Luxurious Living: Homemade Yogurt and Fresh Cheese

Home made fresh cheese and yogurt. Photo by Matilda

We never realized that we would meet more cattle than cars on the dirt road to any of our closest towns! This is one of many luxuries we enjoy that we never imagined or consciously asked for when we decided to swop city life for living in deep country. To others this may sound trivial, but it forms part of a greater whole which is altogether as wholesome and soulsome as freshly baked bread with butter.

We cannot get over the wonderful views from most any window, the quiet, the incredible night sky, the friendly neighbours, the lush growth, fresh air, sunsets, seasonal color scapes, bird life and unhurried tempo.

To then also have the advantage of stepping out any morning, walking down to the milk shed and returning with a jug frothing with warm-from-the-udder cow's  milk, feels like a true luxury, especially since we don't need to keep our own cows, but freely share in the bounty of our benevolent landlord.

With many cattle grazing around our homestead, we also have access to kraal manure to enrich the soil of our vegetable patch, again free of charge and more than we can ever use.

All of this is highly inspiring to my creatively wired brain. I simply cannot let the milk go to waste! It has become routine to make my own yogurt and fresh cheese which lasts a while longer than the fresh and unpasteurized milk.

And because it is so delightfully simple, I share the recipes without further ado.

Start with the yogurt, as this also forms the base for the fresh cheese.

Homemade Yogurt
Warm 1 liter of milk in an adequate saucepan on a stove top until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat and set it aside until it reaches a temperature of around 42 degrees Celsius. I use my meat thermometer but if you dip a clean finger into the milk and it feels slightly warm to the touch, you are close enough to the right temperature to carry on with the next step.

Whisk in well 50 ml of yogurt, from a previous batch or shop bought. Just be sure to check that it lists live cultures as one of the ingredients on the tub, otherwise you will end up, not with yogurt, but plain soured milk!

Pour the mixture into a thermos flask and set it aside for at least eight hours or overnight. Whisk through well and pour into clean glass jars. If it seems a little runny, leave it in the flask  for a while longer, but it should set nicely once chilled. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Homemade Fresh Cheese
Add 2,5 ml of salt to 500 ml of homemade yogurt (above) and mix in well. Line a sieve with a clean square of muslin and set it over a large bowl. Poor the yogurt into the lined sieve and set aside to drain for a couple of hours. I usually gather the muslin to form a bag if it still seems very runny and press out as much liquid as I can. The dogs love the whey that drains from the yogurt and we are left with a bowl full of lovely creamy fresh cheese. Wash the muslin well for usage next time making sure no soap suds remain!The cheese needs to be consumed within 4 days and also kept refrigerated.

Shop bought fare cannot hold a candle to the homemade version. And as for creative satisfaction? It is guaranteed.

Matilda