L.J.'s Cheese Recipe  

(No skillet required!)

The photo at the right is a bowl of home made cheese using L.J.'s Recipe.

No Skillet was used.  Only the Microwave.  The cooking took 4 minutes total.

Here is the recipe.

Step One:  Add 4 cartons (large size cartons) of large curd cottage cheese to a collander to drain the cheese.  A collander with larger holes will drain better because the collander with fine holes tends to drain slower and the holes may clog shut.     Place a 4 quart pan under the collander to catch the cream that drains from the cheese.

(Save this drained cream and add chopped onions, cucumbers, and a little pepper for sluters!)  See picture below.

Add salt to the 4 cartons of cheese to your taste.  

Allow the 4 cartons of cheese in the collander to stand for at least 24 hours or longer to drain the cream from the cheese.

Do not regrigerate during this process as the cold will slow down the drain.   Just leave on the kitchen counter with a cloth over the top.  Wait 24 hours or more to drain.

Step two:  After the cheese has drained, (about 24 hours) sprinkle 4 teaspoons of soda over the cheese.   Stir in the soda as good as you can.     After the soda is added, put the cloth back on the cheese and let stand overnight or at least 12 hours.  Longer is better.    When the cheese is "done it will look like it has a yellow glaze over it and will be stuck together in a big glob."   Like the picture below.   It is ready to cook.

Step Three:   Using a large glass (not plastic) bowl, place the entire contents in the bowl and put in the microwave.  Set the timer on 2 minutes at high temp.  It is a good idea to spray the bowl with Pam or apply a little butter to keep the cheese from sticking.

Step Four: After two minutes, remove the cheese, stir for about a minute or two to help dissolve the lumps of cheese.  Put the bowl of cheese back in the Micro Wave for 1 more minute.   See pictue below.

Step Five: :  Remove the cheese and stir.  It should be done and free of lumps.  If there are still a few lumps, stir a little and put back  in the Micro wave for 30 seconds or so.   When the lumps are gone, the cheese is finished.

Step Six:   Place the glass bowl of melted cheese in a cool place to set.  The refrigerator is OK.  It usually takes several hours to set.    The longer is sets, the better it is.  The cheese is actually better the second and third day.  I guess it ferments or something.

More:   After step five, add some of your favorite spice, garlic, cayenne pepper, green peppers, etc.   Be creative.

After the cheese has set, cut a slice and put it on a slice of bread.  Pop it in the Micro wave for 10 seconds.   Great hot cheese sandwich.

Still More:   After the cheese has set, cut some 1 inch squares and place them on waxed paper or cookie sheet.   In about an hour they will melt and look like cookies and make great snacks with crackers.

Eat at your own risk.

See this in a slide show at: