Soft cheeses are a great beginner project for any backyard homestead kitchen. But which cheese do you use? Here’s the difference between farmer’s cheese and cream cheese.
As I bit into a homemade sourdough blueberry bagel with homemade cream cheese honey spread, I wondered if I could make my cream cheese.
I locally sourced the honey. I can grind the flour myself. Can I make the cream cheese myself?
I started researching how to make soft cheese at home and stumbled upon farmer’s cheese, a spreadable soft cheese made from curdled skim milk. By all appearances, this was a great place to start!
The fluffy, but plain, cheese was incredibly adaptable and perfect for a variety of applications. But I was missing the tanginess from the traditional cream cheese.
Was there a difference? Was farmer’s cheese the homemade version of cream cheese?
Turns out, there is a difference! Let’s take a look and better understand what we’re making in the kitchen.
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What is the Main Difference Between Cream Cheese and Farmer’s Cheese?
The main difference between cream cheese and farmer’s cheese is the milk you use. Cream cheese is made with heavy cream, usually included in whole milk. Farmer’s cheese can be made with skim milk, or the cream removed.
While farmer’s cheese can be made with skim milk, some say they prefer to make it with whole milk to keep flavor in the finished product.
How to Make Cream Cheese
In a saucepan, heat whole milk. When the milk has come to temperature, stir in an acid. I prefer to use lime juice, but you can also use lemon juice or white vinegar.
Stir until the curds separate from the whey. This is curdling the milk.
Line a fine sieve with cheesecloth and strain the curds from the whey (you can save the leftover whey and use it for other applications!)
Transfer the curds to a blender and blend until very smooth. Consider adding lemon juice, lime juice, or milk to make the consistency even smoother.
Transfer your cream cheese to an air-tight storage container and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy on your morning bagel, crackers, muffins, or other baked goods.
How to Make Farmer’s Cheese
Farmer’s cheese is made very similar to cream cheese, but you can use skim milk (milk with the cream removed).
I have a full tutorial for how to make farmer’s cheese in this blog post!
Farmer’s cheese tends to have a crumbly texture. Because of that, I’ve made a few whipped recipes to spread on things like waffles and crackers. I use a food processor to whip the farmer’s cheese and find that that’s how I have the best end product.
Try your hand at making a savory, garlic and herb whipped spread for crackers. Or if you’re a pumpkin lover like I am, try my whipped pumpkin spice farmer’s cheese!
Farmer’s cheese tends to have a lower moisture content than other cheeses because you strain the whey from the curds and you don’t reintroduce moisture. In cream cheese, you may need moisture to make a creamy, blended product. In cottage cheese, you mix milk back into the curds to loosen up the end product.
Farmer’s cheese can be subbed in for cottage cheese and can also be used in place of ricotta cheese.
Left to right: Garlic and herb whipped farmer’s cheese and pumpkin spice whipped farmer’s cheese.
Other Hacks for Homemade Cheese
Homemade cheese is so versatile. Not only can you choose the acid you use, but you can choose the type of milk you use.
Both cream cheese and farmer’s cheese can be made with sheep milk or goat milk.
If you want to create an appetizer for a dinner party or a snack for your family, you can easily make a variety of spreadable cheeses with different herbs.
Because other soft cheeses don’t require rennet, you can also make things like paneer or fromage blanc. We have already talked about how you can make cream cheese, farmer’s cheese, ricotta, and cottage cheese.
In my experience, homemade cheeses are the perfect substitute for store-bought cheeses in all kinds of recipes. However, homemade cheese doesn’t have stabilizers or thickeners like store-bought cheeses do.
That means you can easily make things like cheesecake with your homemade cream cheese!
And when you avoid all of those added ingredients, you can rely on the added health benefits that come with from-scratch, low-ingredient foods. Just remember – use these homemade cheeses within a week or so so they don’t spoil!
What other applications can you use homemade cheese in? If you have some sweet recipes or recipes for savory dishes, comment on this blog post and let me know!
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What About Rennet Cheeses?
Rennet is a collection of enzymes that separates curds and whey. But unlike plain acid and heated milk, the rennet helps the milk form a solid curd.
Rennet cheeses are mozzarella, blue cheese, brie, and parmesan.
I use rennet cheeses in almost all of my favorite dishes. However, because I haven’t mastered working with rennet, I purchase them from local farmers or from the grocery store.
Can I Find Homemade Cheese at the Farmer’s Market?
In my state, raw dairy and homemade dairy products are not available for purchase at farmer’s markets. Your state may be different!
I touched on how to find a farmer in your area and other raw milk facts, in this blog post.
Sweet Recipes and Savory Dishes for Homemade Cheese
A quick online search will show you how you can use any of these homemade cheeses in a variety of ways.
You can find things like curry with paneer cheese, fluffy pancakes with ricotta cheese, frosting with cream cheese, and pasta with farmer’s cheese.
Remember to check out my whipped farmer’s cheese recipes! I have a savory version and a sweet version.
For even more rustic recipes and backyard homesteading inspiration, follow me on Pinterest!
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