Easy Farmer's Cheese Recipe - Momsdish

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Try your hand at this classic Slavic homemade farmers cheese (tvorog) using milk, lemon juice, and vinegar. It’s a great way to use up extra milk in a variety of dishes.

Back in Ukraine where I was born and grew up, my family and I lived on a small farm. We had a large garden and two dairy cows that supplied us with so much fresh food. With the cows, we had an incredible amount of milk (daily milking from two cows was a lot!), so my mom made this farmers cheese (aka “tvorog”) from the extra milk on a weekly basis. She used the cheese in a variety of dishes ranging from dinner entrees to desserts, and to this day, I love doing the same (even though I don’t have the luxury of having dairy cows in my subdivision Tennessee home, as fun as that would be!).

Once you try this recipe for homemade farmer’s cheese, you can guarantee you will never want to buy a store-bought or packaged variety again. I may be biased, but I think my mom’s recipe for farmer’s cheese (or tvorog) is the perfect combination of texture and tang. Plus, you’ll love how it takes virtually no time and energy to get those quintessential curdles!

More cheese, please! Farmer’s cheese wasn’t the only thing my mom made with our extra milk. Try this homemade cheese if you want a versatile, creamy, slightly firm cheese!

What Exactly is Farmers Cheese?

Farmer’s cheese is an unripened cheese and key ingredient in many Eastern European cakes, pastries, and dumplings. It is similar in texture to cottage cheese, but with a slightly more acidic taste. In general, it can be made with sheep, goat, and/or cow’s milk and prepared with a zillion different methods, but I personally like my mom’s cow milk version the best.

In this three ingredient version, I use a natural curdling process powered by simple pantry ingredients like lemon juice and vinegar and nix the need for hard-to-find ingredients like rennet (a set of enzymes used for cheesemaking).

Farmer’s Cheese Video

How to Make Farmer’s Cheese from Scratch

Preparing this simplified recipe for farmer’s cheese only requires milk, lemon juice, and white vinegar. It’s that simple!

• Simmer the milk: In a large pot, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Stir it every so often so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn. Once it just begins to simmer, turn off the heat.
• Stir in the acids: With a spatula or slotted spoon, stir in the lemon juice and vinegar. After about five minutes, the milk will begin to curdle.
• Strain the milk: Line a colander or fine-mesh strainer with a cheesecloth and pour the milk through. Lift up the cheesecloth and twist the top like a purse. Drain out as much of the whey (liquid) as possible (it is okay to wait a little until the whey isn’t so hot!)
• Press the cheese: Place the drained cheese on a plate and weigh it down with a heavy pot or pan (a Dutch oven works great). Leave it pressed at room temperature overnight.
• Store the cheese: Transfer the cheese to an airtight container and store or use as needed.

Hot tip: If your milk is right on the cusp of expiring or is starting to taste a smidge too sour to drink, use it up with this recipe! We love not wasting food!

Top Tips for the Most Authentic Farmer’s Cheese

My family has made this recipe for decades and we’ve shared it with so many people over that time. Here are some tips we share with our friends to make sure they make the best farmers cheese each attempt, too!

• Opt for full-fat whole milk: Whole milk yields the creamiest curds. Avoid using 2% or 1% or the cheese will be too watery.
• Check the milk’s temperature: The milk should reach about 205°F (just beginning to simmer) before you remove it from heat. To take the guesswork out, use a candy thermometer to check on it periodically.
• Add in different spices and herbs (optional): If you want a pop of savory flavor, add in freshly cracked salt and pepper, sautéed onions, and/or herbs to the final product. Flavored farmers cheese goes wonderfully spread on a slice of toasted rye or sourdough!
• Use a cheesecloth or towel: Traditionally, we always used a cheesecloth or this towel to strain the liquid from the curdles, but a thin cotton towel works well, too!

Ways to Use Homemade Farmers Cheese

Farmer’s cheese might be one of the most commonly used cheeses in Slavic households. While there are a handful of traditional Slavic recipes that call for farmer’s cheese, there are also plenty of off-the-beaten-path ways to tap into its mild flavor. Here are some of my favorite ways to use homemade farmer’s cheese.

• Farmer’s Cheese Coffee Cake Recipe
• ​Pierogi with Farmer’s Cheese (Vareniki Recipe)
• Farmer’s Cheese Cake aka Zapekanka
• Nalysnyky (Ukrainian sweet cheese crepes)
• Substituted instead of ricotta cheese in stuffed shells
• In Mediterranean recipes in place of feta cheese
• In Indian dishes and curries instead of paneer
• Spread thickly on a piece of toast with honey or jam (a great breakfast!)

Hot tip: This recipe makes about 1.5 pounds (or 2-3 cups) of farmer’s cheese. If you need more for another recipe, make sure to double (or triple) this recipe first!

Storing Tips

To keep your cheese fresh for up to 10 days, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This keeps it from hardening or soaking up any lingering smells hanging out in your fridge.

More Tasty Farmer’s Cheese Recipes

• Farmer’s Cheese Doughnut Holes (Russian Ponchiki) – Crispy fried doughnut holes with farmer’s cheese filling
• Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns – Soft buns stuffed with sweet cheese and raisins
• Puff Pastry Cheese Turnovers – Sweet cheese mini-turnovers
• Sochniki (Sweet Cheese Cookies) – Shortbread cookies with a sweet cheese filling

Recipe

Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin Try your hand at this classic Slavic homemade farmer's cheese (tvorog) using only milk, lemon juice, and vinegar. It's great on it's own or in a variety of dishes.

Ingredients

• 6 qts whole milk
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp white vinegar

US Units – Metric

Instructions

• In a large pot, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Make sure to stir it occasionally so it doesn't stick or burn to the bottom.
• As soon as the milk begins to simmer, turn off the heat. Using a spatula or slotted spoon, stir in the lemon juice and white vinegar. Within 5 minutes, the milk should begin to curdle.
• Line a colander with a cheesecloth and pour the milk through to strain out the curdles.
• Bundle the cloth around the cheese like a coin purse and bring out as much of the whey as you can.
• Place the wrapped cheese on a plate and weigh it down with a heavy pot or pan. Leave it to press overnight.
• Keep the farmer's cheese stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use it in your favorite recipes and baked goods. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts Farmer's Cheese aka Tvorog Recipe Amount Per Serving Calories 1726 Calories from Fat 819 % Daily Value* Fat 91g140%Saturated Fat 53g265%Polyunsaturated Fat 3gMonounsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 341mg114%Sodium 1080mg45%Potassium 4353mg124%Carbohydrates 139g46%Fiber 0.3g1%Sugar 139g154%Protein 93g186% Vitamin A 4605IU92%Vitamin C 35mg42%Calcium 3498mg350%Iron 0.1mg1% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.