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
*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. 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 Facts
Farmers Cheese with Greek Yogurt (Tvorog)
Amount per Serving
Calories
323
% Daily Value*
Fat
14
g
22
%
Saturated Fat
8
g
50
%
Trans Fat
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.5
g
Monounsaturated Fat
3
g
Cholesterol
57
mg
19
%
Sodium
202
mg
9
%
Potassium
792
mg
23
%
Carbohydrates
24
g
8
%
Sugar
24
g
27
%
Protein
25
g
50
%
Vitamin A
695
IU
14
%
Vitamin C
0.02
mg
0
%
Calcium
643
mg
64
%
Iron
0.1
mg
1
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.