Neufchâtel - a US take on a classic

One of the soft fresh cheeses, Neufchatel traces it's history back to the Normandy in France. The French product is classically old in a heart shaped mold  with a rind similar to a Camembert and a salty sharp taste.

French Neufchatel - note the bloomy rind similar to Camembert 

 The US version is a very different product.

Various references suggest that in 1872, while marking Neufchatel with lower fat milk a William Lawrence of Chester, New York produced a cream cheese alternative - what every the exact history the US product is most defiantly not Neufchatel but is most defiantly delicious.

Eaten fresh (0-2 weeks) this is a mildly fermented soft and creamy cheese that is ideal for use as a spread or as a replacement for cream cheese. What I like about it is that it has a lower fat level and a slightly fuller taste that cream cheese. This one was based on whole milk at 3.5% butterfat rather than cream at 12-18% butterfat.

The process is interesting in that the milk is fermented at a low temperature  (room temp) for up to 24 hours and then drained for a similar time - the result is a soft and creamy cheese with a mild flavor that continues to develop and firm across time.

Ingredients

1/2 gallon whole organic milk

1/16 tsp mesophilic direct set starter

10 drops calcium chloride

10 drops double strength liquid rennet

cheese cloth

1 tablespoon cheese salt

Optional

colander

pH strips

cheese mat

yogurt maker

herbs

Method

sterilize

Warm milk to 75 F

Dilute and add rennet and calcium chloride, add mesophilic starter and stir for  3 minutes

Transfer to a yogurt maker or a container that will allow the milk to ferment at 70 F

Ferment for 24 hours, a soft curd  had formed , similar to a firm set yogurt

The pH of the curd was 4.5-5.0

Line a colander with cheese cloth and add curds

AT 24 hours the curds had drained

Unwrap curds, place ion a bowel and add a tablespoon of cheese salt, mix well

Add herbs and form into logs or balls.  The cheese is very creamy. I found that forming it  in cling wrap into logs , with the use of a draining mat or into balls helped. 

It was all good but I think my favorite was the  when I mixed capers into the cheese and then rolled it in fresh cracked pepper - yum. The vote from the cheese tasters went to the fresh chives that were incorporated into the cheese and then rolled in chives.