Njordstorp's cream cheese starter culture produces a delicious, creamy and thick cream cheese of exceptional quality. Cream cheese is a fermented dairy product obtained by fermenting milk with a high fat content with beneficial lactic acid bacteria until it thickens, then straining it to make a firmer, spreadable cream cheese. The whole process is very easy to follow, takes very little of your time, gives a high yield and the result is fantastically delicious!
Whether you love cream cheese spread on toast, in cooking, in sauces, for making cheesecakes or frosting, it tastes so much better when you make it yourself. And the possibilities for different flavours are endless when you mix in herbs or spices. We have a herb mix specifically for cream cheese.
You can use raw or pasteurised milk or cream, or a mixture of cream and milk. The higher the fat content of your original cream, the thicker and tastier your cream cheese will be.
Our cream cheese starter culture is a mesophilic culture, which means you can make it at room temperature. Making cream cheese from cream is super easy. Just add the culture to the cream to ferment it, then strain it to get thick, spreadable cream cheese, and you're done. There is no need to heat the cream or keep it warm in a yoghurt maker, but you can if you want to.
If you want to make a lighter version of milk, that works just as well, but you may need to add rennet or milk powder to achieve the right thickness for straining.
Njordstorp's starter culture is pure freeze-dried cultures without any weird ingredients. You can make batch after batch with the cream cheese you've made, so don't forget to save a cup of the finished cream cheese to make your next batch. Store it in the refrigerator and make sure you use it to make your new yoghurt within 3-4 days to ensure that all the bacteria are viable and in good condition. Depending on your hygiene, it may become contaminated, and if you notice that the taste or acidity is different, you can start over with the culture you have left in the bag.
Making cream cheese
What you need:
- jar or other container and a towel to cover the container during incubation
- cheesecloth
- possibly: rennet
Activates your starter:
- Allow your milk/cream to warm to room temperature on its own, or if you want to speed up the process, heat it gently.
- Add the culture from the packet to the milk and stir until dissolved. Note: Do not whisk. Whisking introduces air bubbles into the cream and slows down the incubation process.
- Cover the jar with a towel to keep everything clean from dust and airborne particles.
- Leave the cream for about 24 hours and then check if it has set. The cream has set if it separates slightly from the sides of the jar when you tilt it. It should resemble the consistency of thick yoghurt. It will probably be firm at the top while still slightly watery at the bottom, and it should separate easily from the jar when tilted.
- If it has not set within 24 hours, keep it running and check every 2-4 hours until it sets. It may take up to 72 hours to set, depending on the ambient temperature and other conditions in your environment.
- Pour the thickened milk into the cheesecloth and let the whey drain for 3 to 9 hours or until the cheese is as dry as you want it to be.
- Remove the cream cheese from the cheesecloth and transfer to a jar or storage container. Cover with an airtight lid.
- If you plan to add any flavourings to your cream cheese, add them at this stage while the cream cheese is nice and soft and easy to mix (it will harden considerably later in the refrigerator). You can simply add a little salt for a classic Philadelphia-style cream cheese flavour (about 1.25%) or whatever you like with your cream cheese – spring onions, chives, walnuts, etc.
- Place the cream cheese in the refrigerator for at least several hours so that it can set properly. Chilling the cream cheese helps it to thicken and improves its flavour.
Contents: freeze-dried starter cultures and milk powder
The product is freeze-dried and can be stored for a long time. The packaging can be resealed after opening and therefore used for several batches.
Storage instructions for starter culture: Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Starter culture is highly hydrophilic; if moisture enters the packaging, it will impair the quality. Shelf life up to 2 years in the freezer.
