Fromage Blanc Recipe

Fromage Blanc is a wonderfully creamy cheese that may be used in place of cream cheese in any recipe. I love to use this in both Couer a la Creme and Cheesecake. It has a smooth consistency and only takes a few minutes of work to make it. I like to make this cheese at night and drain it first thing in the morning. This way it is ready to use for my guests when they arrive for lunch or dinner.

You may use from 1 to 4 quarts of milk depending on how much cheese you wish to make each quart of milk will produce about 10 ounces of cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon of whole pasteurized milk
• 1 package of Fromage Blanc Starter Culture

Recipe

1. Heat your milk on the stove to 86 degrees F. and add the starter. Fromage Blanc Culture to the milk. Stir thoroughly. Cover and allow the milk to set at app. 72 degrees F. for 8-12 hours or until the milk has set into a thick custard-like mass which is called the curd.
2. When the cheese has set into a solid curd, ladle it into a fine cheesecloth lined colander. If no ladle is available, gently spoon the curd into the cloth lined colander. Take two corners of the cloth in each hand and tie them in a knot. Hang the bag of up from this knot over the sink or a bowl. (a bungie cord on a hook is a great hanger for this) Allow the curds to drain for 4-6 hours or until the desired consistency is reached. Consistency will range from a cheese spread to a cream cheese. The bag of cheesecloth may have to be scraped on the inside with a spoon every now and then to assist with drainage as the pores of the cloth may become clogged.
3. Once the cheese is properly drained, it is placed in a bowl. Salt and herbs may be added to taste. The cheese is then refrigerated until ready for use. It will keep up to two weeks under refrigeration. If desired, the fresh cheese may be frozen. If freezing-first thaw the cheese out and then add salt and herbs to taste, as salt will lower the freezing temperature and the cheese will not keep as long.

Here is a variation on the theme from a customer who once lived in France. 
Hello, I was an exchange student many years ago in France when I first came across Fromage Blanc. It was served to me as a desert sweetened with either sugar or confiture, fresh fruit preserves. I fell in love with this delicious dish. It has been over 8 years since I have been to France. I have never forgotten Fromage Blanc. 
This past summer I had the opportunity to visit the family I spent nearly 2 years living with in the tiny countryside village of Etrochon St. Romans Les Melle 4 hours south west of Paris. 

While there I once again found my favorite desert, Le Fromage Blanc. When I returned home from my visit, I vowed to find away to enjoy this delicious treat here in the states. I was so discouraged that it just did not exist. Plain yogurt just did not cut it for me, it was not the same. I came across an article online that explained how yes indeed, Fromage Blanc could be made in the home with ingredients found here in the states. 

I was ecstatic. I came across your website and immediately ordered the key ingredient, the rennet & starter bacteria mixture used to create this delicacy! 
As silly as this sounds, cheese can create so much excitement for one person, I was elated with my very own creation made by myself! I have since made at least 1 batch a week and my friends now call me the web designer and computer builder who makes cheese for fun.

I have attached a slight variation to your recipe. Your recipe was great, but just not quite the same as what I was used to. Different regions of France produce different types of fromage blanc. For a dessert, this recipe below works great. This week I had my friends from France visiting me and in spite of their skepticism, when they tasted it, could not believe how authentic it was! So I have attached my recipe for you folks if you would like to include it as a variation for those who love these treat as a dessert. 

Thank you for bringing my beloved country of France where I spent 2 years of my life home to the States.

Sincerely, James B. Ryer

Dessert Style Fromage Blanc Recipe

As found in the region of Poitou Charentes France

1. Heat 1 gal. pasteurized milk to 74-86 degrees F. Add and mix 1 packet of Fromage Blanc Culture. 
2. Let set at room temperature for exactly 18 hours. 
3. Pour mixture into butter muslin lined colander. I found a great 8 quart pot with a steamer insert at Walmart that works great for draining the curds. 
4. Place the draining assembly in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours max. Cover the colander. I found draining longer made a cheese more like cream cheese, great for seafood sauces and cakes. 
5. If using a smaller pot to drain the curds, you may have to frequently empty the bottom portion of the assembly, hence why I found a nice large stock pot with the colander, steamer basket, placed on top lined with the butter muslin works great! 
6. After 3-4 hours discard, or store the whey that was drained off. 
7. The draining process is now complete. 
8. Scoop the mixture from the butter muslin into a plastic container and whip with egg beater for approx. 2-3 minutes. 
9. Mixture will be runny like yogurt, mixing with the beater makes it smooth and creamy. 
10. In France the dessert style is often sold as Fromage Blanc Battu, whipped fromage blanc. 
11. Refrigerate until well chilled. 

Serve topped with pure cane sugar, or or your favorite jelly, sweetened to taste.