Tvorog (more known as cottage cheese or quark) is a very popular Russian soft cheese. It's very easy to make at home by warming soured milk until it curds and separates from whey, and then straining it.
There are many techniques for preparing tvorog (cottage cheese) at home: some use lemon juice, vinegar, or enzyme (rennet). Unfortunately, these methods don't contain beneficial live probiotic bacteria. Using kefir grains as a starter culture in the fermentation process brings good-for-you probiotics to the final product.
Another thing I love about making tvorog at home is that I get to keep all the delicious whey which I can use in homemade baked goodies (pancakes, muffins, crepes, etc).
Please note using low-fat milk will result in firmer curds and slightly higher output in comparison with the standard milk.
Cottage cheese (tvorog) can be eaten as it is. Add it to smoothies for a protein boost, use it in desserts or the recipes instead of feta or ricotta. It also makes a nutritious snack with the sour cream or kefir with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey on top. Your digestive system will enjoy this combination!
Author:
Healthy Snacks NZ
Ingredients
2L milk, blue top
Kefir grains
Directions
Pour milk in a pot and warm it up slightly to around 25-30C.
Take the pouch with kefir grains and add it to the pot with milk. Mix it up with the spoon. NOTE: A couple of spoons of kefir added to the milk will help to speed up the fermentation.
Cover pot loosely with the lid or a muslin cloth to allow oxygen access. Put it in the warm place to ferment for around 12-24 hours.
The curd is ready when it firmes up and easily separates from the wall of the pot.
Mix the mixture with the spatula and place the pot on low heat on a stove for around 15 minutes.
Stir the curd gently with the spoon every so often. The curd will separate from whey and will be easy to strain.
Take the pot off the stove and using a large slotted ladle or a sieve separate the curd from the whey.
Put it in the fridge for around 4-8 hours to cool down.
Recipe Note
If you prefer a softer cottage cheese (tvorog), scoop an extra whey in the container with the curd. The less whey you leave in the container the firmer the end product becomes.
Keep cottage cheese (tvorog) in an airtight container in a fridge. It can be stored for up to two weeks.
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