How to Make Fromage Blanc

Fromage Blanc is a soft and creamy spreadable cheese traditionally made from cow’s milk. This French-style cheese is a bit thicker, but has a milder flavor than yogurt. It is a great cheese to spread on crackers and bread. It also makes an exceptional dip for fruits and vegetables. Fromage Blanc is also popularly served as dessert cheese. As a kind of fresh cheese, Fromage Blanc is an easy cheese to make and a great cheese for beginners in cheese making.

Yield: 900 g Fromage Blanc cheese

Aging Time: none

Ingredients

1. 3.7 L raw or pasteurized cow’s milk (do not use ultra pasteurized milk)

2. 1/8 teaspoon Flora Danica or Danisco MA 4001 Mesophilic Culture

3. 4 drops liquid animal rennet (dissolve in ¼ cup cool water)

4. Salt

5. Herbs and spices (optional)

Equipment

1. Large stainless pot

2. Thermometer

3. Spoon or ladle

4. Colander

5. Cheese cloth or butter muslin

Instructions

Reminder: Sterilize all your equipment before making cheese.

1. Heat the milk to 23.9⁰ C.

2. Remove the milk from the heat. Sprinkle the mesophilic starter culture on the surface of the milk.

3. Let the starter culture rehydrate for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Stir in an up and down motion to mix the culture into the milk for a minute.

5. Add the rennet. Gently stir the mixture in an up and down stroke for a minute.

6. Cover the pot and let the milk set for 16 hours at 22⁰ C. This is the usual room temperature; but if your kitchen has a cooler temperature, keep the pot covered with towels to keep the milk warm.

7. After 16 hours, the cheese should seem solid if tipped, but is still relatively soft. A mostly clear liquid, the whey, should separate from the curd.

8. Put the colander in a bowl and line it with cheesecloth. Gently ladle the curds into the colander.

9. Pull up the ends of the cheesecloth and tie it into a knot.

10. Hang the cheesecloth with the fromage Blanc over a bowl to drain the whey.

11. Allow the cheese to drain for 6 to 12 hours until you reach the desired consistency. When left with a bit more moisture, you’ll achieve a texture similar to sour cream or thick yogurt. When drained, the fromage Blanc will have the consistency similar to cream cheese.

12. Salt the cheese to taste. Mix your preferred fresh or dried herbs. You can also mold the fromage Blanc or roll it in with herbs.

13. Store the fromage Blanc in the fridge. Consume within a week.

How to Enjoy Fromage Blanc

1. Serve as dessert.

2. Use as a dip.

3. Use as a spread on bread, crackers, bagel or toast.

4. Use as a replacement for cream cheese, mascarpone, ricotta or sour cream.