It usually has much lower fat content than cream cheeses and has no salt added. It is also distinct from ricotta because ricotta is made from scalded whey. It is a soft un-aged cheese and is not the same thing as cream cheese or cottage cheese. It is a mild creamy cheese without the sour taste of yogurt. Quark is a fresh cheese of European origin. Better yet, make it right in your kitchen. Little known of in the US but becoming popular as its availability increases here. But no, this Quark is a very common cheese in Europe and especially Germany. Spock would have been familiar with on his home planet or perhaps something out of my physics class. The name sounds like something from outer space or someone Dr. As in all good things, the best Quark for you is what you like. Take good notes on times and temp the first few times you do it and if the coagulation or acid is slow in developing then then keep the batch a bit warmer and/or allow it to sit longer.įor a sweeter Quark: lower temperature and shorter time will be your control.įor a less firm Quark: use less rennet. This is allows you to make your Quark just the way you like it.
Tasting the curd that has formed for the right amount of acid. Inserting the knife blade flat at a 45 degree angle into the curd and lifting up gently, watching for that nice clean break as shown in photo below. Watching for a thin layer of whey to form on the surface and the curd pulling away from the sides. Again, options that allow you to make the cheese that suits your taste. The actual amount of time may be largely dependent on your milk you use and how firm you want your final Quark. The temperature should be allowed to slowly drop to 68-71F during this time. The milk now needs to sit covered and quiet for 12 to 24 hours while the culture works to produce acid and coagulation of the curd. See the details on adding rennet in the culture options above. You could also use our C101 Mesophilic culture but it is a much less complex culture and would not have the flavor/texture benefit of the cultures listed above and only 1/2 pack should be used for the 1 gallon of milk.Īdd rennet if needed: Many of the suggested culture packs already contain powdered rennet but if using C21 Buttermilk Culture or C11 Flora Danica, add 1-3 drops of single strength liquid rennet, if you like a firmer Quark.
Or our C11 Flora Danica which comes in a much larger pack and can be used at the rate of 1/8tsp per gallon of milk. If you would like a very soft creamy Quark, use our C21 Buttermilk culture, which has no added rennet, These are especially good for very fresh farm milk or one pasteurized at a lower temperature. These 2 cultures contain no rennet but you can add your own using 1-3 drops per gallon of our liquid rennet (the tablet rennet can not be used here)
If you would like a more open texture, the following cultures include all of the above strains plus the culture m.s.cremoris, that produces a small amount of CO2.
Our German customers have told us that when they are making their quark they use the C20 (Fromage Blanc) with skimmed milk and to them it is quite authentic to the cheese they remember. If you would like a culture with a little less rennet included, for a less firm curd, use our C33 Creme Fraiche. S.lactis diacetylactis for a buttery flavor additionįor use with a store bought milk that has been pasteurized at higher temps and stored cold, or if you find that your curd is too weak, we suggest using our C20G Chevre, or C20 Fromage Blanc, cultures which contains their own powdered rennet. To show how diverse home cheese making can be, I am going to lay out a range of cultures you can use, depending on the milk you are using and what you really prefer to make.įor Quark, you will be best off using one of our more complex mesophilic cultures which contain the following bacteria: