Last week I was on the hunt for some fresh cream when I wandered into a recently opened organic dairy shop in my hood. They didn’t have any cream, but I was sold half a dozen farm fresh eggs that I didn’t really need and a liter of buffalo milk. I have never drank buffalo milk so I didn’t really know what I was in for. After doing a little reading I learned that it has 100% more fat than cow’s milk and is actually very desirable for making yogurt and cottage cheese. I have been experimenting with kefir grains, trying to figure out what I can do with them beyond kefir milk so I decided to make a simple buffalo cheese. The result was rich and creamy and honestly fairly pungent. Lovers of very goaty cheese would definitely like fresh buffalo milk cheese.

Ingredients

1 Liter of fresh milk- Cow, goat or buffalo are all fine.

1 Teaspoon kefir grains

Fresh or dried herbs of your choice

Method

In a plastic bowl* add the milk and the kefir grains wrapped in cheesecloth. If you are not looking to retain the grains after the cheesemaking process you can omit wrapping them in cheesecloth. I like to keep my grains. Place in a cool location out of the sun for 24 hours.

After 24 hours the milk will have started to clot. Strain the coagulated milk in a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Gather the corners and hang the cloth above a bowl and allow to drain for 6-8 hours. Save the whey for other uses such as pancakes or biscuits.

After it is well strained I placed a heavy can on top of the cheese to further strain it and make it into a bit firmer cheese.

Once the desired thickness is achieved mix with herbs and refrigerate for 2 hours allowing the flavors to meld.

Serve with crackers or bread, as a vegetable dip or as an omelette filling.

* You want to avoid prolonged contact with kefir grains and metal.