NW Ferments Cream Cheese Direct-Set, Culture Starter

Description: Cream Cheese Culture – Easy to make – great for dips and spreads! Each box contains 4 individual packets (includes rennet) Cultures at room temperature. Store in freezer NW Ferments provides quality starter cultures for home production. Our goal is to enable people to improve their own health while saving them money. By making our own healthy foods, we help ourselves as well as our planet. While we are from the Pacific NW, we know that we have many kindred spirits worldwide. For troubleshooting questions please reach out to NW Ferments at info@nwferments.com or by phone at 844-558-2752. Summary: Cream Cheese Culture – Easy to make – great for dips and spreads! Directions: You will need: stainless steel pot with lid (no aluminum), non-aluminum spoon, thermometer, butter muslin, tight-weave dish towel, or yogurt bag, colander, bowl, raw or pasteurized cream or whole milk, or a mix of both (avoid ultra-pasteurized or UHT), 1 packet Cream Cheese starter culture (store remaining packets in freezer for future use), non-iodized salt. Directions: Slowly heat (on low)1-4 quarts of milk or cream to 86 degrees F. (heat the milk no faster than 1 degree per minute- this can take 30-40 minutes for a gallon). Remove from heat. Add one packet of Cream Cheese starter and mix thoroughly, using an up-and-down motion rather than a stirring motion. Mix no longer than 15 seconds. Place the lid on the pot and allow to culture in a warm spot, 72 to 77 degrees F, for 12 hours. The Cream Cheese should be set after 12 hours. There may be some separation of the whey-this is normal. Place the colander in a bowl & line the colander with a double layer of butter muslin or dish towel. Spoon the cheese curds into the colander, gather up the corners of the cloth, and tie them together to make a bag (a yogurt bag can also be used). Hang the Cream Cheese- filled bag over a bowl to drain the whey for 6-12 hours (the whey can be reserved for other uses). Knead salt into the Cream Cheese, flavoring it to your taste. Store your finished Cream Cheese in a closed container in the refrigerator for about a week. If freezing, remove as much whey as possible and salt well first. Now it’s time to Get Fermented! Ingredients: sucrose, maltodextrins, lactic bacteria, vegetable rennet. Made in a facility that also processes wheat, soy and milk products.