Growing Chefs! Ontario Queso Fresco

Queso Fresco

Queso fresco is one of the most approachable fresh cheeses to make and can be formed and pressed or served immediately after as the curd.
Difficulty
Intermediate
Yield
2 Cups
Ingredients
8 cups homogenized milk1/3 cup lemon juice1 teaspoon kosher salt
Equipment
thermometermeasuring spoonsmeasuring cupsmixing bowls of various sizeswooden spoonlarge potcheese clothstrainertasting spoonsdish towel

Get Organized!

Gather your mise en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather your ingredients.

Get Prepped!

Line strainer with 3 layers of cheesecloth and place over a bowl.
Measure all ingredients carefully.

Get Cooking!

Add your milk to a large pot and begin to heat over medium heat until it reaches 170°F, stirring often.
Add the lemon juice 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly but gently. You should begin to see the curd separate from the whey as the milk curdles”.
Continue adding the lemon juice until you see this curd separate. Stop adding once it is clearly suspended in a translucent liquid or whey”.
Let sit uncovered for 10 – 15 minutes as it continues to separate.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer curds into the strainer lined with cheesecloth. Do not try to pour the entire mixture through the strainer.
Allow to drain for 15 – 20 minutes, covered with saran wrap.
Gently stir in salt to taste.
If you’d like to press the queso fresco, gather the curds into a ball once drained and press them into a hockey puck shape. Use the cheesecloth to wrap them tightly. Place a weight on top of it in the strainer and let sit until it is pressed to the desired consistency, up to an hour.