Farmers Cheese with Greek Yogurt (Tvorog)
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Homemade farmers cheese (tvorog) is easy to make. Farmer cheese is truly lovely and once you try it, you’ll want to keep a constant supply in your refrigerator. We had always made this cheese with buttermilk but my Mom-in-law came discovered it works really well with Greek yogurt.
The cheese takes a few days to form but it happens in the background while you go on with your life. The timeline is also pretty forgiving and you can bend it to what works with your schedule. For example, the recipe says 24 hours but if you let it sit for 18 hours or 30 hours, everything will still work out. I’ve seen speed setting cheese methods online but I have found this (my Mom’s method) to have the best flavor and texture.
It is difficult to come by tvorog cheese in American supermarkets and when you do find it, it can be fairly spendy. Fresh, homemade is always better and I know the quality of ingredients that went into this. With organic milk and the Greek yogurt, I spent about $11 to make around 8 to 9 cups of farmer’s cheese.
What do we use this for? Check out the yummy recipes at the bottom of this post and I have 2 new ones coming soon so stay tuned!
Ingredients for Farmers Cheese:
1 gallon whole milk (preferably organic), room temp*
35 oz (large tub) full fat Greek yogurt, room temp*
2 Tbsp sour cream
*Bring milk and Greek yogurt to room temp by leaving them on the counter 4 – 6 hours.
*Click here to learn how to make cheese using buttermilk and whole milk.
How to Make Farmers Cheese Day 1:
1. In a large stainless steel pot, whisk together 1 gallon milk, 35 oz Greek yogurt and 2 Tbsp sour cream. Cover and place in a warm 100˚F oven for 1 hour until luke-warm. (For many ovens, the lowest temp setting is 170˚F, so if that is the case for you, keep an eye on the mixture and take it out of the oven as soon as it’s just warm).
2. Place the covered pot in a warm room for 24 hours (I put it next to a heating vent on the floor). When it’s done, it should become the consistency of sweetened condensed milk and pulls when you lift it up with a spoon. DO NOT STIR.
Farmers Cheese Day 2:
1. Place on the stove and heat again over low heat for 40 minutes or until warm. DO NOT STIR. Heat it slowly, since high temperatures destroy the nutritious protein and good bacteria. Remove from stove and place in a warm room for another 24 hours. It should be consistency of regular yogurt.
Farmers Cheese Day 3:
1. Place on the stove over medium/low heat 40 minutes or until hot. 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).
2. Place 2 layers of very fine mesh cheesecloth over a large colander set inside a large bowl. Pour cheese mixture over cheesecloth. Keep the leftover liquid – this is called whey – refrigerate it and use instead of water for making the best bread you’ve ever had!
3. Tie a knot with your cheesecloth and now it’s important to squeeze out excess liquid. Place a cutting board either in a baking dish or in the sink. Place tied bag of cheese on top. Set another cutting board on the cheese and place a heavy weight over the top (i.e. a heavy cast iron pot or a large jug of water) and let stand 8-10 hours.
Farmers Cheese Day 4:
Unwrap your cheese and it’s ready to enjoy! Refrigerate if not using right away. Here are some of our favorite farmers cheese recipes and I have 2 more really really good ones coming soon!
Farmers Cheese with Greek Yogurt (Tvorog)
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole milk, preferably organic, room temp*
- 35 oz large tub full fat Greek yogurt, room temp*
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
Instructions
How to Make Farmers Cheese Day 1:
- In a large stainless steel pot, whisk together 1 gallon milk, 35 oz Greek yogurt and 2 Tbsp sour cream. Cover and place in a warm 100˚F oven for 1 hour until luke-warm. (For many ovens, the lowest temp setting is 170˚F, so if that is the case for you, keep an eye on the mixture and take it out of the oven as soon as it's just warm).
- Place the covered pot in a warm room for 24 hours (I put it next to a heating vent on the floor). When it’s done, it should become the consistency of sweetened condensed milk and pulls when you lift it up with a spoon. DO NOT STIR.
Farmers Cheese Day 2:
- Place on the stove and heat again over low heat for 40 minutes or until warm. DO NOT STIR. Heat it slowly, since high temperatures destroy the nutritious protein. Remove from stove and place in a warm room for another 24 hours. It should be consistency of regular yogurt.
Farmers Cheese Day 3:
- Place on the stove over medium/low heat 40 minutes or until hot. 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). DO NOT STIR.
- Place 2 layers of very fine mesh cheesecloth over a large colander set inside a large bowl. Pour cheese mixture over cheesecloth. Keep the leftover liquid - this is called whey - refrigerate it and use instead of water for making the best bread you've ever had!
- Tie a knot with your cheesecloth. To squeeze out excess liquid, place a cutting board either in a baking dish or in the sink. Place tied bag of cheese on top. Set another cutting board on the cheese and place a heavy weight over the top (i.e. a heavy cast iron pot or a large jug of water) and let stand 8-10 hours.
Farmers Cheese Day 4:
- Unwrap your cheese and it's ready to enjoy! Refrigerate if not using right away. Here are some of our favorite farmers cheese recipes and I have 2 more really really good ones coming soon!
Notes
*Click here to learn how to make cheese using buttermilk and whole milk.
Note on Nutrition Label: The nutrition label is a rough estimate per cup of cheese. It's difficult to calculate the true nutrition label since the label accounts for all of the ingredients whereas when the cheese is made, the whey is separated from the cheese.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Our favorite Farmer’s Cheese Recipes:
1. Farmers Cheese and Chocolate Cake
2. Ukrainian Cheese Pancakes (Syrniki)
3. Donut Holes (Ponchiki with Cheese) – scrumptious!
4. And finally, here’s the recipe for making farmers cheese with buttermilk (it’s a little less expensive to make and also tastes great!)
Q: Are you a farmer’s cheese super-fan? I’d love to know what you make with Farmers cheese. I’m always on the look out for creative ways to use it!
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Natasha, do you know by chance what would the fat content (like tvorog can be 2.5%, 5% and etc) of it?
Not so much for nutrition value but sometimes receipies call for a certain type … thank you!
Hi Alena, I tried running the nutrition label on this recipe but some disclaimers on that: The nutrition label is a rough estimate per cup of cheese. It’s difficult to calculate the true nutrition label since the label accounts for all of the ingredients whereas when the cheese is made, the whey is separated from the cheese.
So excited to make this! Does it have to be in a stainless steel pot or can I use a nonstick one? I have a regular black nonstick that I use for everything but if it’s stainless steel only I’ll buy one for this purpose!! Love творог!
Hi Lena, it’s best in a stainless steel pot, but nonstick may work. Since you will stir a lot in the pot, you may damage the nonstick coating, so ensure to use tools that are sage to wisk and mix in a nonstick pot. I hope you love this recipe!
Your recipe said 35 oz of greek yogurt? It comes in 32 oz containers so should it be 35 oz or 32 oz?
Hi Patty! Yes, 35oz is correct. In my pictures above, you’ll see I used 2 containers that were 17.6 oz. 🙂
Ok it was late and we live very rural and did not want to drive into town to get more yogurt 😀😀😀so I did the math and removed 6 oz milk so the 32 oz of yogurt would work. It looks great so far!
The cheese came out perfect! I ended up using 32 oz of yogurt and reduced the milk by 6 0z. Its wonderful! Nice and firm and crumbly!
Natasha, you’re the best. How long can you keep the whey? I make this cheese often for many things. This cheese makes a delicious cheese cake.
Hi Gennie, I haven’t maxed it out myself, but I have read that it can be stored for up to 6 months in the refrigerator.
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for the recipe, I make pierogi with farmer cheese and herbs
That sounds amazing!
i don’t know if i missed it, but how much farmer’s cheese does it make – 16oz? more? less? and can it be frozen to use a next time? thankyou!
I didn’t measure or weigh it but it makes about 9 cups. I’ve never tried freezing it. I even asked my Mother and she hasn’t experimented in the freezer. If you try it, let me know how it goes! 🙂
I finally decided to make it. It came out great! I will use it to make blintzes. My family can’t wait. I will also use your crepe recipe, since it looks so easy. I have used so many of your recipes and they all come out as winners.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Kathy! I hope everyone loves it!
Hi Natasha, I’m in the process of making this farmers cheese. Today is day 3. I followed the recipe thoroughly but for some reason the cheese did not separate from the whey. What do you suggest I do? The consistency is still yogurt-like (and I didn’t use organic milk & organic greek-yogurt) Please help:) Thank you!
I did use organic ingredients. Typo^
Hi Aly, hopefully, it was whole milk you were using, but it could also be due to not heating it up enough. Try heating it up just a little more or until you see it separate.
I have used raw milk for years and make my own yogurt. I did your yogurt Farmer’s Cheese 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! Greek yogurt is just yogurt that lets the whey strain out making it thicker. I will now do this all the time with leftover milk. I also made no-knead Artisan bread with the whey. I’m looking for more recipes to use this cheese in.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us Karey!
Hi Natasha, can I use the plain yogurt instead of greek?
Hi Natalia, I think regular plain yogurt should still work fine.
Natasha, thank you so much! I have been with you for 2 years already, and am totally thrilled. You are turning me into a better cook ))) can I ask – for how long will whey keep in the fridge before I can use it for bread recipes? Thank you.
Hi Elina, I haven’t maxed it out myself but I have read that it can be stored up to 6 months in the refrigerator.
I just made this again. So awesome!! I did not have any discoloration this time.
THat’s so great, Jan! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi Natasha,
When heating on the stove on day 2, to what temp? Can this be done in the stove, my stove goes down to 100 degrees? Same question regards temp on day 3. Thanks for the help!
Also… on day 3 when draining through the cheese cloth, is this done at room temp or in the refrigerator.
Hi David, I strain the cheese at room temperature.
Hi David, I haven’t tried that but I think that could work. 100 degrees is still fairly warm – it might cause the cheese to separate from the whey sooner but that’s ok.
The part where you heat it on the stove for 40min.. should the pot be covered or uncovered?
Hi Chelsea, I keep it uncovered so I can keep an eye on it and reduce the chances of it getting too hot and boiling.
I don’t know what I did wrong but for me this was the worst recipe. I am doing better with milk and lemons.
Hi Natalie, I have always had success with this method – I wonder if it is anything to do with a substitution of ingredients or change in the method?
I loved this recipe! I have tried other fresh cheese recipes, and this is better. What I love is that it is cultured, rather than just relying on acid. I just used more yoghurt rather than sour cream. I also used partially soured milk that I wanted to use up. I also used an instant pot, which keeps things to an even warmth, so I shortened the time to about 12 hours. What I did was to heat the milk on the yoghurt boil setting, wait till it cooled, added yogurt. I let it all sit on the yogurt warm setting for about 12 hours. When I checked on it, it already was broken down into curds and whey, probably because of the slightly soured milk base. I drained it. It was really lovely, very creamy, fresh tasting and flavorful. Thank you!
I love that this can be made in an instant pot. That is brilliant and thank you so much for sharing the details. You’re wonderful!
I’m Russian and love cooking! This blog and all original recipe very nice . Correct and easy to use. Thanks 🙏 very much Natalia and Vadim . Many recipe I am know from my childhood like my grandmother and my mama did!! Very good list of recipes! Will recommend my friends in New York and Russia 🇷🇺 too. Best regards. Md. Leonid Podolyak, New York. Thanks 🙏
I’m so happy you discovered our blog, Leonid! Thank you for sharing that with us! I’m so happy this brought back memories! Thank you for sharing with your friends and family!
Natasha. I stirred it when it was too hot and I ruined it. I set it to very low and it got way too hot… I set it alone for 24 hrs and it is very runny and I can tell not how it should be. How can I fix this?
Hi Christina, if the cheese has separated from the whey, you can just proceed to strain the cheese. The flavor won’t be quite as developed but it should still form a cheese.
Where is your recipe for Cheesy Easter ? 😁 come on, I know you know what I am talking about 🤣
Hi Ina, are you looking for a farmer cheese cake? Or a paska? or maybe these cheese bread?
God bless you for this recipe! My favorite pierogis were the ones my Polish Nana made with “dry cottage cheese”. I know now that is the same as farmers cheese. I live in a small town and can’t buy it here. Fortunately I came across your recipe. I started the cheese Sunday, made pierogis Friday. Thank you!!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Jan!
Any idea the nutritional info on your farmers cheese? We are Keto and it looks amazing. Just curious on the carbohydrate counts. Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Amy, I don’t think the nutrition info on the nutrition analyzer I use would be accurate since it pulls in the nutritional values for each ingredient. This nutritional information on farmers cheese might be helpful to you.
can i add salt to the cheese and if so at what stage
If you were to add that I would add it to the end of the process. I haven’t tried that with this recipe however.
thanks I’ll give that a try.
I love this recipe! I’m going to use the cheese to fill pierogis. It’s easier than expected to make. The directions are clear and I followed them exactly. Turned out great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Natasha,
Can you please tell me if there is a big difference in taste in tvorog with greek yogurt vs tvorog with buttermilk. Thank you!
Hi Inna, the taste is very similar – I use what I have on hand.
Can you make this tvorog in the Instant Pot?
Hi Elena, I honestly haven’t tried that. If you experiment, let me know! This might be a great question for the instant pot community on Facebook.
Hi
did you ever make it in the instant pot? I’d like to try to make it that way. thanks
What should the temperature go up to for the 40 min?
Natasha , what did I do wrong ??!! My cheese became pink ( spots ) ! I doubt that it safe to eat now .
Hi Victoria, I haven’t seen that happen following this method. Did you possibly start with expired milk? I’m not sure if this applies but always start with milk that has not expired and let it go sour per the instructions since bad milk will result in bad cheese. Also, be sure to refrigerate the finished cheese.
Hi Natasha, all ingredients was really fresh, but I didn’t follow your instructions.. I used ” vodyanaya banya” method for warming up this mix on 2nd and 3rd day. And color of spots wasn’t pink as I described earlier, they were kind of light brownish …
I just thought maybe you had seen this before …
Hi Victoria, I honestly haven’t seen any discoloration with cheese making. Sorry I can’t be more help!
Ok. Thank you Natasha for following up on my question. and also I wanted to say to you- thank you so much for your amazing blog ! All your recipes are easy to make and food is always delicious! Thank you!
My pleasure Victoria, thanks for following!
I just made the cheese using this recipe and also noticed few pink spots in my cheese. I also used super fresh and organic ingredients.. why does that happen?
The pink on the bottom was most likely due to overheating the pot and having some of it scorch to the bottom.
I also had some brownish spots. I wonder if it was because I used a Revere ware pot? It has a copper bottom. The taste and texture was still fabulous!
Hi Jan, I haven’t had that experience so maybe it was the pot? If anyone else has any insight into that, please let us know. I’m so glad you enjoyed the farmers cheese!
Наташа, thanks for sharing this awesome recipe and step-by-step prep. I love the texture of the cheese! It turned out so good.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Hi Victoria, Will this work with not fat milk and non fat yogurt?
Hi Natasha, can I use 2% nonfat milk? Or is it totally not gonna work for this recipe?
My mom experimented with 2% milk and it worked but whole milk is still proffered.
How long does the cheese keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Jon, you can keep this up to a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
I use to make farmer cheese in 2 days:
1 day -did kyfir in a glass bowl;
2 day- put it in a microwave for 3-5 minutes (depending on the bowl’s volume)
The result would be the same.
Now I gave up the microwave because it is not healthy
Thanks for sharing your tip with other readers Lucy!
I mix farmers cheese with mashed potatoes and lots of sauted onions for my filling when making homemade perogies.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing Donna!
Oh Crud. I somehow missed the instruction to allow the milk & yogurt to come to room temp before whisking. Can I salvage this?
Is this going to be an expensive mistake? I can’t be the only one, right?
Hi Cheryl, you can still let them come to room temperature once they are whisked together. It will work 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I have a question regarding these instructions: On day 2, you tell us to “place on the stove again over low heat until warm.” When you say “again,” are you meaning to say place in the oven? Or are we really putting this on the cooktop/burner?
Thanks for the clarification.
I’ve found that leaving the oven door ajar keeps the oven temp at about 100.
Hi Cheryl, sorry for the confusion – that word “again” is a little out of place ;). It is meant to read, heat again. Yes, that is correct, you put it on the stove to heat again on day 2.
Hi, Natasha! I was wondering if you have ever tried making TVOROG using an instant pot? I figured since it has a yogurt setting it may work for tvorog as well. Would love to hear your input – I think it would greatly speed up the process!
Hi Olga, unfortunately I have zero experience with an instant pot and I didn’t even know they had a yogurt setting – how neat!! If you experiment, let me know. I’m sure someone else may have the same question in the future. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I love this recipe. Reminds me of home in Moscow. I’ve made it at least 4 times. You have to use stainless steel pot for best results. I pour Greek yogurt in sour cream with some milk so it’s easier to stir, then I pour the rest and stir again. I usually drain cottage cheese on day 4.
I love it when recipes bring back great memories! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Katia!
Hi Natasha,
I am wondering if you can use regular plain yogurt instead of greek yogurt for this recipe. I was just doing research and it looks like the bacteria that in both yogurts is what’s needed to jump-start the lacto-fermentation process. If I can use plain yogurt, do you think it’s the same quantity/volume? Any insight would be greatly appreciated; thank you!
Hi Mariya, I think regular plain yogurt should still work fine. I have done this with buttermilk and it’s the same concept – the cultures in the yogurt or buttermilk are what help the cheese to form.
While adding yogurt would curdle the milk, the end result would be a yogurt cheese, not tvorog. To make real tvorog you need to add anything that contains lactis, cremosis and diacetylactis cultures, e.g. buttermilk. Remember that tvorog is a cheese and yogurt cultures work differently.
Hi Oleg, Greek yogurt worked well though and the cheese was almost indistinguishable to that of the original buttermilk tvorog.
Buttermilk does work, I use 2 qts whole milk, 2 C butter milk, 1 T vinegar. Takes about 1/2 hour yields about a pound
I lived in Ukraine for 3 years and we ate farmer’s cheese often. My favorite thing to do is make a salad. About a kilo of cheese, cucumbers (small tender and unpeeled are best) tomatoes, onions (red & green…whatever you like), a few cloves fresh garlice, minced, chopped cilantro, salt, pepper, lemon juice & a bit of ground cumin. It should have enough lemon juice to be tangy but not sour.
I now live in another country where ingredients are hard to find – but moving again very soon where ingredients are easy to find. Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Holly! Thank you so much for writing in and sharing that with us. It’s now on my to-do list. Thank you!! 🙂
Great post. You can use apple cider vinegar . It is much quicker
I have never tried that, but it sounds very interesting! How much do you add?
Hi Oleg, I’ve never heard of that method but it’s interesting. Thank you for sharing your approach!
Question: can this cheese be smoked or will that ruin it?
Hi Robert, I’ve never tried that and have never seen it done. I think it would ruin the cheese…
awesome recipe,, i like to try it but unfortunately sour cream or butter milk are not known in our city.. haow i can replace sour cream if possible..many thanks
Maybe you have something called kefir? It will work well as a replacement for buttermilk.
Hi Natasha,
I have made this recipe and the one using buttermilk. Both are lovely and I succeeded making farmer’s cheese similar to what I remember eating in Russia. I am looking for a recipe for the more creamy tvorog (I think it was called Dieticheskiy) because I like the texture of it better. Do you have any ideas on how to make that?
Hi Ksenia, I don’t have a recipe for that kind of tvorog. I’m used to this kind and haven’t tried the thinner one.
I do this:
2 quarts pasteurized whole milk (do not use ultrapasteurized milk)
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
Butter muslin or fine cheesecloth
Butcher’s twine
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 fine 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.
Add salt to the farmer’s cheese by stirring. This will break up the cheese into dry curds. You can form it into a solid piece by molding by hand, or leave it crumbly. Transfer to a nonmetallic container, cover and refrigerate. Use within 5 days.
pretty creamy and is quick to make
I double the ingred. and get about 3 lbs cheese.
For more creamy consistency watch for time when your tvorog is on colander, do not let it drain very long.
Hi Natasha! I’ve made this cheese successfully before, you’re farmer’s cheesecake is incredible by the way! I’m currently making a batch right now, and I made a bit of an error. I’m on day two, and I must have accidentally knocked something into the control on my stove. My cheese ended up on medium high for I don’t know how long, and my cheese has separated from the whey. Did I ruin the cheese, or am I freaking out over nothing?
Hi Emily, It should still be ok as long as it didn’t discolor. You can proceed as usual. It’s hard to say how far along your cheese is at this point (it might be ready for straining if it’s separated), or you can do another day per the recipe.
I made this wonderful cheese and all went well. But the very last part of the process while straining the cheese through the cheesecloth I noticed that there was a good amount of white product that did not process.
I got about 6 cups, about 1.4 lbs of cheese instead of the 9 cups mentioned in the recipe.
The taste is great, crumbles perfectly, but I’m not sure what could have happened during the process to cause that to happen.
Will definitely do this again though!
Hi Penny, you may have needed to heat it a little longer to get the cheese to separate from the whey. You should see the cheese distinctly separated from the clear yellow-ish liquid (whey). Don’t boil the cheese, just let it sit a little longer on low heat at the end for it to separate.
Hi Natasha,
On day 3, after hearing it for 40 minutes, do you have to wait for it to cool before straining it, or doing it while hot is fine?
Thank you,
Larisa
Hi Larisa, you will need to drain/strain it under a press before enjoying it and by the time it is adequately strained, it will definitely have cooled down.
Spasibo bol’shoe!! I will try it. I used to live in Chicagoland and took farmer’s cheese for granted; haven’t had it in years and look forward to making this recipe! Thank you again!
Do you think it’s going to work out with whole milk plain cultured yoghurt (not greek)?i can’t find greek yoghurt that’s not fat free 🙁
Hi Julie, yes I think that would work just fine. You can also use buttermilk (see this tutorial for buttermilk use).
What a fabulous tutorial – thank you!
You’re so welcome 🙂
Our farmer’s cheese is delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe and great instructions. We have many ideas for ways to use it in various dishes we love and frequently make. My husband’s family are long time Idaho residents. My family are “Okie’s”. Their story is the same as told by Steinbeck’s book ” The Grapes Of Wrath”. Imagine, Ukrainian cheese mixed with the Okie cooking my mother taught to me! My husband and I froze a small chunk of cheese to see how it will hold up. I will let you know. By the way, I too love the Lord.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! Thank you so much for writing in and sharing your story :). It’s awesome to meet you! 🙂
Karen Mann-I too am an OKIE. i am planning on making this very soon. I remember my grandmother making something she called clabber in the 40’s. We had a cow and she used this milk and i don’t know what else and leave this mixture setting on the kitchen counter covered for a time until (time).
do you have any ideas what she might have added? She was from TX and lived with us.
I live in Idaho Falls. Are you close by? We are wondering if the cheese can be frozen? We’re on day two of our first try. Very excited.
Hi Karen, we are in the Boise area. I’ve never tried freezing it. I even asked my Mother and she hasn’t experiment in the freezer. If you try it, let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hi Natasha! I’m on day 3 and put through cheese cloth but it’s like a heavy whipping cream consistency. Before when I brought it up to be hot. The whey did separate. But when I put through the cheese cloth nothing really went through. Very liquidity. Is there anyway to fix it :/??
Hi Jessica, it sounds like it did not get hot enough for the whey to separate. Did you change anything else in the method?
I did not. Any tips on how to save it :/?
Hi Jessica, the only thing you could do at this point is to put it back on the stove over low heat and heat until hot and separating.
Day 2 cheese is now on the stove for the 40 min low heat. So far looks good.
Hooray! I hope you love it! 🙂
I will be trying my hand at making two batches of this version of tvorog beginning this Saturday, and interestingly enough… will be driving it down to Idaho once finished. My husband had the wise idea of “just” ordering it from you rather than making my own since you live in the old hood. Truth be told, I have never personally eaten tvorog or touched it for that matter. Is it the consistency of cottage cheese or is it more dry? I am wondering because I don’t know how to store it; does it require crumbling prior to moving it a container?
Ha ha the “old hood” It is similar to cottage cheese but it is much more dry and crumbly. The consistency is similar to feta cheese but the flavor is closer to cottage cheese except slightly tangier. I hope you love it!
Uh oh… I went to strain my cheese last night and it all went through the 4 layers of cheese cloth I had laid out in my colander. The cheese was just too runny… my first thought was that our house wasn’t warm enough for the magic to happen so I stuck it on the stove and continued to warm the cheese after reading a few other methods online. Any tips on how I can salvage this? I will be throwing out two batches otherwise… And showing up at my in law’s place with NO CHEESE. =(
Hi Kitti, I suggest putting the cheese back on the stove and heat until hot and almost to a simmer. The curds should separate from the whey. Also, is your cheese cloth a fine mesh or does it have large holes? You may just need a couple of extra layers if it is going through it. Not all cheese cloth is created equal. I used to need 4 layers with the one I used awhile back and the one I use now (see link in post above) only requires 2 layers because it is so tightly woven.
Womp. Womp. Womp… Only one batch worked out for me. Left it to sit an extra night and it almost looked like a solid mass in the whey. The other pot I had disturbed while trying to strain prematurely did not form a solid at all and looks chunky/curdled… This is where I call in the big guns… Help me mama! Hopefully mama can figure it out or I’ll get rid of it. Thanks for the speedy replies Natasha! I appreciate you being so attentive to the comments left on your blog.
Thanks Kitti, we try! Some days comments can be overwhelming but we do our best to provide timely replies 🙂
I make a similar cheese 1 gal Whole Milk warmed to180* F , cooled to 110*F Add 1 Small Plain yogurt With Live Cultures ,Put into clean Large Mason Jars [2 Large] Place into Oven with light on ,leave for 12 Hrs. { DO NOT DISTURB } DURING PROCESS after 12 Hrs remove put into Colander lined with cotton dish towel ,Put weights onto it ,place in Fridge for 1DAY . The longer in fridge the drier it will be .I’ve done this several times works great ! Hope this helps
Thank you for sharing your method!
Hi Natasha, so I’m on day 4 trying to fit all this cheese and squeeze it out :0 My whey doesn’t all clear yellow and has a lot of white to it.. I’m not sure if it’s because not all the milk turned into cheese or what.. You mention not to stir, so I noticed that the bottom part of the mass has a pink tint to it and I was wondering if it’s because it slightly got warmer then the rest because it was at the bottom. Also, how can you be sure if all your ingredients were fresh that at the end of this process you won’t get food poisoning.. I’m pregnant and got so excited to make my own cheese but now I’m a little nervous…
Thank you!!!
Hi Rita, the pink on the bottom was most likely due to overheating the pot and having some of it scorch to the bottom. What are you using to strain the cheese? If cheese cloth, what brand and how many layers? It makes a difference what product you use. I hope that helps!
My husbands mom makes her own cottage cheese as well, her recipe is a little different but just as good. She makes cottage cheese dough. We then roll the dough in organic sugar and bake it. Taste amazing. Thank you for sharing all your amazing recipes.
Wow that does sound really good! Could you share the recipe? I would love to try it!
It’s a cheese dough with 2 cups flour .1 and half cups cottage cheese. 1 cup butter pinch salt.we roll it in cinnamon and wh sugar.yum.cinnam twist we call it.google. “Mennonite girls can cook.com cheese dough” and look at images and you’ll find it with a little time
Twarog makes great lazy pierogi.
Natasha, thank you for the recipe! My first time making it and I enjoyed making tvorog following your recipe =) I had a had a gallon of milk from Amish and i wanted to put it to a good use, and it turned out great!! I will post a picture on instagram and ill #you =)
I have some sirovotka left, not sure what to use it for, any ideas/recipes?
Hi Nina! I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂 Thank you for sharing that on Instagram. That’s awesome of you! I use the sirovatka (whey) for making bread. Use the whey instead of water and you will have the softest bread you’ve ever tried 🙂
My favorite use for farmer’s cheese is Cheese Paska…delicious!
Here is an example, though you may have made already!
http://www.food.com/recipe/russian-easter-cheese-paska-219557
My husband mentioned that to me but I’ll be honest the thought of 6 raw eggs left out sounds a little scary but that was my only hesitation. Have you tried the recipe you linked? Maybe one day I’ll be brave and give it a whirl 🙂
Honestly, I have never gotten the farmer’s cheese paska recipe to work right…it always seems a bit grainy! I’ve used a different recipe that uses cream cheese to cheat 😉 http://www.lenten-season.com/sirnahya-paska/
Other women at my church have made it was farmer’s cheese though – and it is delicious! It seems like something that works best if you learned from your mom, from her mom, etc. etc 🙂
I haven’t tried this recipe, but it uses boiled eggs instead of raw. If you try it out, I’d love to hear whether it tastes as good as the real thing!
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/5w7tw2dn/easy-cheese-paska.html
Thanks for sharing! When making farmers cheese, have you tried it using my method or do you use a quick cheese method? I have found that the slow process works well every time and I’ve never had a grainy batch.
fresh eggs a farm would be much safer sitting out than store bought. just find a reputable person with eggs for sale…if the eggs are fairly clean you’re usually good to go. fresh eggs can sit out at room temp for about 2 weeks sometimes more without going bad.
my great aunt from Ukraine made farmers cheese just by taking raw milk and letting sit in a warm place for about 3 days.
Thanks Terra! My mom has fresh eggs and I didn’t realize they were ok to sit out at room temperature that long – I still think that would make me nervous. My mom and pretty much everyone in Ukraine would make this cheese from raw milk back in the day. My mom said you don’t even need the yogurt if it is raw milk because it will turn sour much faster so you don’t have to add anything to it.
Eggs have a protective coating that keep them fresh. So don’t wash them until you’re ready to use them. 🙂
~another Natasha
I didn’t know that! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Try using Easyo. a packeted powder available at all good supermarkets. Made in 12 hours approx.
I’ve never heard of it. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Natasha, I’m just curious…have you ever made homemade yogurt before? I’ve always wanted to try but the process of it seems a bit intimidating to me for some reason.
I haven’t. It’s so easy and inexpensive that I’ve never really even thought about it. I’m sure it’s probably fairly simple but I don’t have a recipe posted.
Hello Natasha, I always make tvorog from 2gal,1% milk+ 0.5 cup of sour crème+ 2cups fresh water. Its also so good. I will try yours. Thanks. Be bless.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Wow looks really way good and with greek yogurt how very interesting might wanna give it a shot love farmers cheese every time I eat it I always think of my late maternal grandmother may she rip brings back childhood memories
That is the best when food bring great memories from childhood. That’s so great!
Hello Natasha, I love your recipes! One question with this one, what would the ratios be to make 2 cups. It’s just me and my husband, it would be very wasteful for me to make 8 cups of cheese.
Thank you! Yana
Hi Yana, it does hold really well in the fridge and for the amount of time that it takes to make it, we always make the full batch. The easiest way to cut down on the recipe would be to cut the ingredients in half and make 4 cups.
This is really neat, Natasha. I like how you break down the steps. I usually don’t need step-by-step photos, but it really helps with something like this. I’m sure others feel the same! I’ve never made my own cheese. The process looks fascinating and you make it sound very straightforward. Pinning (as usual lol). Hope you’re having a great weekend! 🙂
Thank you Natasha for the comment and for pinning 😀.
Yes, please make a video of the making of farmer cheese.
Thank you
Thank yo for the tip! It’s an easy recipe to make but difficult to film because it needs to be over the course of several days. I’ll see if we can come up with a creative way.
This is very like the “bakers cheese” that my Gran used to make. She used it it peleminis. Once made put them in boiling water, when they rose to the top drain & eat them covered in butter. Not the healthiest, but the yummiest. I have a lot of trouble buying this cheese, so thank you for this receipe!!!
You are welcome Jill, I hope you’ll give it a try 😀.
Cant wait to try your mom’s recipe. I love homemade farmer’s cheese! I usually use organic buttermilk and sour cream. Do you think plain yogurt will do? I use homemade farmer’s cheese for zapekanka with raisins!
I haven’t tried it with plain yogurt but I do think it would work to create the cheese. I would recommend a full fat plain yogurt if using. If you try it, let me know what you think 🙂
Hi Cher,
I use plain yogurt (e.g., Trader Joe’s organic European-style yogurt) and the cheese I make tastes great. Good luck!
You said it has a similar texture to ricotta, so do you think you could use it in lasagne? Does it melt? Also, how long will it keep?
Hi Laura, to be honest I haven’t tried it in lasagna. It doesn’t really melt like cottage cheese does. If you test it out, let me know how you liked it in lasagna. I think it’s worth an experiment but keep in mind it is a little dryer than ricotta so you may need slightly more milk in the cheese mixture if using for lasagna.
Have you tried twarog using 1 gal milk, 1/2 gal buttermilk and 2 T vinigar, Takes about half hour then pour the curds in a cheesecloth and let drip
Hi Jakub, I’ve heard of similar quick cheeses but have found they don’t taste quite as good as the slow process, but it’s great to know there is a quick option if you need the cheese but don’t have time to wait. Thanks!
I will give yours a try have plenty of time.
What the difference from the yogurt and buttermilk in this cheese.?you have two recipes but only that one ingredient different. Thanks
The one with Greek yogurt has a richer consistency as there is more fat from the Greek yogurt and it also has more protein. The consistency also seems a little smoother. They are very close and the other one with buttermilk makes great cheese also.
Oh I love this post, Natasha! Fresh cheese is the best. Such an ingenious method to weigh the tvorog down too, so much better than finding a plate that is the right size, then weighing it down! I am always afraid a plate would crack!
Thank you Julia! I do like this no fuss method to get the water out. It always turns out just right after standing overnight and is never too dry or too wet.
Hi natasha. why I did not find the recipe brownies to your web. Do you rarely make brownies ?
My husband isn’t a big brownie fan so I never make them :). One of these days I’ll post one – you aren’t the first to request brownies and I do like them myself, particularly with a big ‘ol scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Hi what is the difference between these cheeses and is it like cream cheese or cottage cheese?thanks
Hi Lisa, Farmer’s cheese is more like cottage cheese minus the extra liquid and the texture is more ricotta like rather than having the curds like cottage cheese does. I’d say the flavor is closest to cottage cheese. It is used in many Russian and Ukrainian recipes and is a staple ingredient among Slavic people. In recipes that call for Farmers cheese, it is not recommended to substitute with anything else because there really is nothing quite like the real deal 🙂
My Polish Babci used farmer’s cheese in pierogi and in a delicious mouth watering cheesecake she called “placek.” How I wish I could taste them again!