Home Made Cream Cheese

This is fun to make, quick and surprisingly tasty !! It only takes 3 ingredients and makes almost 5 1/2 ounces of cream cheese.

Ingredients

• 4 cups WHOLE milk
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (see note below)
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt (OR) 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

Instructions

1. Use a heavy saucepan (so it doesn't scorch), heat the milk (stirring constantly) until it comes to a boil.
2. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium (keep stirring) and add the lemon juice one tablespoon at a time...........waiting one minute between each addition (important, keep stirring). (see note below about amount of lemon juice.
3. Fairly quickly (less than a minute) the milk will start to curdle and the curds will float, leaving a fairly clear, faint green liquid under the curds.  

Pour everything through a strainer that is lined with cheesecloth. Let it stain and cool for about 20 minutes. The strained curds will look like this:

After the curds have drained and cooled, put them in a food processor and process for about 3 minutes, or until very smooth.  Add the salt and process for another 15 (or so) seconds. 

Cover tightly and chill.

This recipe makes almost 5 1/2 ounces 

of cream cheese

Note about the lemon juice: 

• With the WHOLE MILK that I use, it only takes 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to get perfect curds, but you might need that 3rd tablespoons with a different brand of milk (just have that 3rd tablespoon ready, just in case).
• There is no lemon flavor in this finished cream cheese. If you are going to add herbs or other flavors, add them before you chill the cheese.

ENJOY !!!