Yogurt cheese

I've made yogurt in the crock pot with wonderful results and thought it would be great to use our stash of raw milk to make some yogurt cheese!

The process is so simple and the results taste fantastic
(not to mention so good for you!)

You can follow this very easy guide for making yogurt in the crock pot.
All you'll need is 8 cups of raw milk and some plain organic yogurt to use as a starter.

One change I make to her recipe is that I use one whole cup of yogurt as my starter instead of 1/2 cup. It seems to make a thicker yogurt, but your taste may vary.
After letting the crock sit for 8 hours (longer for more tart yogurt) spoon it into a cheesecloth lined bowl. Use several layers of cheesecloth so it all doesn't ooze out!

Pick up the ends of the cheesecloth and squeeze......alot!
Get as much of the liquid out as you can. You can even tie the ends around your kitchen sink faucet and let gravity drain your cheese. Then set your bundle in a strainer elevated above a bowl and put the whole thing in the fridge overnight to continue draining.

Save the whey you get!
You can use it to soak beans and grains and add to lactofermented vegetables to reduce the amount of salt. You can even use it to make your own ketchup!
It is so full of beneficial bacteria and proteins.

The next morning unwrap your cheese:

I know! Gorgeous, right?
You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to ten days.
I scooped off a bit and mixed with sea salt and garlic chives.
The kiddos had theirs mixed with raw honey.
Even plain it's delicious!