Making cheese is something that I have been thinking about for ages.   I would love to learn how to make my own cheddar as we go through it at a rate of knots.  I don’t have any of the equipment or any idea how to make it (yet), but I do have the equipment and the know how to make yoghurt.  In fact I make yoghurt around once or twice a week – to find out how I do it click here.

I keep noticing how the yoghurt I make sticks to the side of the jar and after a few days becomes the texture of cream cheese. So recently I googled how to make cheese out of yoghurt. Apparently there are a few names for yoghurt cheese, such as labneh or greek yoghurt…  It is really simple to make – all you need is some cheese cloth and some salt.

I used a sheet of cheese cloth, folded it over several times, poured a small jar of yoghurt into it, then tied it up with an elastic band.  The idea that you are supposed to suspend it over a pot for several hours (some sites say for up to 3 days!) to catch the drips in cool conditions.  You can put it in the fridge, but that is meant to reduce the flavour.

I actually squeezed the yoghurt cheese cloth bundle and got a whole lot of whey out that way.  I then left it in the fridge overnight sitting in a sieve over a bowl – I don’t think the time in the fridge made any difference as in the morning there was virtually no liquid in the bowl.  

The cheese really didn’t taste of much at all, so I slowly added some sea salt, tasting as I went.  Then it still didn’t taste of much, so I added some finely chopped chives, which made all the difference.  In the winter I might try leaving it out to drip for 3 days and see if that helps to add flavour…

So there you have it – a very simple way to make a homemade cream cheese ish and chive alternative…

Note:  If you are using any equipment for cheese or yoghurt making and storing it should be fully sterlised first.

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