Tvorog (quark) – soft white cheese

Typically when cheese making is mentioned, an average person pictures an intensive and lengthy process using specialty tools and ingredients. While this is certainly true for a lot of cheeses, there are some that come together fairly easy. I have already mentioned tvorog (also known as quark) before. One of my earlier childhood food memories involves tvorog mixed with sugar and sour cream for a quick, tasty and healthy snack. It’s high in calcium, low in fat and has a neutral taste. It is very popular all over ex-USSR and is sold in most food stores with varying fat content. Luckily for countries where it’s not readily available, tvorog is also one of the easiest cheeses to make at home. There are only 2 ingredients and the most extravagant tool you will need is some cheesecloth.

There is an abundance of recipes containing tvorog out there. You can add it to a variety of dishes or let it shine on its own. It works great in both sweet and savory. Add it to fillings, pies, dumplings, or keep it as a main component and add nuts or berries, a sprinkle of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon for a guilt free craving.

Tvorog ingredients:

• 2 liters full fat milk
• 500ml kefir (or alternative; the goal here is to help fermentation so some yogurt should work too)

Directions:

1. Combine 2 liters of milk and 500ml of kefir in a large pot, cover and set aside at room temperature for about 24 hours.
2. After 24 hours you should have a slightly sour smelling mixture with a bit of a jiggle to it. Set it over medium-high heat.
3. As the mixture warms up, it will start separating and there will be clear liquid (whey) accumulating on top.
4. Continue heating it and letting it separate further.
5. After a short while, use a spatula to “cut” a cross in the curd. This helps to even out the heat and speed up the process.
6. Cut another cross to help distribute the heat further.
7. As it continues separating and pulling away from the sides of the pot, gently stir the mixture once or twice.
8. You will know your tvorog is ready when the spatula comes out almost clean, with only a few curds left on it.
9. Turn off the heat. Line a colander with a few layers of cheesecloth (I use 4 layers) and set it over a big bowl. Either ladle or very slowly pour the entire mixture onto the cheesecloth. If you decide to pour, try to hold the pot as close to the cheesecloth as possible because there will be splashing.
10. Gather up the corners of the cheesecloth and tie them into a knot. Hang it (kitchen faucet works great here) and let it drain almost all liquid (Keep in mind that tvorog will get drier if you don’t consume it immediately but store it in the refrigerator).
11. Keep the bowl under the cheesecloth while it’s draining to collect all the whey.
12. Once drained, turn the cheese out of the cheesecloth into a container. Depending on how long you left it to drain, you should have about 500g of ready tvorog. You can use it right away or cover and refrigerate for at least a week.
13. Very importantly: don’t throw away the leftover whey. It’s a lucky by-product and can be used to make pancakes, waffles or even added to baking. Bottled and refrigerated it will easily keep for at least 2 weeks.

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