All the Dairy You Can Make at Home
Kerry Acker
If you’ve tasted homemade versions of the dairy products listed here, you probably already know how superior they are flavorwise to their store-bought counterparts. But what might surprise you is just how easy it is to make them yourself—seriously, you barely need lift a finger for some of these recipes—and how very few ingredients are required in each.
The key to success for all of these? It’s simple: the quality of the ingredients. Use farm-fresh milk and cream—preferably from a local farmers’ market—and you’re just about guaranteed success.
Clotted Cream: Anglophiles, be warned: Once you find out firsthand what a cinch it is make this unbelievably creamy and buttery traditional accompaniment to scones, you may have to step up your CrossFit classes—but it’s so, so worth it. This recipe comes by way of Ireland’s answer to Julia Child: Darina Allen, founder of the internationally acclaimed Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork, and author of 30 Years at Ballymaloe (among other books). All you need is unhomogenized, gently pasteurized—never ultra-pasteurized—heavy cream (we like Ronnybrook orHudson Valley Fresh) and a bit of patience. Serve with scones.
Crème Fraîche: Think making clotted cream is simple? Just wait ‘till you try crème fraîche, sour cream’s thicker, richer French cousin. The magic formula for this Americanized version? Heavy cream (we recommend gently pasteurized) + buttermilk = bliss. Mix into mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, or soup, or whip it and use it to crown pies or tarts.
Mascarpone: Sweet and ultra rich, homemade mascarpone will knock your socks off. For this recipe, courtesy of the artisanal cheese pioneers at the Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery, you’ll need a kitchen thermometer and some powdered skim milk, along with a lemon, gently pasteurized heavy cream, and a generous spirit—otherwise you run the risk of stuffing yourself silly with this decadent Italian cream cheese. Use it to make a mean tiramisu, pie, or do like we do and eat it straight from the bowl.
Ricotta: One of my all-time favorite breakfasts is a simple swipe of homemade ricotta cheese on good toasted bread with a drizzle of honey. I was beyond thrilled when I learned how shockingly easy it is to prepare ricotta cheese. This four-fork recipe from Gourmet requires just whole milk, heavy cream, salt, lemon juice, a large sieve, and cheesecloth (but if you don’t have that, a simple coffee filter can work in a pinch, too—yes, really). It’s fantastic.
Butter: Chef Daniel Patterson, of San Francisco’s Coi, shared with Epicurious his supersimple method for making homemade butter. The ingredients? Organic heavy cream. Sea salt. A stand mixer. Period. What are you waiting for? Make butter already! (Oh, one thing: This butter-making business can be messy, so make sure you have plastic wrap on hand; watch our video and see the Test-Kitchen tip in the recipe.) Slather on homemade bread, of course.
Yogurt: Megan Steintrager’s primer is chock-full of info on all you need to know—ingredients, flavorings tools, and step-by-step instructions—about whipping up your own custom batch of yogurt, including thick Greek-style yogurt. Though yogurt-making is a bit more involved than the other dairy recipes here, you might be surprised to learn that you don’t need a yogurt maker—check out the tools list for some DIY ideas using items you most likely already have at home.
What are your favorite dairy products and cheeses to make at home?
