What is Kefir cheese? It is basically cream cheese but with all of the benefits of kefir. Making kefir cheese is the same as making yogurt cheese and whey and is really quite simple. You just need the right tools. I make this once a week because we are making so much kefir and I need to do something with it other than make smoothies. This kefir cheese can be used as a substitute for cream cheese in any recipe and will give you great probiotics vs. cream cheese which doesn’t have any.
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk kefir (or you can use whole milk yogurt instead)
Tools needed: metal or plastic strainer, bowl, cheesecloth
Directions
Set the strainer on top of a bowl and line with the cheesecloth. Pour in the kefir or yogurt and cover with the cheesecloth (it will get wet so put it in the bowl vs. hanging over the sides). Place the whole thing in the refrigerator and let it strain overnight or up to 24 hours.
Remove the ‘cream’ cheese from the cheesecloth and store in the fridge. The whey will drip through the strainer and land in the bowl below. Save the whey in the fridge as well for lacto-fermenting projects.
Eat the cream cheese plain or mix with whatever you like to add a little zip.
This week we blended in 1 cup of fresh strawberries and it was a huge hit. I think you could even use this as a ‘frosting’ as it was a lovely shade of pink which of course my 3 year old daughter loved!
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Hi Lindsey, Great blog and so exciting for you!
I also love to use the cream for face soap. It’s a special treat!
All the best,
Jodi
A while back I attempted making this and it came out SOOO tart. My husband(the adventurous eater) wouldn’t even eat it. Suggestions?
It is pretty sour. The strawberry version covers up the sourness!
I found that when I use kefir made from cream and only let the kefir ferment for 36 hours it is less tart. Milk is tart and longer fermentation makes the kefir more sour.
I make kefir cheese too. What a nice idea about the strawberries!
the honey &/or fruit helps with sourness, but I also found that over the past year or two, our slow reduction of sugar has changed our taste buds & my kids are happier with less sweet. Try it in small increments 🙂
My son loves it with banana:)
hi,so i been making kefir for some time iv found i love pitted dates, blend in about 8 stoneless dates to 1 pint of kefir and a few drops of vanilla,
if making cheese kefir, i strain threw cloth and i even drink the whey after,
i was wondering if this is a good or bad idea?
the cottage cheese i chop some red onion garlic and Rosemary and mix it all together with black n white pepper, good for a week