Homemade Crowdie

:A soft, unripened cheese traditionally made by Scottish crofters. Delicious on oatcakes, bannocks, scones and sandwiches.

Yield: Approx. 1 Cup

Whole Milk - 1 Quart
White Vinegar - 2 Tble
Salt - ½ tsp
Whipping Cream - 1 to 2 tsp (optional)

Heat milk in a large, non-reactive saucepan (do not use aluminum) over medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent milk from scorching.

Continue to heat until milk simmers and foams (195° F on an instant-read thermometer), about 20 minutes. Do not allow milk to boil. Remove pan from heat and drizzle in vinegar. Stir gently, once, then allow to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.

Check to ensure that milk has curdled, meaning that the white curds have separated from the translucent whey. If not, stir in another tablespoon of vinegar and wait another 5 minutes. Once the curds and whey have separated, allow pot to sit undisturbed for 30 minutes.

Line a colander with muslin or 4 layers of cheesecloth. Ladle curds into colander, and drain until the crowdie is like a wet cottage cheese, about 30 minutes. To speed up the draining, use a rubber spatula to gently fold the curds over each other occasionally. Do not press down on curds.

Gather corners of cloth together, and tie around a wooden spoon handle or sink faucet. Hang cheese 30 minutes. Twist bag gently once or twice to expel the last of whey.

Scrape into a bowl and stir in salt and optional whipping cream. Store covered, in refrigerator, for up to 5 days.

Serve with oatcakes or crackers, spread on sandwiches, bake into a cheesecake, or use it as a filling for pasta with a bit of crumbled bacon.

Ith do leòr! (Eat Plenty)

Notes:

Using unpasteurized (raw) milk will result in a greater yield.
No vinegar? Substitute 2 Tble of fresh lemon (or lime) juice.
No cheesecloth or muslin? Clean cotton/linen dishcloths or t-shirts work well, as does a coffee filter. I rotate through a set of ancient, but almost unused, avocado green linen napkins that I bought from my local thrift store for 10 cents each.
Use the cooled whey to make bread, in smoothies, feed it to the chickens and pigs, or at the very least, pour it into your compost.
My crowdie was creamy and wonderful without adding the cream. Although the traditional finish to crowdie, I’ve made it optional.