Directions
- Prepare a water bath in a double boiler or two different sized pots so that a smaller pot fits into a larger pot. Heat water bath until it reaches 100° F (38° C). Turn off burner, add milk to top pot and heat to 90° F (32° C), about 20 minutes. Remove from water bath if milk gets too hot, turn burner on low if milk isn't at temperature after 20 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, add kefir (or yogurt whey) to milk then stir in an up and down motion to evenly distribute.
- Using a slotted spoon, add rennet to milk then stir in an up and down motion to evenly distribute. Cover and let sit in water bath (with burner off) for 12 hours.
- After 12 hours, milk will have formed into a yogurt-like mass with whey at the edges. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and place over a large bowl or pot. Gently pour your curds and let strain for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle curds with salt and tie the edges of the cheese cloth together into a sack and hang over the pot for and additional 6-12 hours to reach desired consistency. At 6 hours you will have a creamy, easily spreadable chèvre that you can enjoy immediately or refrigerate for up to a week. Draining for longer will give you a drier, denser cheese that can be formed into a chèvre log and will keep refrigerated for up to a week.
