545997 Wed Aug 06 06:35:43 -0700 2008 10 31 Home Cooking 0 3934081 I'm planning on making Creole Cream Cheese. How much rennet do I use for about 2 quarts Cream Cheese? Number of tablets? How much liquid? Wed Aug 06 06:35:45 -0700 2008 147713 speyerer 1 3934419 say what, creole cream cheese? what about making cream cheese with spices added? Wed Aug 06 08:17:39 -0700 2008 3934081 105717 alkapal 2 3935096 Different thing completely from Philly Cream Cheese. Creole Cream Cheese is a New Orleans/South Louisiana heritage food - a fresh cheese that's sort of a cross between ricotta and creme fraiche that probably dates back to early French settlers. It's similar to German quark. We grew up eating it for breakfast with Pontchatoula strawberries or cream and sugar. It can be mixed with herbs for a spread for bread or used to make wonderful ice cream. It had almost completely disappeared from stores and is now slowly becoming available again. Thank God!!! http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark/creolecream.html Wed Aug 06 11:07:06 -0700 2008 3934419 32444 MakingSense 2 3935179 alkapal, John Folse describes Creole Cream Cheese as follows; "Creole Cream Cheese is a farmer style cheese similar in fashion to a combination of cottage cheese and sour cream. Although originally a product of France, many New Orleans dairies such as Goldseal and Bordens supplied the city with the product for many years." Wed Aug 06 11:28:29 -0700 2008 3934419 147713 speyerer 3 3935657 Except that it's not lumpy like cottage cheese. Wed Aug 06 13:30:39 -0700 2008 3935179 32444 MakingSense 1 3935047 I use about 6 to 8 drops of a vegetable rennet to 2 quarts of 2% milk with 1 cup of buttermilk. That's twice the amount of rennet that the original Louisiana recipe called for but that one never worked well for me far from home. Could be vegetable rather than animal-based rennet or other reasons. John Folse's recipe uses 1/2 of a rennet tablet for 2 gallons of skim milk and a pint of buttermilk. The recipe works differently in different seasons of the year - ambient room temperature, etc. I have no idea how much milk you'd have to use to yield 2 quarts of Creole Cream Cheese. I get a little less than a quart from a gallon of milk. Depends on your preference for thickness and texture. I'm still trying to get it exactly as I'd like it and haven't quite succeeded. Someone told me that it has something to do with airborne bacteria or something specific to South Louisiana - much like whatever it is that makes sourdough starter special in San Francisco. Wed Aug 06 10:57:45 -0700 2008 3934081 32444 MakingSense 2 3935233 Thanks MakingSense. It makes sense that location has something to do with the process since you don't see too much Creole Cream Cheese in Phoenix or Bangor. The Folse recipe is the one I plan to use. But I have see other recipes that list ingredients as: 2 Quarts Skim Milk 1/4 Cup Buttermilk 8 drops Liquid Rennet or 2 tablets So you can see my confusion as to how much rennet to add. Wed Aug 06 11:41:04 -0700 2008 3935047 147713 speyerer 2 3935253 Is this the recipe you use? http://www.nolacuisine.com/2005/07/29/creole-cream-cheese-recipe/ Wed Aug 06 11:45:34 -0700 2008 3935047 147713 speyerer 3 3935642 There are lots of recipes. I've had good luck with Poppy Tooker's (president of the NOLA chapter of Slow Foods) in the cooler months. It sits out at room temperature for 24 to 30 hours so I don't use that during hot weather. It's not heated. (One gal skim milk/1c. buttermilk, 6 to 8 drops rennet) During the summer, I use Folse's cut in half because it's heated and then cooled, but only sits at room temp for 3 hours. The longer Tooker recipe sometimes gets a little sharp during hotter weather. Folse's proportions: 2 gallons skim milk/1 pint buttermilk/half rennet tablet - heated to 80 degrees, rather than the NOLAcuisine.com recipe's 110 degrees. Speyerer, you have to play with the recipes until you find what works for you. I also find that I can drain it even more than the Folse recipe and the result is close to the texture of goat cheese. Makes a great base for herbed spreads. Wed Aug 06 13:27:09 -0700 2008 3935253 32444 MakingSense 1 3936390 thanks speyerer and making sense. i am always learning new things from you folks! creole cream cheese, heretofore for me, was an unknown unknown. sounds good, too. Wed Aug 06 18:09:01 -0700 2008 3934081 105717 alkapal 2 3937325 And creole cream cheese ice cream is heaven on earth Thu Aug 07 06:50:05 -0700 2008 3936390 154901 roro1831