Koch Kaese Cheese

How It Is Made

As with many cheeses Kochkäse was developed as a way to extend the use of existing cheese products made by rural home cheesemakers.

In the original process, fresh milk from cow had the cream skimmed off the top.  The remaining milk was clabbered then hung in sacks.  This eventually produced a type of cottage cheese.  The cottage cheese was used and if there was any remaining, and before it began to turn it was made into Kochkäse.  The cheese was then cooked with  baking soda (which breaks down the curd) along with butter and a bit of cream.   The mixture was then flavored with caraway seed and additional fresh pepper.

Darlene Stryk from Strykly Texas Cheese Company pouring the cooked cheese mixture into containers.

Cook Cheese According To Grandmother - Recipe

• 2 1/4 cups Quark
• 3 1/2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 2 teaspoon caraway seed
• 2 cups buttermilk
• Fresh pepper

Prepare Quark

Combine the quark with the salt and the soda and spread it in a flat dish. Cover the dish. Keep in a warm place in the kitchen. Give the quark a turn each day. The Quark will become yellowish and "glassy". Once the the quark gets a slightly "cheesy" smell, and no longer tastes sour it is ready to be used.

Important

This cheese succeeds only, if the quark is perfectly dry. Make certain that salt and soda are very well blended with the dry quark (you can use an electric hand mixer), so that the soda and salt comes into contact with the Quark.

Place the quark in a pot on low heat, stirring it while it warms, approximately 10 minutes. Stir in the butter and remove the pot from the heat and place in a bowl over a pot of hot water. Continue to stir and gradually add the milk. Once the mixture is smooth, add the pepper and the caraway seed and continue to stir slowly until the ingredients are well incorporated. At this point you can season the cheese with additional salt and pepper as needed. Make sure to stir it thoroughly. Pour the mixture into small stoneware containers with lids. The cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Important.

Tip

The consistency of the cook cheese depends on the quantity of the milk used. If one would like the cook cheese thinner, increase the milk. You may also stir in some some cream to thin the mixture.