Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

homemade cheese making instructions and supplies

Recipes for Making Soft Cheese

We highly recommended that you start with soft cheeses. The following recipes use already ripened dairy products (yogurt) or an acid added directly to the milk in order to separate the curds and whey. These cheeses are ready to eat in is little as 1 day. Making them will demonstrate to you the separation of water and milk solids as well as introduce the basics of heating milk and draining cheese using cheesecloth.

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

This is the cheese in the Italian pastries! It is also very good as a spread for sweet breads. Please note that this cheese can only be made from light cream.

1 quart light cream no substitute

¼ teaspoon tartaric acid

In a double boiler heat cream to 180^oF. Add tartaric acid and stir for a few minutes. The cream will slowly thicken into a custard like consistency with noticeable tiny flecks of curd. If the cream does not coagulate add a speck more tartaric acid and continue stirring. Avoid using to much acid or the cheese will become grainy.
Line a stainless steel colander with a double layer of fine cheese cloth or use our Yogurt Cheese Maker. Pour the cream into the colander and let drain for 1-2 hours. Place the colander into a shallow bowl and refrigerate over night. Place the finished cheese in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. It will keep for up to two weeks.