Directions

1. Read the safety notes before starting. Use pasteurized dairy, sanitize bowls, cloth, spoons, and thermometers, keep hands clean, and refrigerate finished cheese promptly.
2. Warm the dairy to 72 to 75 F. Stir in mesophilic culture or cultured buttermilk, then add diluted rennet if listed.
3. Cover and culture at 72 to 75 F for 12 to 18 hours, until thickened like yogurt and a clear layer of whey appears.
4. Line a colander with sanitized butter muslin. Ladle in the curd gently so it does not break into tiny pieces.
5. Drain at cool room temperature for 2 hours, then move the covered draining setup to the refrigerator and drain 6 to 12 hours more.
6. For pot cheese or farmer cheese, tie the cloth and add a 2- to 5-pound weight for 1 to 2 hours. For cream cheese or Neufchatel-style cheese, leave it softer and beat smooth after draining.