wish I could better advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I have! I think using raw milk is the closest to the tradition version you can get. In that case, you really don’t need buttermilk. When I have combined buttermilk and raw milk in a 100 degree proofing oven, it’s been solid within the first 24 hours. I prefer just the raw milk on its own myself.
Hi! Did you hear it at all? I tried raw milk and letting it stand, heat, stand, heat but the taste was bitter.
So I bought cultured cream and the best organic milk that is very low pasteurized and it did not work. It separated but did not harden enough. It just all/most fell through the cheese cloth.
Thanks, Natasha! I have not tried this yet but will soon. I have decided to try to make Ukrainian food to honour the people who are working so hard to save their country. I am intending to use the cheese in pirohi. Thanks so very much!
You’re very welcome! I hope you love it.
Me too! This is my second time making it and it is delicious. Very authentic.
I’m so glad you loved it, Pam!
Do you recipe for what to use the whey for / how.
Thank you
Hi Lena, I don’t have any specific recipes with whey but when I have it, I love to use it for bread baking and use it instead of water for bread.
you can also use the whey instead of water in your soup stock for a huge flavor boost. if you boil down the whey to concentrate it a bit first, it’ll be the best soup you’ve made in your life.
i found this recipe while trying to remember how my aunt learned to make tvorog from her grandmother, and this is pretty much what i remember. many thanks, Natasha! Молодец!
Natasha, how long will the cheese last?
I am so excited to try it! Tvaroh is the only food I miss from Europe.. but 3lbs of cheese will take me some time to eat and I don’t wanna waste it. Thank You… I love all the recipes I tried from you.
Hi Kristyn, I haven’t tested it’s limits just because we always consume it within 3-5 days. I would say at least a week and longer if you keep it in an airtight container with as little air as possible (since, as with all cheeses, air will cause it to spoil faster). One of our readers mentioned it freezes well.
Hi Natasha, I just realized I put 1 quart buttermilk instead of 2. I already warmed up the mixture in the oven. Could I add some plain yogurt at room temperature on the second day before heating up? Or will that ruin it? If yes, about how much should I add? Let me know asap….Thankyou
HI Ali I haven’t tested that. It may work, but I would probably leave it as is and make a smaller batch.
Thanks, I will try that!
The cheese tastes good by the recipe with buttermilk. This time I tried making it with kefir (lifeway) and it did not turn out, it became sour but would not clump… I wonder if anyone else experienced this? I thought I would let others know so that they don’t waste milk… stick with buttermilk 🙂
Thank you for sharing that with us! I’m sure my other readers will find this helpful, they are often looking for substitutions. 🙂
Super lengthy recipe.
I like that it’s not vinegar but all this could be achieved just by leaving milk out on countertop with yogurt or buttermilk until it becomes consistancy of buttermilk, then heat on low until it separates, cool and put through cheesecloth. I keep it in a glass container with lid and it keeps for several weeks or freeze. Btw, I use one spoon of yogurt for 1 gallon of milk.
I had the same very sour cheese when I used Lifeway kefir 1% or 3%, lesson learned.
Love this recipe! And it will be the base for my sirnaya pasha. 🙂
I didn’t have enough buttermilk so I added plain kefir. Came out amazing and I didn’t need to do the last boil. I was afraid it would get rubbery. Important to note, the whey makes an amazing ricotta. Check out the link I added below. Only difference is I used lemon vs vinegar for the acidity. So yummy on baguette with a drizzle of olive oil black pepper and salt.
https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/whey-ricotta/
Thanks for sharing that!
Hi, just wonder why you should not stir the milk? Thank you
Hi, you want the whey to separate from the cheese and stirring would blend it together and slow down the separating process.
wonder if DASH yogurt maker could make the TVOROG
Tania
Love it!
Enjoyed it just like in my childhood with a bit of sour cream and honey 😋
The best, isn’t it? I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
My oven’s lowest setting is 170 degrees…what to do about Day 1 Step 2…….does everyone else have an oven that operates at 100 degrees
Hi Rosemary, I would prop open the oven open with a wooden spoon so it doesn’t get too hot.
I make yogurt in the oven by ‘preheating’ with the oven light then leaving the light on throughout the incubation. If I forget to ‘preheat’ I put a container of hot water on the same rack as the yogurt. Works well for me
Since organic milk is twice the cost of regular milk, do you think that using organic milk is worth the difference compared to using regular milk when making this tvorog?
Hi Julia, I have used both (note the non-organic milk in my photos). Sometimes I wait for the organic milk to go on sale and make tvorog then. Sometimes it’s clearance and near expiration and I grab those for making cheese.
How much tvorog does this recipe make? Looking forward to trying this recipe but not sure if I should perhaps cut it by half.
Hi Christine, you will be able to see the serving size by clicking on Jump to Recipe. Servings: 2 1/2 to 3 lbs of cheese and about 3 Liters of whey
Thank you for the inspiration to make home made cheese. I have a Polish husband and this recipe is great for Polish cheese cakes and fillings. Just a time saving tip. I use whole milk buttermilk (4 litres a or quarts, In Canada we use litres). and heat it gently until curds form. It takes about an hour. Then I cool it (another hour or so) and pour it into the cheese cloth lined strainer , weight it and put it in the fridge overnight. It’s ready in a few hours. That saves the days waiting and mixing buttermilk.
Thank you so much for sharing that tip with me, Margaret! That’s so great!
Hi Natasha, Someone had mentioned in another recipe that they use flour sack towels that you can buy from Walmart or Amazon instead of cheese cloth. I found those great and reusable. Less than $6 for six towels at Walmart.
Hi Marge, I haven’t tried those for cheesemaking but I do have some. Thank you for the tip!
Hi Natasha,
I am so looking forward to try this recipe after an earlier attempt to use a different approach that didn’t quite work.
Few quick questions:
1) If I try just half of this recipe, using half of all the ingredients – would I want to cut down the cooking times, temperatures?
2) What is the main difference between this recipe and the one that uses Greek yogurt? Preparation seems identical. So what is the difference in the final product?
Thanks so much for your help!
Olga
Hi Olga, I would keep the timings the same, but it might take a little less time to reach the right temperatures. The recipes are essentially the same but use 2 different products to make tvorog.
Thanks Natasha!
I’ve made this recipe twice so far for half and a full recipe. Even though I follow your directions, for some reason I find that some of the product gets thicker on the bottom of a pot at the end of day 3 and when I am emptying it into the cheese cloth. And some gets a little stuck, not burnt, but definitely several spots that even change color a little to a very light beige. Is this normal? I am not stirring it at all as you said.
Thank you!
The taste of my tvorog is simply amazing! I use your Greek yogurt recipe. I love it. 😀
Hi Olga, that can happen if using a pot with a thinner bottom – it can create some hot spots. If you have a pot with a heavy or thick base, that may work better.
Natasha, thank you so much for all these amazing recipes. I’ve tried many of them and added into our weekly meal plans.
I have a question regarding this recipe. I’ve made the tvorog using it twice before. It was delicious both times. Best tvorog I’ve ever ate in my life, seriously. But…this time something went wrong. Please help me figure out what and what’s my next step because after 2 days I’ve ended up with very “liquidy“ mass. I’ve tried pouring it into cheese cloth and it was a big mistake. It was too much of white liquid pouring out the ages. I was feeling bad loosing all these beautiful product. Why do you think it didn’t reach the ideal consistency? I’ve used all the same ingredients (same brands, best quality).
I’ve followed the recipe almost 100%. Only mistake I’ve made I both times warmed up the pot not for 40 mins but for 1h instead. It was not bubbling, very slow heat.
My assumptions:1)even after sitting on a counter for 7 hours it was not enough for milk of buttermilk to reach needed state. 2) heated to long (1h instead of 40 mins).
What’s next? Should I continue to wait for another 24 hours and heat it again? Is it dangerous? Would it go bad potentially? I am very worried about food poisoning. Also I poured the mass into the cheese cloth and it mixed everything together. You advice not to stir the mixture. I don’t want even think that I would have to throw away this giant pot. Help!!!
Hi Olga, overheating would usually cause the mixture to separate early. It sounds like it may have gone wrong in the initial stage. Depending on the temperature of the room, the milk and buttermilk may have needed a little longer to come to room temperature. Also, in step 3 was it the consistency of sweetened condensed milk? If not, then it needed more time. Instead of waiting, I would heat a little longer until the cheese separates from the whey.
Natasha,
I just tried making this for my wife who is Russian and after the first 24 hours, I checked on it and it is very watery. It looks like the whey liquid is already departed and there are curds of cheese below on the bottom.
I know this post is old. But any idea what happened?
Hi Josh, most likely it is due to overheating the liquid if the curds have already separated from the whey. You might just need one more heating up. The flavor won’t be quite as rich but there are people who make a speedy version by heating it higher right off the bat.
I am new to this. After 24 hours my attempt was layered. When I inserted the spoon I found the top was the consistency of a thick custard. It broke apart and below was a liquid that has a viscosity of water. The picture and description show a liquid with a much higher viscosity and it seems uniform. Any idea what I did wrong. I left it covered while it sat for 24 hours ( I was not sure if this was correct).
Hi Nate, a little more heat is what causes the curd to separate from the whey and form the cheese. It could be that it didn’t heat up enough.
Can you please post the Ricotta recipe. I can’t wait to make both.
How long does the cheese last in the fridge once complete?
Hi Sara, I haven’t tested it’s limits just because we always consume it within 3-5 days. I would say at least a week and longer if you keep it in an airtight container with as little air as possible (since, as with all cheeses, air will cause it to spoil faster).
Hi! I just used your recipe and I was able to make the cheese but it smells VERY strong. I don’t remember it smelling so strongly in Russia.
Hi Valerie, a few of our readers have mentioned the same citing it may be the type of milk used. Here’s what one of our readers wrote: ” “American” milk do smells and tastes different from “Russian” milk (and not only when it spoils). I’m not sure if it is because it was homogenized or if it’s because the cows were fed differently…” I hope that helps.
If you use raw milk, you will not notice that smell. It’s because American milk is both pasteurized and homogenized so it smells pretty foul when heated up. If you can’t get raw milk (through a mill share), a low pasteurized milk is sold on the refrigerated shelves in most health food stores and makes a good substitute.
I made this recipe and really enjoyed the process. It was so interesting to see how simple the steps are, just takes a lot of time and patience for the result.
My tvorog came out really, really dry. I’m not sure why. I didn’t squeeze the excess moisture out too much.. I’m wondering if I should just fish out the cottage cheese from the last step without putting it through cheese cloth?
Hi Sasha, typically if it turns out very dry, it is due to either overheating in the warming steps which would cause the curds to separate from the whey too soon or squeezing the liquid out for too long and under too much pressure.
Can this be frozen, if so, how long?
Hi Beringaria, I have not tested freezing this but one of our readers left a great tip saying her family freezes it. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha, I was wondering if an Instant Pot would work for making the Farmers Cheese. (I have seen recipes for making yogurt with one) Any ideas? I would welcome any hints or tips on this. Thanks. P.S. Loving all the recipes and videos. Learn something new every time.
Hi Ann, I have not tested that in an IP. That sounds like a great idea though, if you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
NATASHA, thank you very much for the recipe. I made tvorog. It is perfect. I do feel like a ninja, as you promised;)
I did make one mistake, the first round on the stove I forgot to open the lid. But it still came out fine.
Also, speaking of oven and 100F, I used Bread Proof setting on my oven, in case it might help someone.
And thanks to one of your readers I got a nut milk bag and it was great, less mess.
Thank you for that awesome tip, Gulnara!
This is great detailed recipe. I had never had this before. I am from Finland and wanted to make Pasha (Pashka in Russian) for Easter. We use “rahka” in Finland to make it. After some research I found that most recipes called for this cheese. As I live in the boonies I know there would be no change of finding Tvorog in the local grocery store (yes, one store). Was lucky enough to find this recipe. I got it a little too warm the first time around. Thank goodness for all the other comments and Natasha’s answers, I figured out all wasn’t lost. It turned out great and Pasha was perfect! Making a second batch now 😉. I would love to add some pictures on here, however I can’t figure out how to do it.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Nora!! I’d love to see your creation! Simply post it on social media and #natashaskitchen
Natasha, how can I use the remained water with whey in the fridge? Do you have that bread recipe?thank you!
Hi Ivana, I have used whey in all of my bread recipes posted instead of water and it works well.
I’ve been making quark (German Farmer’s Cheese) in a crock pot but cannot use the whey to make Ricotta apparently due to using vinegar to curdle the whey. As this recipe does not call for acid, to you know if I can use this whey for making Ricotta? I cannot seem to find any info as to why my Ricotta fails other than the whey being too acidic. Any assistance is appreciated.
Hi Kathy, The recipe for ricotta is a little different. It uses lemon juice instead of buttermilk. Also, it all depends on how long you let it drain. The longer the better and it will be more chunky and dry 🙂
Thank you for the info. Apparently I need to adjust my quark recipe and stop using the acid! Cheers,
Natasha
Your recipes are some of my absolute favorites.
Can this cheese and whey be frozen? I don’t think I can use all of this at one time. I am going to try and make vatrushk.
Thank you and keep delicious recipes coming.
Denise
Hi Denise, I have not tested freezing this but one of our readers left a great tip saying her family freezes it. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Regarding making your own Farmers Cheese; in one of your steps you say “substitute water for whey”, yet you talk about the benefits of whey. Did you mean to say “Substitute whey for water”? I really want to try this but want to be sure I do everything correct. Thank you.
Hi Darlene, yes you would use whey instead of water for its benefits 🙂
I know this is an old post, but I’m hoping you can still help me out. I enjoyed tvorog in Russia, but I’m a squeamish American haha. How is this safe, leaving dairy products out for so long? Is there a way to tell if it’s gone bad? Is love to try it, I’m just nervous about food borne illness. Also, can this be done with 1% milk? Will it just yield fewer curds? Thanks for at help you can give!
Hi Melissa, If you keep conditions sanitary, washing hands, keeping all surfaces, utensils and vessels really clean, we haven’t had a problem but if you are concerned, farmers cheese is also sold in grocery stores and European markets here in the US. Whole milk will give you the best taste and texture.
Thanks so much for the quick reply! Maybe I’ll get brave and try it one these days :). It sounds delicious!
You’re so welcome!
Hey Natasha,
After day 1, my mixture had the consistency of Greek yogurt more than sweet and condensed milk.
Any reason it would be doing that? I’ve followed the directions as you’ve stated above.
Hi Colin, it is probably due to overheating, but no worries, it will still work fine as you continue on with the process.
Same! At the beginning I put my oven at the lowest setting and when I came back to it my oven felt SO hot, I knew it was too much. Fingers crossed that I still wind up with something useable. 🙁
I am a Russian and i grew up with Kefir and home made Tvorog etc…but after i turned 13 i live in EU and now in Australia and i a just like you forever doubting myself and the diary left at room temperature That’s why i am worried to make Kefir or Tvorg i just get uncertain if it’s safe to eat…Austraian hubby doesnt add confidence as says :”We will all end up on the toilet for a week ahhah” Sorry Natasha! I am SURE it’s a great recipe and i am now studying how to make it!
Thank you for sharing that with us! I hope you enjoy this recipe.
I make kefir at home. Can i substitute kefir for the buttermilk? Love your recipes! I’m having groats right now!
Thank you,
Vicki
Hi Victoria, you can substitute with kefir if you have that or try this Greek yogurt version of Farmer Cheese.
I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! I am married to a Pole and my favorite Polish food is twarog. Sadly I can’t find it locally in the area we live so I tried several times over the years to make it using the quick method of adding vinegar to heated milk and buttermilk. The result was ok but never fully satisfying. I came across your recipe recently and decided to give it a try. I just enjoyed a breakfast with the most delicious homemade twarog on a piece of bread! The cheese is creamy and slightly tangy. I have to admit I didn’t follow the recipe EXACTLY. Instead of hearing it on a stove the second day I just put the pot in the oven, heated the oven for literally a minute then left the pot there for a couple of hours. I also hang the cheese up inside the cheese cloth to drain it instead of pressing it. But overall I used your long fermentation method. The result is a much more delicious cheese than what the acid method created, at least for me. This will be how I make twarog from now on. Doing the happy dance now! LOL Thank you!!!
Wow! Thank you! I’m so happy you love our recipes! Thank you so much for the fantastic review! I am smiling big reading your comment 🙂
Hi Natasha, thank you for the recipe! What can I do with all the whey? Im having a hard time finding a bread recipe that calls for it. Thank you!
Hi Yelena, Leftover whey is perfect for bread! Simply substitute water for whey and your bread will always taste better and it will be healthier since whey contains protein that is easy to digest.
Hi! I tried your recipe and the result was faaabulous!
Greetings from Patagonia.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Tvorog recipe with buttermilk is phenomenal. Tastes exactly like I would buy in the store in Riga, Latvia or homemade by my family. Being able to make it is just so nice and I am glad that this recipe was not complicated. 100% recommend !!!!!!! I always have the hardest time in America because of missing traditional food, and the main one was tvorog. Now that I am able to make it, I feel more at home than ever before. Thank you Natasha! I tried other recipes and with American ingredients being very different sometimes other recipes don’t work as well. This worked as it was supposed to and I am extremely pleased.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :). I’m all smiles!
Hi, I make this cheese often, but came across your method while searching. My method was simply putting everything in a pot cold, and allowing three days, then strain. Worked for a while till recently. Had to throw all that beautiful product away. I think I prefer your method. It worked well, and I assume it always will. I don’t like waste. So thank you for instructions and recipe.
You’re so welcome, Sandria! I’m so happy our method worked for you!
How long can this be stored in the refrigerator? Are there long-term storage methods?
Hi Ruth, I haven’t tested it’s limits just because we always consume it within 3-5 days. I would say at least a week and longer if you keep it in an airtight container with as little air as possible (since, as with all cheeses, air will cause it to spoil faster).
I grew up in a Ukranian home, we always had farmers cheese from Broadway Market in Buffalo, my mother used it for pirohi. I’m going to try this recipe, thank you.
My pleasure Olya, I hope you enjoy the recipe! Please let me know what you think.
I make tvorog by mixing milk and buttermilk without any waiting or warming up. The mixture takes 2-3 days to sour. I am wondering how warming up the milk before mixing changes the outcome.
Hi Lana, I haven’t tried your method so I can’t compare them but heating does help the curds to form.
I’m adding sour cream to slightly warm whole milk, and then place it in the warm oven. Next day warm oven again, leave there pot with milk for another day, and, finally, heat it on low until curds start forming. Strain cheese right away, when it is still hot, or do it later, when it is cold.
Will try buttermilk today.
Thank you for sharing your method!
You’re welcome Vira! Thanks for sharing your tips with other readers!
Hi Natasha, can you please tell me why you use fat free butermilk and not the 3.25 % buttermilk?
Hi Tim, you can use a buttermilk with a higher fat content. It will still work well 🙂
Hi Natasha, I can’t really understand it says it takes 38 total hours to make it, how is that possible if you need to set it for 24 hrs and then again for 24 hrs, and then 10 hours, that’s already more then 50 hours…? Please reply ASAP! Thank you.
Hi Valentina, you are correct! It does come to a total of 56 hours or just shy of 3 days. We are switching to a different print-friendly format soon which will have a spot for “waiting” time and will be much more clear on recipes like this. I updated the print-friendly to reflect what is in the instructions above.
Natasha,
Hello again. I am doing Tvorog (again). I am confused about this process (again) but I am determined to figure this out. Left Milk and Buttermilk unopened on counter for 7 hours. Then opened both and mixed it in a pot and left for 24 hours. Then heated it up for 40 minutes on med-low heat. At thsi point the mixture looked done. Tvorog was separating from the whey. I still waited 24 hours and am now heating it up again for 40 minutes. Could I have eaten it after the 24 hours and not waited another 24? What are your thoughts? It feels like I am doing something wrong.
Hi Anna, it sounds like you are heating at too high of heat the first time – it should just get to a warm temperature (not hot) after it sits for the first 24 hours. Since different stove tops may vary, I changed the instructions there to just say “low” heat rather than medium/low. If you over heat it, the cheese will form and it could have been drained at that point – it won’t hurt to continue with the process until the end though 🙂 Oh and one more thing – warm on the stove uncovered or you trap heat in the pot and it heats up too quickly.
Natasha,
Hi. I am here to bother you about TVOROG. I think I bothered you before. I poured Butter Milk and Milk into a pot last nigh. This morning I had no place to put this milk pot so I put it into an oven after I finised baking popovers. Oven was still very warm. Now I look at it (3 PM) and the top has a thick layer and underneath is water. Am I done? Should I wait 24 more hours and then heat it one final time or should I heat it up tonight, wait 24 then heat again. Or did I mess this up. Thanks!
Hi Anna, it sounds like you sped the process up by heating on too high of heat for a long period of time. If you see the cheese is well separated from the whey, you can proceed to the end of the recipe and squeeze it with the cheesecloth.
I’ve read some recipes that say tvorog can be made in 25 minutes. And they use vinegar instead of buttermilk.
Do you know anything about this method and if it tastes the same?
I’ve made the three day recipe once, and it was delicious. But making it in 25 minutes would be nice and fast.
Hi Alisha, there are quick methods like you are describing but we always use the long method. Allowing the cheese to form slowly, rather than speeding through the process, makes for a sweeter cheese. The flavor is better when you given more time 🙂
Growing up, my mom always made tvorog that way. She would heat a gallon of milk on the stovetop just until it was about to boil and then she added a half gallon of buttermilk and let it separate and squeezed it out when it was cooled down. I’ve watched her do it many times and always loved the outcome but have been too scared to try it myself yet. I’m going to visit them in a couple weeks and maybe I’ll finally give it a go with my mom there to troubleshoot the process haha
Thank you for sharing that with us, Svetlana! I hope you try that soon!
I did some tests with milk to buttermilk ratio and found that I only need 1 cup for 1/2 gallon of milk. Increasing quantity of milk does not make a lot more cheese. You’ll get more cheese if you make two 1/2 gallon pots of milk rather than 1 whole gallon at a time. I make mine a little differently. I let it sit on the counter for ~ 48 hrs after adding milk and buttermilk . The longer it stays the more sour it is, instead of bland flavor. Afterwards I cook it on low setting (electric stove setting 2) for 3 hrs. Here too the longer it cooks, the drier the cheese. This also depends on the brand of buttermilk. Some cause the milk to sour into thicker consistency, some thinner. So you can adjust cooking to your preferred result ( spreadable or thicker cheese) by increasing time by 1/2 hour intervals or slight temperatures increase. Afterwards leave the cheese to cool to room temperature ( leave in the pot). After the cooling time elapsed I use a pot with colander ( small steamer pot works great), place cheesecloth into colander and drain the cheese. Once most of the whey drains and is discarded, you can place the pot into the fridge to continue to drain and cool overnight.
Great tips Ann! Thanks for sharing them with other readers!
Natasha if you use the left over whey for any othet recipes other than the bread can you please share them with us? 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Inna, I have only used it in bread. It might be a good liquid for workout smoothies since it’s packed with protein. There are loads of resources online though, like this one for example which will give you some great ideas.
I use leftover whey for “buttermilk pancakes” and just substitute the buttermilk with it. Sooo delicious!! Make sure you let your batter sit at room temp for 20 min before you fry. Best pancakes ever♡
Great tips Lina, thanks for sharing!
Natasha,
For how long can it be stored in refrigerator?
Hi Rita, I haven’t tested it’s limits just because we always consume it within 3-5 days. I would say at least a week and longer if you keep it in an airtight container with as little air as possible (since, as with all cheeses, air will cause it to spoil faster).
We have a Ukrainian exchange student for the year so this recipe is very important to us. As the first day is ending, it looks like milk with a layer on top but not the consistency of condensed milk. Should we wait another 24 hours or proceed to the next step? We did have room temperature ingredients at the start.
Hi Nicole, did you warm it at the temp and time stated in the recipe? How is the texture right now? Does it pull when you lift it up with a spoon and when you put a spoon into it vertically and remove it straight out does it stick to the spoon or slide right off? That is the consistency you should get. If it’s close to the way I described, it should be safe to proceed 🙂
Yes we warmed it up and then let it rest. Right now, when I stick in a spoon, there is a decent layer of thickness on the surface but under is still liquid. Should I just proceed with the warming of it as listed on day 2?
Hi Nicole, you should proceed as listed for day 2 🙂
Help!! I started making this recipe yesterday and, today (Day 2), accidentally let the mixture get to boiling after getting distracted. Who knows how long it’s been simmering?! I basically plan on treating this as if it were Day 3, where you bring the mixture to “hot” lol. Do you think I still have a chance of salvaging this, or is it, “Kaput”? 🙂
*First name! ugh; sorry!
Hi Mariya, I think you could treat it like it was day 2 unless it was really strongly boiling and changed color. That happened to us once after forgetting about it (we have a second stove top in the garage so it’s easy to forget!), and it changed to an orangy color and was kaput at that point. If it looks white and separates well from the whey, it is still salvageable and useable.
It definitely separated and turned out pretty well for the first try! Thank you for sharing this and I will certainly try it again, and this time with the leftover whey instead of butttermilk. I hope that it works! Thank you again. 🙂
Hi Mariya, I’m so glad to hear that! I have never tried it with leftover whey – not sure if that will have the correct properties to help form the cheese though. Have you seen anyone else try with success? I just haven’t seen it before.
I have tried it on someone else’s advise, and I used the outside method since I live in AZ too. It works! I saved 1/2 gal of whey in the buttermilk container and keep reusing it! (Sort of)
It worked with the whey, like Olga said! I thought it wouldn’t, since it was coming out much more liquid-y (but still separated), but that’s only because I’d messed it up the first time and this was a big contrast to the drier curds from that batch. Since I thought the curds were too loose, I ended up throwing away the whey in frustration, but then it strained great overnight. I will start again with the buttermilk, but then will keep on re-using the whey from the subsequent batches. 🙂 Same 2-to-1 milk-to-whey ratio. 🙂
Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Natasha,
My way of making tvorog is very simple because I’m fortunate to live in Arizona)) With our summer heat I just place my pot with the milk on the patio for 2 days! (Of course, it is properly sealed with the plastic wrap). When I take it out, I just need to use a simple mesh strainer (the thickness of cheese is good enough for not using a cheese cloth). If I want my tvorog to be more tender I only have it outside for 1 day (24 hrs), and I do 72 hrs if I want it to be more sour and hard.
Oh wow! That’s a great benefit of living in extreme heat! Thanks for sharing your tips/suggestions with other readers!
Masha, do you mix the milk with the buttermilk or just leave the milk itself outside without it? I have found before that “American” milk spoils and smells bad rather than becomes the way it used to be when we were little (the whey separating from the rest), and I don’t know if its because it was homogenized? Any thoughts? Thank you!
Olga, yes, for the very first batch I do use buttermilk, but when I already have the milk whey separated from tvorog, I use some of this whey to run a new batch instead of buttermilk. And yes, I agree, “American” milk do smells and tastes different from “Russian” milk (and not only when it spoils). I’m not sure if it is because it was homogenized or if it’s because the cows were fed differently…
wow, i live in AZ too! I need to try this since its summer now
Hey Natasha! I am excited to try out this recipe, but before I do, you mention using the leftover whey for bread. Do you have a recipe for this type of bread? Just curious because I wouldn’t want to waste anything 🙂 Thank you in advance!
You can use it in my no knead or my Dutch oven bread. You simply replace the water with the whey and it works great! You can use whey in many different bread recipes replacing water equally.
Thank you Natasha! Really appreciate you getting back to me so quickly! Excited to try both recipes out! Thanks again!!
My pleasure Kristina!
If it is difficult to find a warm spot to let the cheese sit, would placing it in the oven with the oven light left on work? I used this method to make yogurt and it worked well.
I made your blueberry cake with the bluberries in the centre and on top. It was wonderful–nice and moist.
Hi Marilyn, yes that would work fine to leave it in the oven with the light on. I’m so glad you enjoyed the blueberry cake! It’s quickly become one of the most popular desserts on my blog 🙂
Hi, Natasha, Thank you so much for posting your clear directions for farmer’s cheese; the photos are very helpful!
A question – I have noticed that your recipe differs from the many others I have seen online by your Step 2, where after the milk has cultured, you warm it again and leave it for an Additional 24 hours. If you have any insight as to the difference the extra day makes, I would appreciate learning about it. Thanks very much!!!
Hi Lori, allowing the cheese to form slowly, rather than speeding through the process, makes for a sweeter cheese. The flavor is better when you given more time 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I am in the process of making the tvorog using organic milk and kefir (I didn’t have buttermilk). I have done the 1st heating in the oven and it has sat for almost 24 hours in a warm room. It is already sepating and looks nothing like your picture or sweetened condensed milk. Should I continue? Do you have any thoughts on what I did wrong? Thanks!
Were your two ingredients at room temperature? If not, you may just need to let it sit a little longer until it reaches the right consistency. It won’t hurt to let it rest longer until it reaches the consistency I described in the recipe.
Thank you for responding! Yes, I did have the 2 ingredients at room temperature. I didn’t stir them together when I first poured them into the pot though. Should I have? Perhaps that is where I went wrong? Also, I should have waited for your response before I did anything, but I was afraid that the tvorog would go bad, so I went ahead and heated it for 40 minutes last night. It’s resting again now, but still looks about the same.
It should still be ok to continue, even if you left the cheese an extra day, it would still be fine :).
Amazon sells Nut Milk bags for making almond milk etc. They are a very fine mesh fabric that works much better than muslin, cheese cloth, pillowcases or even jelly bags used for home canning. Nut Milk bags are durable, don’t stain and are really easy to clean. I don’t work for the company, I just wanted to share a really good product.
Good to know Wendy, thank you for sharing!
What else can i use instead of buttermilk because in Macedonia we don’t have that product?
You can substitute with kefir if you have that or try this Greek yogurt version of Farmer Cheese.
hi, I was wondering which one of the tvorag do you like better, I do see you have 2 . which one is your favorite?
Hi Karolina, they are equally good and I make whichever one I have ingredients for when I need it. The one with buttermilk is less expensive to make which is always nice 🙂
I have buttermilk that is 3.5 milkfat…will it work? I’m in a process of making it now
Hi Karolina, that should work fine 🙂
it turned out!! thanks so much for the recipe 😘
Awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
Hi Natasha, I made this cheese and now I would like to add it to my crepes. How would I go about sweeting the cheese. My mother used to add one egg I belive, some vanilla extract and sugur. But I don’t know the exact recipe, I wouldnt want to mess it up. Please help.
Hi Lydia, yes you would add egg, sugar and vanilla to make it work for crepes :). I don’t have an exact recipe written down for this because I usually make my crepes with cottage cheese and cream cheese. I would suggest adding sugar to taste followed by a splash of vanilla and finally the egg so you don’t have to taste it once the egg is in.
I use Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk and mix it with the cheese, when serving. Taste great with some berries in it. Yum!
Yum! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hi Natasha, should the milk be expired for this? Or can it be expired to make it?
Hi Erica, I wouldn’t risk using expired milk for food safety reasons, especially if it has an off odor or consistency to it before you start.
Natasha, thanks s lot for such a good tvorog receipe. My tvorog came out too dry (not moist as you may buy at farmer’s markets back to Ukraine or Russia). Have I done something wrong? Also, you mentioned to heat on day 3 over medium heat. I tried to keep that but it almodt bolied, so I reduced temp. Thanks. Oksana
Hi Oksana, you do have to watch it on the third heating and turn it off before it boils. It’s ready when the curd separates from the whey as shown in the photo. I updated that step to clarify that. Part of why it may be dry is you may have squeezed out too much moisture (i.e. having too heavy of a press for too long). I sure hope that helps for next time! 🙂
So excited I found this! When I was a kid, we made tvorog allll the time, but since prices have gone up for milk my family had to stop.
Now that I’m married I’m trying to re-create recipes I grew up with. Can’t wait to make this!
We used to mix garlic, dill, and salt in with the tvorog and use it as a spread on bread. SO delicious! And when toasted it melts divinely 🙂
I just love how food can bring back some great memories from the childhood 😄. I never used tvorog as a spread before but I’m curious now.
Hi Natasha.
How do you use whey for making bread?
Thank you.
You just use whey instead of water. I replace it in equal amounts. So if a recipe calls for 2 cups water, I use 2 cups whey instead.
Hey Natasha thank you for the tvorog instructions mine turned out wonderful. I just have a question. The whey liquid you Said we can use it for bread, does that mean when making bread instead of water you can use that stuff?
Yes, just use the whey instead of water in equal parts. 🙂
I make tvorog exactly the same way except it takes me only 2 days (or 1 night and 1 day). Pour milk and buttermilk in a pot (I use the one from my slow cooker) and leave it overnight at room temperature. When the consistency changes next morning I turn the slow cooker on for 1 hour. After pour it on cheese cloth and the rest is the same.
Svetlana, thank you for sharing your version with us 😀.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use kefir instead of buttermilk? I make my own kefir (from organic non-homogenized milk and kefir grains) and I know it subs for buttermilk in a lot of recipes so I was wondering if it would be good here, especially because I know there are some tvorog recipes that use sour cream instead of buttermilk to culture the milk. If so, would it still be the same amount of kefir? Thanks!
Hi Ellie, I haven’t tried it with kefir but I think it would work well with kefir. It might taste even better than buttermilk! I’ve also made this with Greek yogurt and sour cream with great results.
Our family loves farmers cheese, I’m just wondering how long will this typically keep in the fridge? Thanks from your Canadian-Ukranian fans.
Hi Amber, I haven’t tested it’s limits just because we always consume it within 3-5 days. I would say at least a week and longer if you keep it in an airtight container with as little air as possible (since, as with all cheeses, air will cause it to spoil faster).
Will try your method next time, I got a recipe from a lady who makes cottage cheese (tvorog) for over 30-40 years now. Her method is much simpler. You just have to mix 1 gallon organic (or not) whole milk with 1 quart whole buttermilk and 2 tablespoonful sour cream. Place it inside the oven or the warmest place in your house for 2 days. On the 2nd day just give it a gentle stir – i guess to get the air/bubbles out. On the 3rd day turn on the oven to 350C and warm your cheese for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cheese sit in the oven for another 10-20 minutes so you wont drain a very hot cheese. Drain, hang and let it drip overnight. I have a small white pillow case for this. It drains really well, much easier to tie (gives you a clearer whey) then hang on the kitchen cabinet knob. I make it once a week, use it for everthing – salads, crepe filling, pancake topping (with sour cream and jam) cottage cheesecake and use it to make hard n soft cheese. Nothing beats the real thing! 🙂
Thank you for sharing! I love the idea of using a clean pillow case. I’ve used a fine mesh laundry bag that zips (one that I only use for food ofcourse ;)) and it worked wonderfully well 🙂
Hello Natasha, in the first step on day 2 you use the term “warm”, and in the first step on day 3 you use the term “hot”. Could you be more specific about these temperatures? I want to use my oven for these steps rather than my gas stove top to get even heat and to avoid scorching the bottom of the culture, and I’m concerned that if I don’t get it hot enough the recipe won’t work, and if I get it too hot, I’ll kill the milk cultures and again it won’t work. I’m sure with a little experience I’ll be able to wing it, but this will be my first try at it.
Thanks!
Hi Dave, just warm is about 90 degrees but not more than 100 degrees F. Hot is when it’s too hot to touch – you’ll see steam start to rise but you don’t want it to boil. It needs to be hot for the cheese to separate from the whey and you will see it separate as in the photo where you can see the border of whey around the outer edges of the cheese.
Thank you Natasha – that’s what I needed to know. I finished it this afternoon and, according to my wife Vika who’s from Ukraine, it turned out great.
That’s wonderful! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 Thanks for sharing your great review! 🙂
Hi Natasha, can I offer another tip here and save you an extra 24 hrs? After your milk and buttermilk gets thick after the first 24 hrs I usually use the oven method instead of cook top. I take a spoon and cut the curd by making a Plus sign all the way down the pot carefully with out disturbing the mixture.. Then I place it in a 250F oven for 2.5 hrs with no lid on. Done. Let cool then proceed as usual with the draining process. May I recommend a muslin cloth instead of a cheese cloth also. I also use about 2 c worth of buttermilk or sour cream, no need to use as much as half a gallon. Good luck.
Thanks for sharing your method! I was surprised that the cheese cloth I ordered was almost like muslin – it was so easy to work with. My former cheese cloth was cheap and needed 4 layers to do the job and even that wasn’t amazing but this one is awesome with just 2 layers!
Have you tried using raw milk? Do you think it’s safe to eat for children?
Thanks!
From what I understand, raw milk is not recommended for children for food safety reasons. My mom used raw milk when she made this cheese in Ukraine and she said that it sours quickly and you don’t even need any buttermilk if using raw milk.
my all family have been using raw milk for 2 years for absolutely everything . my nephew now 4 so he grow up on raw milk . more natural nutrition . I make my own yogurt from raw milk and it is amazing !!! if you drank and you were fine from that raw milk it is very good for your kids !!! we searched for raw milk for 12 years since we came to US . finally thank God we founded . I thought my all family was lactose intolerant but no we were just BS intolerant !!!
That’s so interesting and thank you for sharing! Did your family have digestive issues with regular store-bought milk which cleared up with raw milk?
I too have used raw milk for years and make my own yogurt. I did your yogurt Farmer’s Cheese version (without the sour cream) and did it in the Instant Pot yogurt setting, then let set out for 1-2 days (I forget- sorry)(just check it)(and my raw milk was over a week old, thus getting soured already). It turned out great! I will now do this all the time with leftover milk. I’m looking for more recipes to use the cheese in.
I also used the whey in making no-knead bread. I hardly mix together the whey, yeast (or sourdough starter), flour and salt. Let rise on counter till it pretty much doubles in size, then refrigerate the dough for 1-2 days before using the dough. Take only what’s needed for a small loaf, or pizza crust, or crackers … and bake, leaving dough in fridge for using more later. It can remain there 1-2 weeks.
Hi Natasha,
Does it matter if the organic whole milk is homogenized or not?
Thanks!
Hi Sean, I asked my Mom and she said non-homogenized will work even better and will turn sour even faster for the cheese. She also said if you use fresh non-homogenized milk, you don’t need the buttermilk and it will turn sour in 1 day. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hi, Natasha, could you help me out here? I used to make tvorog by simply souring the milk and heating it then. Got really curious about your method and decided to try. Got to the point of heating it up after first 24 hours( after the oven step). It smells pretty sour and is very thick and bubbly. Thinking about cooking it right now, because I would not want it to be very sour the next day. What would you recommend?
Yulia, I haven’t tried that so can’t really recommend it before testing it myself. Cooking it over several days produces a less sour cheese than the quick cooking methods I’ve seen online. I think the flavor is better when you cook it over several days.
Hi! I am hoping you can help me with a question/problem I encountered mid-way through making this cheese…
Some background: I started making the cheese using another recipe that said to put the milk in a warm place until it becomes thick, which could take up to 2 days. After 2 days, my milk was not thick, so I found your recipe and tried warming it up on the stove. I waited another 24 hours, then dipped in a spoon, but there was just a thick, cream-like layer on top with a runny liquid under. I should note that I had stirred the milk a couple of times for those 2 days before I read in your recipe that I shouldn’t have done this! It may have caused the issue… Maybe also that I just do not have any really warm places in my kitchen (I live in MA and it’s already winter up here).
My question: Do you think I should wait longer and hope that it will thicken? OR just go for it and heat it up to make the cheese and hope for the best? I’m nervous that if I keep waiting, the milk will turn too sour.
Thanks in advance for your help! I love your blog – my husband is Ukrainian and I lived in Ukraine for a couple years, so it’s wonderful to see others sharing the amazing food from this country/region of the world.
Hmmm that is a very good question! My best guess would be to just heat it up and make the cheese. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
When you’re only starting to make tvorog it’s always a good idea to sour a little bit of milk and to see how it will turn, then to do a whole gallon or even two. Plus, even if you were doing tvorog for years, just switch to another brand of buttermilk and everything can go wrong. Though, for my opinion to use multi-strain probiotic is far more superior way to sour milk for tvorog.
Natasha!
Thank you very much for answering all of my questions!!! This is an awesome recipe. It totally worked. I only used a 1/2 gallon of milk because I have ruined so much expensive organic milk in the past I did not want to risk it. Now I am sorry that I did not use a gallon of milk. I would have had more cheese. This farmer’s cheese is delicious! I don’t like farmer’s cheese at all. I was trying to make it for my kid and I cannot stop eating it. It tastes amazing. Thank you and please thank your mom for me:-)
You are very welcome Anna, awesome job! I will pass it on to my mom 😀 .
Hi Natasha,
I have one more. You can just email me. You do not have to post all these. All the Russian grandmothers I know just leave the milk buttermilk combo on the counter for about 48 hours and then heat it up on low on the stove. Then they strain it. Is there a reason why you do heat the milk and buttermilk 3 times? Do you know?
Anna, using the slower process creates a sweeter cheese. Thank you for sharing that 🙂 .
Natasha,
Thank you very much for all of your replies to my post. I have another questions. How come the first step is to place in 100 F oven and the next two is to heat up on the stove. Is there a difference? I am just curious.
I had to call my mom to confirm this, but it is because you don’t want to overheat the mixture to begin with. You don’t want it hot at this point, just warm. You can do it on the stove but over very low heat and be sure not to boil.
Natasha,
Do I leave the milk and buttermilk on the counter for 7 hours opened or unopened. This may seem like a silly question but I am thinking if I leave it unopened it may blow up? Also does the composition of the container affect the outcome of the product in any way? I was told by someone not to use metal.
7 hours is not long enough for any explosions :). I use a stainless steel pot. They may have been referring to aluminum. I haven’t tested it in aluminum but after reading your comment, I probably wouldn’t. 🙂
My ingred.
1 gal pasteurized whole milk (do not use ultrapasteurized milk)
1/2 gal buttermilk
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
In a heavy-bottomed pot, over low heat, slowly heat up the milk, stirring often, until it is just about to simmer (180 degrees).
Stir buttermilk into heated milk. Then stir in the vinegar.
Turn off the heat and, very slowly, stir until the milk begins to separate into curds (solids) and whey (liquid). Leave undisturbed for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, wet the butter muslin or two layers of cheesecloth that is large enough to line a colander and hang over the sides. Place the muslin-lined colander over a bowl to catch any whey.
After the milk-buttermilk-vinegar mixture has sat undisturbed for 10 minutes, use a skimmer or slotted spoon to ladle the curds into the cheesecloth. Allow the curds to drain for 10 minutes.
Gather up the edges of the cheesecloth to form a bundle in order to drain as much whey as possible from the farmer’s cheese.
Use a length of butcher’s twine to tie the cheesecloth containing the curds into a neat bundle, pressing on the cheesecloth a bit to help the whey drain off.
Tie the string to a wooden spoon or dowel, and hang the cheese curds over a pot or container to collect any remaining whey and continue draining for 30 minutes.
After draining, remove the cheese from the cheesecloth, and transfer it to a nonmetallic bowl or container.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe and method! 🙂
At which point do we add the salt?
Hi Natasha,
I was born in Ukraine, last 20 years am in NZ.
My recipe is very similar to yours, but more simple in use.
4l of any milk( high % of fat is better)
1/2 pack of butter milk.
All mix, does not matter temperature of these products. Leave in kitchen somewhere (table/cabinet) for 1 or 2 days till spoon will stay in (depends which temperature in kitchen). After put in stone, set up 180 degree, when temperature gets 180 degree keep more in stone for 30-35 min after switch off stone and leave pot in stone till it will be not hot (about 12 hours) Usually I do that at the evening, switch off and go to sleep. At the morning you can do your steps 3&4 from day3.
Thanks,
Hi! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing your method with me :). I will have to try it!
Where do you find reduced price almost expired organic milk?
I always take a look every time I’m at my local Fred Meyer. That’s the only place I have found it.
Hello Natasha,
Thank you for this recipe. I have been planning to do this for a while but was not sure 100% how this is done until I found your site. I have two questions. One is how come the milk and buttermilk have to sit on the counter for 7 hours separately before being combined? The second one is I saw a recipe where someone just left the milk buttermilk combination on the counter for 5-7 days and made tvorog. Is this a valid recipe? Everyone I ask have said that in 5-7 days everything will spoil.
I’m not sure about 5-7 days, but this recipe takes 3 days and it is the way we have always done it in my family. It does not spoil. There are quicker methods of making it but the cheese doesn’t turn out the same – the flavor isn’t as good as this 3 day method.
On day 3 when you hear on stovetop for 40 mins, should you stir? This is when the whey is supposed to separate out. I know not to stir on other warnings but wasn’t sure about this final one. Thanks.
There is no need to stir; it will separate on its own 🙂
Exited to try this! Papa from Ukraine, mama from Russia, husband, Polish. Grew up with this wonderful comfort food.
Haven’t been able to duplicate this dish from my childhood. Thanks for sharing…
Valentina you have quite a family tree :). You are welcome and I hope you’ll like it.
Natasha,
Love your website! My tvorog is hanging out, literally, in the cheese cloth as we speak. So excited to try! You mentioned I can use the whey for bread. Do you have a particular recipe or just use it in place of water?
Thank you and congratulations on your little blessing! Vika
I used it in place of water with the no knead bread that I have posted and it turned out absolutely delicious! 🙂 https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/02/26/no-knead-artisan-bread-recipe/
Hello, just a couple of questions. I want to add salt to this recipe, when do you suggest that I add it in? In the beginning when its all still liquid? Also, if I were to half this recipe, would it effect the results? If I don’t half the recipe, am I able to freeze the remaining cheese? Thanks! I’m excited to try making homemade varenyky for the first time, I hope to impress my un-impressible grandfather!
We’ve never added salt because it isn’t really necessary. You can add the salt when it is all still liquid. We haven’t tried freezing the cheese so I’m not sure. I think it would be ok. Yes, you can halve the recipe :).
Hi, I’m trying to make tvorog, but don’t have cheese cloth, do you know what store sells them?
I’ve purchased it at Winco before. You can also buy it online. You know what I use now? A clean laundry bag – like what you would use for lingerie. it lets liquid pass through but keeps all the cheese in even better than cheesecloth, plus it’s re-useable! Ofcourse I can’t use it for laundry though 😉
OMG this looks so amazing Natasha! I will be trying this…leaving it hanging (in the summer especially) all those hours outside refrigeration is ok? It won’t spoil?
I hope you respond. Thank you for posting!:-)
Yes it is perfectly ok as long as you are leaving it at room temp (about 75˚F or cooler). If your house is too warm, you could get creative and put it in the fridge over a wire rack set in a rimmed baking dish with a press over the top (that’s the best I could come up with) ;).
You can use fresh (better organic) yogurt to sour the milk. It has cultures other then in buttermilk. Do not overheat the mix- it should not go over 60C. Cool and drain.
That’s great to know. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Hi there! Part of my family if from Russia and don’t use buttermilk. They use this little live bacteria. It looks sort of like kefir grains, but smaller. It stores the same, but is a different organism. Does anyone know the name of it? I have searched like crazy for it but am having no luck. Also, the elderly just drink the liquid that is drained and their health is amazing!
I don’t know where you would find it, but search kefir culture starter and you should get some good results on google. I’m not sure if health food stores carry it?
CulturesForHealth.com
has a cultured buttermilk starter for making your own buttermilk. They have 2 types; one of their cultures produces a reusable culture so that you use your previous batch for creating a new on.
Thanks so much for sharing! My Mom makes her own from a culture. It’s wonderful stuff! 🙂
This is a great recipe for farmer’s cheese. Excellent! I use pretty much the same recipe,however I add the cup of plain yogurt( fage)with live bacteria (acidophilus), this makes the process faster, I have delicious farmer cheese as a result!
I will have to give it a try with Greek yogurt. Thank you for sharing!
How long can farmers cheese sit in the fridge?
I’ve had it in there at least a week and it was great. I imagine up to 2 weeks. But we’ve always eaten it sooner! 🙂
Can you buy farmers cheese or is it homemade only?
Yes, you can buy it at grocery stores, but it’s less expensive to make your own 😉
Also, you can make several yummy spreads with the farmers cheese if you want to preserve the good bacteria in it that actual baking kinda destroys
Oh please share your spreads too! I can’t wait to try the other recipe you shared. Sounds delicious!
This recipe is like a chocolate & farmers cheese lovers dream! 🙂
Mix:
2.5 Cups Flour
2 TBSP Cocoa
1 TBSP Baking Soda
..& add to already mixed:
250g Butter
1 Egg Yolk
3 TBSP Milk
Mash dough with hand till fully combined.
Divide into 2 equal balls.
Stick in freezer for an hour.
Before hr is up…
Mix together with hand, or on very low speed:
1.5-2LB Farmers Cheese (I usually to 2lb)
1.5 Cups Sugar
4 Eggs + the 1 leftover Egg white
1-2 TBSP Starch
In a 13×9, or 15×10 size lined & sprayed pan:
Grate one ball of dough for the bottom layer
Spread cheese layer for middle.
Grate second ball of dough for top layer.
Bake at 375 for 30 min.(I used a 13×9 pan)
When you take out the cake the middle will still be jiggly.
Let it cool COMPLETELY
For the top Chocolate Glaze Combine & melt till one consistency:
1 Stick Butter
1Cup Sugar
1TBSP Cocoa
4TBSP water
Pour over cooled cake & let it set & cool completely. Enjoy!
I’ve printed out your instructions. Thank you so much for sharing! you are awesome!!
For those that are wondering if you can make the cheese with 2% milk, you can. My mother in law always does.
The reason why you should use whole milk is bc it was least processed/tampered with… When they process the milk they first take out all the fat & then for skim they don’t put much back in, for 1% put back more & so on for 2% a little more… Food wasn’t meant to be eaten this way & you need fat to absorb many vitamins. Stick to foods that are closest to their natural state. You don’t get fat from eating whole milk.
Oh, & I have a great great recipe I can share to make with the Farmers cheese!!!! I do a separate post with it…
That would be awesome! You can also email me if you wish 😉 natashaskitchen@yahoo.com
The vinegar method is just a fast way. But then it’s not as nutritious. The whole point is to let it stand longer so the good bacterias grow.
I make mine in a little over 24 hrs. You don’t have to have it stand for another 24 hrs after you put it on the heat. Save & refrigerate like 2 cups of the chunky milk, in a jar, before you boil it, & you can use that (“nachunka”) for your next time you make the cheese instead of the buttermilk.
All I do is pour a gallon of organic milk in a pot, add the 2 cups of “razhenka” or chunky milk from the last time. Let it stand on the stove for 24 hrs. Save 2 cups of that for next time. Heat it on low heat till it separates. Then strain it & you’re done!
That’s good to know! I’ve never tried making my own “buttermilk” 🙂 Thanks Olya! P.S. I now have a large batch of farmers cheese and am looking for something new to try with it. Any ideas? 🙂
I always make my own cheese , I cook so much wonderful things from it
Nalistniki, pirogi, vareniki, syrniki and my boys favorite ponchiki . When you
Have cheese in your fridge you have endless possibilities to
That perfect meal and deserts ! I have a base (zakvaska) that my friend broth from
Russia . And my tvorog always turns out great. And here is a trick
For whey use it as a rinse for your hair it’s the best treatment you can offer for your hairand also your body . try it you’ll love the way ot makes your hair and face look younger anda alife.
Hmmm. Interesting! Do you wash it out afterwards with shampoo and facewash or even water or is the whey the final rinse?
This is the colander I use to drain the cottage cheese
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20027536/#
it’s so versicle..I use it to drain pasta to wash/drain veggies and fruits..love it! It’s only $6.99 in Ikea, my favorite gadget in the kitchen;)
This is my version that I have been making for years and I love it..I make lots of thing with it..make it about every 2 weeks..
2 gallons of whole milk
1 qt of butter milk (I like to use traders joes one)
pour into big pot (I don’t wait for milk to come to room temperature)
first I pour butter milk and then milk and I do have a little milk left over because my pot doesn’t fit it all, cover with lid and leave it on the counter or stove top for about 48hrs until it turns into yogurt consistency (it will become jiggly) then I take off the lid and place in the preheated oven at 250 degrees for 3 hrs and leave it until it cools..pour it into a small hole colander ( I have one from Ikea (stainless steel) and I love it, I don’t loose any curdles and it washes well) so after I transfer all he cottage cheese into the colander I leave it on the pot to drain for an hour and its ready…
don’t have to put into a cheese cloth or put pressure on it..all the liquid drains well, then I transfer to a storage container and mash it with a potato masher to separate the curdles..and it’s perfect every time:)
That sounds pretty straightforward. I’ll have to try your method. Thank you!!
Sorry that was supposed to be 2 gallons of whole milk not 4..oops
Oh, thanks Marina! 🙂
Natasha,
I finally finished making tvorog tonight and it’s a bit sour, is it supposed to be? Also, I let it boil both times that it was on the stove (I didn’t realize it was boiling), and it seems that the cheese separated already the first time it was on the stove, so I definitely messed this up but I still think it’s pretty good.
Thank you so much for all the recipes!
It is supposed to taste a little sour, but in a good way, not like a spoiled sour 🙂
Hello!
will 2%milk work well also?
I think you really need the fat from whole milk for it to work well.
I make mine only with 2% to reduce the calories and it works OK 🙂 but the fattier the milk, the better it tastes 🙂
That’s great to know! Thank you!
I did both whole milk and 2%, and whole milk does taste better and I think it makes more cottage cheese, because there is more fat..
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Natasha, vy molochina. Ya ochen’ rada chto nashla vashu stranichku. Kak vy ostaetes takoy krasivoy i stoynoy pole vseh etix vkusnostey-a?
Thanks Maya 🙂 Took me a little while to read your comment, but it was very sweet 🙂 I think I burn a lot of calories at work 🙂
Hi! My oven doesn’t go to 100 degrees, should I just cut the time in half?
My starts at 170°, so just heat the oven to your lowest setting, turn it off and don’t change the time duration. Hope this helps.
I tried making tvorog by following this recipe and for some reason or another the tvorog has a bitter taste to it. Now I wonder whether I can still use it for baking or anything else.
I asked my mom about this, its her recipe, and she doesn’t have a good answer. Every time we made it, haven’t had a bitter taste. The only time she had that happen, was back in Ukraine when old milk was used. It also might be that something was added to the milk before it end up in the store. Cheese is not good to be used in the recipe when its bitter. Cheese should be a little sour not bitter. I’m sorry that it did not turn out. Was milk expired?
Actually while reading the recipe, I did think that with milk sitting out for this long (couple days), this might happen, but I guess most of the people didn’t have a problem, so I guess it depends.
The bitterness comes from milk sitting in a warm room for two long. I found that if I don’t make my tvorog within 24 hours (at most), it will turn into bitter cheese.
To avoid this, heat the milk, add buttermilk, let sit for 24 hours or until it thickens (sometimes it only needs 12-16 hours), heat it (to warm temp), let cool and drain through a cheesecloth, or a paper towel lined strainer. There really is no reason to leave it for another 24 hours after you heat it.
May be Natasha knows why it needs to stay at room temp for another 24 hours?
That’s interesting! My mom told me that it has more bitterness if it’s rushed. This recipe actually didn’t have any bitterness to it. A slight sourness, but nothing more than what is normal for this kind of cheese. 🙂
Great recipe! Since we’re working with live bacteria, one really needs to just watch the process and adjust. In the Soviet Union, we left unpasteurized milk out overnight, and it curdled thanks to bacteria in the milk and air at around 70 F. Then we heated it the next morning to separate the curds and whey and strained/pressed it as soon as it was cool. In this country, I have occasionally had trouble with bitter results from keeping the milk too warm.
My recommendation would be high-quality organic buttermilk or kefir to culture the milk. If the house is 69-74 F and the milk is room temperature, then I would skip raising the temperature. I have run into similar problems in baking and brewing. The “sweet spot” for these cultures (mesophilic bacteria) is right around 70 F. All the best!
I’ll give the organic kefir a try next time. I imagine it would taste even better! I have found that organic milk does taste a whole lot better than regular milk. I always keep an eye out for the organic milk that is on sale and close to it’s expiration date just to make this cheese 🙂
Is the lid supposed to be on the whole process?
Yes I would recommend it.
HI, quick question, my oven doesnt go as low as 100 F, so how else would i do this?
Use the lowest setting possible, most of the ovens start at 170F. Once the oven is preheated, turn it off and place the mixture in. Using oven thermometer might be a good idea. Hope this helps.
I love this. I have tried it both ways now and love it.. the quick method ends up getting made more often, bc of busy family life! I was wondering if anyone out there would please share their zapekanka recipe. My dearest friend in Kyiv made it often, and I can’t find the recipe that she gave me so long ago. She is not on the internet at all, so I can’t get it from her! Thanks!
Natasha, what kind of cheese should I use? Feta or..?
Thank you
Inga, I’m not sure I understand your question. This is the recipe to make farmers cheese. You just need milk and buttermilk to make it.
Ok- so is this a no cook method?
I am new to cheese making. (just recently have enough leftover goat milk to play with) It appears you only warm the milk after letting it sit ? this would indeed preserve the nutrients!! if this is the case I will be doing it YOUR way. The last batch of cheese I was sick at the thought of high heat or boiling the milk….what a waste is you dont have to.
Just learned to add whey to soaking beans to remove the acid….who knew.
Thanks!!
You do have to let it get fairly hot at the last step in order for the cheese to separate well from the whey. I agree, I think it’s a bad idea to boil when making this cheese.
Hi Natasha, I just discovered you site. This is amazing, so many recipes that I was looking for, for a long time. Thank you for all the hard work. You can also use whey for your cold soup Okroshka instead of water, as well as for a drink (something Scandinavian unfortunately I am not sure about the recipe)
I do have Okroshka posted but never thought to use the whey instead of water. That’s brilliant! Thank you Elena!
Instead of buttermilk, I use a culture given me by a Russian friend several years ago (called kefir- not to be confused with store-bought kefir drink!). I put it in the milk, leave it anywhere from 12 hours to 2 or 3 days (depending on how hot the house is, and how sour I want the kefir/cheese to be). Once it is thick, I take out the culture (putting it in another jar of milk for the next batch, or into milk and then into the ‘fridge to wait for next time), and then put the jar in a pot of water, bringing it to a boil. As soon as the water boils, but without boiling the milk, I turn off the stove and let the water and milk sit until it is cool. Then I drain in a small strainer for an hour or two until it is as dry as I want it. I have never pressed it- I think I will try that next time!
I love it served with a little sugar, sour cream and some soaked raisins! Also served plain with a dollop of fruit jam over it. And of course in sirniki 🙂 !
I have had the same culture for several years, taking it with me whenever I travel. When I do not want to make cheese out of it, or am traveling, I just drink the cultured milk plain, or add fruit to it and make a smoothie. It is very healthy, and I have never gotten sick when I traveled which I attribute to the good bacteria in the culture. The culture grows, so it is fun to share a piece of it with the couchsurfers that I stay with, or with those that stay with us.
Thanks, Natasha, for all the work you do on this website- I am so happy to see how it has grown!
Margo thank you so much for sharing! I will have to ask my mom where I can get a hold of kefir.
I did not see your reply last year… have you found kefir start? If not, let me know and I will send you up a start. It is like a plant- it grows, and then I am left having to find people to foist it off on… just can’t bring myself to ‘flush’ it! Email me if you would like a start. I have used kefir as my ‘secret weapon’ to avoid illness in the past few years, and I think I can truthfully attribute my lack of anything more than a 2-day cold to it. Besides, it’s good 🙂
Margo; how does it work? Does it turn milk into buttermilk? I’ll email you! 🙂
I make my Kefir, too! & I was able to share with some friends who grew up with it.
I’d never buy Tvorog from the store, but tried a farmer cheese (the brand that sell thoese ‘kefir’ drinks), so I don’t know if they are _exactly_ same or not. But the farmer cheese tasted very much like the kefir cheese I made by draining the kefir for a day or so. I think Margo’s method would speed things up if a larger quatity is needed.
Here is a very comprehensive website about Kefir. (wikipedia is pretty good introduction, too)
http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefir-faq.html
Thank you for sharing May :).
you can buy Kefir and any cheese dry cultures from any online cheese suppliers or in special farmers shops.
Hi Natasha!
Have you ever tried making tvorog in a crock pot? I assume that it could possibly work, but not really sure. Let me know what you think.
Thanks!
It might work but I haven’t tried it. Hmmmm. I guess I don’t see why not since it warms up slowly on the low setting just like it would in the oven or on the stove. I haven’t really tried it though so I’m hesitant to say yes. :-/
Hi Natasha,
Is there any method of making tvorog with already expired milk? I get lot’s of milk on a WIC program and tvorog sounds like a great idea! The gallon of milk I have is expired and the gallon already bloated…any ideas if it will still work?
Hmmm it may still work but I don’t know how long it’s been sour milk or if it makes a difference. Sorry that’s not much of an answer. If its been spoiled more than a day or two I would probably be nervous about using it.
Alright I agree, better be safe and do it with un-expired milk 🙂 thanks!
When I worked at daycare i would always get the expired milk and make tvorog, and it always turned out well.
Thanks for the tip Angelina, I will be on the lookout for some expired milk 😀
If you use expired milk you do not need butter milk. Just put it on the stove and it will be ready. That is how we make this cheese in Hungary. But the vinegar option is just as well, and faster than leaving the milk out for days until it gets sour.
Thank you for sharing Zsuzsa :).
I make cheese I would say once a week (my family loves cheese).Here is my recipe.I use1Gal of whole milk(2% just fine)and1 quart of buttermilk,pour it into a large pot,let it sit at room temperature for 24 hrs or until it thickens(became buttermilk).Then i preserve 1 cup of it(put it in the 1quart can, fill it with the milk,let it sit at room temps for another 24 hrs,then refrigerate.This is buttermilk to use next time i make cheese).Back to making cheese.I place my pot on the stove over med/low heat for about 1 hr and cheese is ready.Strain it through the cheese cloth.
Luda, thank you so much for sharing! How long does the homemade buttermilk last in the fridge for the next batch of cheese. I think that’s totally brilliant!!
Hi,Natasha.The buttermilk can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.Maybe even longer,but since i make cheese very often i never tried that.Did you know that you can freeze cheese?My mam does that.
Oh, I didn’t know you could freeze it! That will probably come in handy in the future! Thank you for the tip!
I just started your recipe today….since last night I realized I only purchased one quart of buttermilk. Looking forward how it turns out! Thank you!
Let me know the results 🙂
Okay….. i MADE IT!!!!! It turned wonderful!!!! I even saved a cup of it just what luda said to make more buttermilk…..and planning on making more of tvorog. We have lots of goats milk…….was not sure how it will turn out so i mixed half goat milk half cows milk!!!!! So excited!!!!! Now its time to do nalisniki!!!! made tvorog before…..years ago and it did not turn out…..I did not give up!!! Thank you for the recipe!
Oh I’m so happy to hear about your successful cheese making!! Let me know how it works with the goats milk.
Use whey for nalisniki
That’s a great tip! I bet it’s really good. Thank you!!
thank you kat that is a wonderful idea! i hate poring out the good whey. Now I can put it in good use.
Luda, I made you recipe twice. So easy and delicious! I used whey to add to my dogs food for extra protein; next time I’ll attempt to make ricotta cheese with it 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I make mine the same,like you Natasha, just add sour cream and whipping cream…
God bless you!!
Thank you Nina! God bless you too!
Do you use the leftover whey for the bred recipe you have posted here?
I didn’t try it for this specific bread, but I plan to next time I make it. Every time I used whey, the bread turned out better.
Can you use the same process to make farmers cheeses from raw (unpasteurized) milk?
Unpasteurized milk is really dangerous for kids, elderly and pregnant women and I wouldn’t recommend it because if it has some kind of creepy bacteria, it will really grow quickly under these conditions. I stay very far away from raw milk.
Yes, that is what everyone says, but if you do research you are more likely to get sick from foods like spinach or cantaloupe than raw milk. If you visit the farm (and usually those farms are smaller and much cleaner), question the farmer, see that its clean, and feeds the cows grass, then i dont see a problem. The “pasteurized” milk we get is from mass produced farms that are filthy dirty that is why they pasteurize the milk. Raw milk has many benefits. But thats just my opinion, and i guess you didnt answer my question.
I can definitely believe that. I usually buy organic milk and organic milk is better for this cheese but I’ve never tried using raw milk so I can’t recommend it. I guess I’ve taken too many classes that discuss bacteria and there’s no way to sterilize the outside of the cow to make sure nothing gets in the milk during the milking process. That’s where my take on it comes from. Just the other day, the state epidemiologist (she studies origin of diseases) came and gave a presentation and was adamant about not using raw milk for kids, pregnant and elderly. I’m sure it is much better for you than pasteurized but it carries too much risk for me to buy it. If you do try it, please let me know how it worked out. Maybe someone else has the same question.
I made tvorog once from unpasteurized milk from a farmer and it turned out wonderful.
Hi alina, did you even try making farmers cheese from the raw milk? I’m curious because I would like to try but don’t want to waste the milk. I am a newbie to the raw milk movement and would love to get more info from you if you’re willing to teach me a bit 🙂 let me know thank you! 🙂
Raw milk is so much better for you than pasteurized, homogenized milk. My kids have been drinking raw milk for the past 2 years and they are doing great. Store milk is “empty” milk. Anyway, kefir made from raw milk is super delicious and is loaded with good bacteria. And to make farmers cheese from raw milk you would just need raw kefir and raw milk. Combine the two and let it sit in a warm place. Once it starts separating you would heat it up like Natasha showed, drain and there you have your farmers cheese. By the way, you would get more farmers cheese if you use whole milk and it tastes better too.
I meant strain the cheese not drain…lol.
Maybe one of these days I will brave up and buy raw milk. In the meantime, I have switched over to using only organic milk. I look for whole milk to be on clearance, for example if it’s going to expire in the next few days, and I buy it for making cheese. It works out great!
Hi Natasha,
I just made tvorog last week:)
I have made mine with a special culture that my mom gave me once, but most of the time I make it with lemon juice. It is SO easy and I love how it tastes too. It literally takes anywhere from 1/2 -1 hour to make. Great recipes! I love your pictures too.
Hi Natasha, I have a much simpler recipe with great results each time. Per gallon of milk add one cup of vinegar, let it stand for a few hours, then place it stove at the lowest and cheese will be ready in few hrs. Each time it will be very super sweet and only takes few hrs from milk to cheese 🙂 you can’t ever go wrong with this recipe, trust me. Whey might be a little sour but I love the cheese.
I’ll have to try that for nalesniki one of these days. I hear its also good with lemon juice. Have you tried lemon juice?
Beautiful. I love tvorog. 🙂 I make mine with sour cream.
Ps. I enjoy reading your blog 🙂 God bless you!!
Farmer’s cheese cheesecake – this is probably Ukrainian or Polish recipe for the “syrnik”, I mean the one that like cake, not zapekanka. There are plenty recipes now over the net.
I’ll have to do some googling I guess 🙂
I love tvorog. I am totally going to make it the way you do it and that way I can see if it will taste as my moms. Thank you!
Wow this sounds simple enough…I’ve been wanting to make a farmers cheese cheesecake and it requires a lot of farmers cheese, this is definitely on my to do list;)
Wow a farmer’s cheese cheesecake sounds incredible! Is it a Russian cheesecake?
I tried it at a wedding once but am not able to get the recipe from the lady (a russian lady) cuz I don’t know her, but I found a recipe on epicurious, the reviews aren’t that great but I’m hoping I can tweak it somehow 😉
I have a great recipe for Farmers cheese, cheese cake from an old Russian cook book. I usually make it for Easter. My husband and family always look forward to it. If you want I can send you it.. just tell me where to send it. 🙂 Lu ur site by the way… I’ve been following it for a while now, but never really left a comment.
That would be great; thank you soo much! I’d love to compare our recipes and see if I can improve on mine. My email is: natashaskitchen@yahoo.com P.S. I like your new blog; looking forward to more posts 🙂
would love the farmers cheese cheesecake recipe as well – please.
love the site.
thanks, mike
Here you go 🙂 https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/10/26/farmers-cheese-chocolate-cake/
P.S. I am going to give tvorog one more chance – your way (is that putting just a little bit of pressure on you? 😉 Don’t worry, I’m sure I won’t be disappointed, none of your recipes have disappointed me yet:)
Crazy amounts of pressure; not sure how I’ll make it through the day 😉 Ok, really though, putting out a recipe is a little scary; I have to get it right since people will spend their time making it. So, sarcasm aside, yes, a little bit of pressure 🙂
Natasha, my mama and mama-in-law save the whey to use it instead of buttermilk to make the cheese next time. My mom even freezes it if she doesn’t plan on making it soon. Have you done that before? I have tried to make tvorog out of their saved whey several times but the results were disappointing. Maybe using buttermilk is a sure way to get the cheese just right..? Although mom says buttermilk and whey are both sour milk, they should both work just as well. Let me know your thoughts.
That’s very interesting. The whey does have a sourness to it. I’ve never tried that and I didn’t realize the whey could be frozen. Thanks for the tip!
If you use whey it will be cheese (aka Adugeiskii) not tvorog. I learned it on my own gut.
they are all different cultures
I love homemade farmers cheese drizzled with honey to go with my morning coffee. I make mine using a similar method to yours and add a bit of salt during last heating.
Mmmmm. Yumm! The salt sounds like a good idea. It probably preserves it longer too.
This recipe probably destroys the nutrients, but I learned this awhile ago and want to say that I’ve become an express ninja of cheese:
1 gallon of whole fat milk (with red cap)
1 carton of half and half (the bigger size… 1 quart? about 4 cups)
130 ml vingar
4 cheese cloths
1. Pour milk and half and half in a large pot
2. On smal-medium heat warm up the milk to hot but NOT boiling, just so it forms lots of foam on top. Remember to ALWAYS stir the milk while heating b/c you might burn the milk and the bottom of your pot will be ruined! (Not that I’ve done that 😉 )
3. Pour in the vinegar slowly while stiring the milk and you will see cheese forming right before your eyes!
4. Do the whole cheese cloth steps like you did. Let it cool and use.
I think the consistency and texture of the cheese might be different than yours but if you need homemade farmers cheese in about 2 hours then this is a quick recipe… I’ve been using it for 3 years now and love it! And the cheese tastes delicious, in my ninja opinion.
Just remmeber, stir the milk while heating!!!
Thank you so much for all the work you put into this website.. I can only imagine how time consuming it can get!!! Love your recipes!
Thank you for your expert (express) ninja opinion. You made me laugh. I will absolutely try your method and I may just have to post another version!! Thank you so much for sharing.
Hey, do you use milk straight from the refrigerator or at room temperature? Thanks
I left mine on the counter 7 hours (room temperature). I think it would work with cold milk, but it would need more time to warm in the oven the first day.
This recipe is more for Ricotta chesse, its smoother and not as chunky.
The recipe for ricotta is a little different. It uses lemon juice instead of buttermilk. Also, it all depends on how long you let it drain. The longer the better and it will be more chunky and dry 🙂
Thank you natasha for this recipe. I am so excited to make it. We have four goats. We make all kinds of things and they turn out great. Made tvorog once but did not turn out that well. So i am looking forward trying out your recipe. thanks!
4 goats? Wow! Goat milk is much healthier than cows milk but it’s super pricey.
I’ve made farmers cheese once but it was with a 2% gallon of milk. Bring it to boil. Add 4 tbsp of vinegar and turn off. Let stand for 10-15 min. (The less you let it stand, the softer it will be). Strain it through a cheese cloth. Will have to try your method. It’s probably much tastier.
That sounds too easy 🙂 looks like I will have lots of cheese experiments in the future 😉
I make my homemade farmers cheese same way, except I never left the warmed thickened milk for another 24 hours. Do you get more cheese if you do it that way?
I will have to experiment and let you know.
I was going to post recipe today 🙂 he he I use sour cream in my
Great minds think alike! 🙂 can’t wait to see your post.