When I was a little girl in Germany, I used to have Quark on my bread for breakfast nearly every morning. Back in the states, I'd pick up a tub of it at a German deli every once in a while - but boy was it pricy! This week, I searched out a few recipes for it,and made a heavenly batch of my own. It was so simple, that I'm quite sad that I haven't been making it myself for years!
Quark
Before bedtime:
Pour buttermilk into a glass corningware type bowl or casserole with a lid, set oven on warm for a few minutes, turn off and leave light on if electric...you want it to be warm, but not over 150 degrees. Set the buttermilk inside oven, and say goodnight.
In the morning:
Remove bowl of now yogurty looking Quark from oven. Strain into cheesecloth lined (if you must cheat, use paper towels) colander over large bowl. Let it drip for several hours.
At lunchtime, or thereabouts:
Use a spatula to put Quark into a food processor, and give a whirl until it's all creamy like very thick sour cream. If it seems too dry, add a tiny drizzle of cream or milk. Done! Save the whey in a mason jar for NT recipes. I've read that Quark keeps a week in the fridge, but mine won't last that long!
The flavor is very mild, and you can use it the same as you would cream cheese or sour cream! I love it on German Farmer's Bread with chopped chives, and a slight grind of pepper! Some eat it lightly sweetened with fresh fruit, and it's also used for european style cheesecake if you let it drain very dry!
Extra added bonus, you get a ton of whey that you can use to start some kraut or ferment some steel cut oats!
Quark
Before bedtime:
Pour buttermilk into a glass corningware type bowl or casserole with a lid, set oven on warm for a few minutes, turn off and leave light on if electric...you want it to be warm, but not over 150 degrees. Set the buttermilk inside oven, and say goodnight.
In the morning:
Remove bowl of now yogurty looking Quark from oven. Strain into cheesecloth lined (if you must cheat, use paper towels) colander over large bowl. Let it drip for several hours.
At lunchtime, or thereabouts:
Use a spatula to put Quark into a food processor, and give a whirl until it's all creamy like very thick sour cream. If it seems too dry, add a tiny drizzle of cream or milk. Done! Save the whey in a mason jar for NT recipes. I've read that Quark keeps a week in the fridge, but mine won't last that long!
The flavor is very mild, and you can use it the same as you would cream cheese or sour cream! I love it on German Farmer's Bread with chopped chives, and a slight grind of pepper! Some eat it lightly sweetened with fresh fruit, and it's also used for european style cheesecake if you let it drain very dry!
Extra added bonus, you get a ton of whey that you can use to start some kraut or ferment some steel cut oats!
