Lemon Cheese

Lemon Cheese
This cheese has a delicate flavor of lemon. It is a moist cheese with a spreadable texture. It can be used as a spread or in cooking.
1 quart milk
Juice of 2 lemons (6 tbsp.)
Indirectly heat 1 quart of milk to 170 degrees F. Add the juice from 2 lemons and stir well. Let the milk set for 15 minutes. If curds do not form, add more lemon juice. Pour the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander. Tie the four corners of the cheesecloth into a knot and hang bag to drain for 1 to 2 hours or until the curds have stopped draining. Save the whey. It can be used in cooking, such as for baking bread. Chilled with mint leaves added, it makes a refreshing summertime drink.
Take the cheese out of the cheesecloth. You may have to scrape some off the cloth. The cheese can be lightly salted and herbs may be added if desired. The yield should be about 6 to 8 ounces of lemon cheese for each quart of milk.
Suggestion: Use goat milk, rather than cow milk. Serve spread on freshly baked rye bread.
Margaret Drake, Emily’s granddaughter, won first place in the Junior Division of the 1990 Salt Lake County 4-H Dairy Foods Contest with this recipe.