Farmer's Cheese Recipe (2024)

Published: Oct 21, 2021 by Dina

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Farmer’s Cheese is that creamy treat that you never knew you needed. Follow my simple recipe for this easy homemade cheese that can be made either savory or sweet.

The mild flavor of this cheese pairs well with this Spinach Pomegranate Salad instead of feta, or in this Cheese Chebureki recipe.

Table Of Contents

Farmer’s Cheese Recipe Details
What You’ll Need
How to Make Farmer’s Cheese
Recipe Tips
Add-ins and Substitutions
FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Make This Farmer’s Cheese in Advance
More Tasty Recipes from Scratch!
Full Recipe Instructions

Farmer’s Cheese Recipe Details

I love this Farmer’s Cheese because it’s quick and easy, with a delicious flavor and texture that make it a good match for lots of dishes.

TASTE: This Farmer’s Cheese has a very neutral flavor so it can be made sweet or savory, depending on what you add to it.
TEXTURE: This cheese is pressed into a block, but has a creamy, crumbly texture similar to feta and ricotta.
TIME: This is a quick version of Farmer’s Cheese and only takes 25 minutes to make.
EASE: This simple recipe uses just 2 ingredients. It’s nice and easy when you want some Farmer’s Cheese quickly.

What You’ll Need

Whole milk
White vinegar
Cheesecloth

How to Make Farmer’s Cheese

Boil the milk. Fill a large pot with the milk and bring the heat to high, letting it come to a slight boil.
Add the vinegar. Remove it from the heat and add the vinegar. Let the cheese form for about 15 minutes.
Strain. Strain the farmer’s cheese into a colander lined with a fine mesh sieve and cheesecloth. Squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible.
Let it cool. You can leave it to cool as a block compressed in the cheesecloth or crumbled in a bowl.

Pro Tip:Squeeze the cheesecloth as hard as possible. Twisting the ends of the cloth adds pressure to get more out.

Recipe Tips

Use whole milk- To get the creamy consistency and rich flavor, whole milk is the way to go. 2% could also work, but will be thinner. Avoid really thin low-fat milk or Half & Half.
Squeeze out the liquid as much as possible- This will help the cheese crumble. Too much liquid will result in a wetter, creamier cheese. So squeeze that cheesecloth as much as you can!
Use white vinegar- This will help the curds and whey separate without adding flavor like apple cider vinegar would. Lemon juice also works for a citrusy tang.
Let it cool- This cheese is very malleable, especially when warm, so let it cool before serving. You can either leave it in a block or in crumbles.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Add fresh dill– This Farmer’s Cheese can be made with fresh dill and kosher salt for a savory herbaceous spread.
Make it with citrus- You can make this cheese extra tangy with lemon juice. Or add lime or orange to it afterward for a citrusy cheese.
Add seasoning– Add oregano, rosemary, cumin, paprika, or basil to this recipe for a savory flavor boost.
Try a sweet version- Add maple syrup, chopped walnuts, and cinnamon to make this a sweet treat. Or try it with brown sugar, cinnamon, and powdered sugar.

FAQs

What is the difference between ricotta and Farmer’s Cheese?

Farmer’s Cheese and ricotta are very similar, but the ricotta is even milder. It’s often used in desserts, while the Farmer’s cheese is used with stronger flavors, like olives, lemons, and capers. Texturally, they are are both creamy and crumbly.

Why is it called Farmer’s Cheese?

This cheese was originally made in the farmhouse, just a simple recipe made at home. It ranges from soft to semi-soft in texture depending on where in the world it is made.

Serving Suggestions

This homemade Farmer’s Cheese is a perfect addition to many recipes with its neutral flavor profile. Here are some delicious ways to serve it.

Sandwiches: Spread this cheese on your favorite sandwiches, such as this Classic BLT Sandwich, Leftover Turkey Sandwich, and Grilled Caprese Sandwich.
Salad: Add it as crumbles on salads like Spinach Salad, Greek Chicken Pasta Salad, and BLT Pasta Salad. Or add it to a Charcuterie Board (Cheese Board).
Pastas: Use this Farmer’s cheese as the filling in Mushroom Ravioli, Easy Four Cheese Ravioli (15-Minute Meal), or Chicken Lasagna.
Crackers/Bread: Serve this topped with fresh herbs or honey, and with crackers, bread, or pitas. Try it with this Rustic Bread or Focaccia Bread.

Make This Farmer’s Cheese in Advance

Make ahead: You can make this cheese ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Just keep it in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap.

Storing: You can store this Farmer’s Cheese in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Freeze: Wrap the cheese in plastic wrap and store it in a ziplock freezer bag for up to 3 months. When it defrosts, it will be more crumbly, but still delicious.

More Tasty Recipes from Scratch!

Danish Dough Recipe
Brioche Bread
Homemade Pizza Dough
Coffee Macaron Recipe
Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Full Recipe Instructions

Farmer’s Cheese Recipe

Farmer’s Cheese is that creamy treat that you never knew you needed. Follow my simple recipe for this easy to make savory treat.

4.89 from 9 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Russian

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 388kcal

Author: Dina

Ingredients

▢ 1 gallon whole milk
▢ 1/2 cup white vinegar
▢ Cheese cloth

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Fill a large pot with 1 gallon of milk and bring heat over high heat. You want to let it come to a slight boil.
Remove from heat then stir in 1/2 cup white vinegar. Let the cheese form for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
Strain the farmer's cheese into a colander lined with a fine-mesh sieve and cheesecloth.
Let it cool just until its not too hot to touch. Use the cheesecloth squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible.
You can either let it cool as a block compressed in the cheesecloth or you can let it cool crumbled in a bowl. If you don't use it right away, store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo of it and tag me on Instagram @simplyhomecooked or use the hashtag #simplyhomecooked so I can see it and feature it!

This recipe was originally posted July 10, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.

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Charline says

March 14, 2024 at 6:14 pm

Hi there,

I was wondering if this cheese melts? Like if you were to use it for pizza?
Thanks!

Reply
- Dina says
  
  March 16, 2024 at 9:01 pm
  
  Hi Charline, that is a great question! I have never tried melting the cheese from this specific recipe so I am actually not too sure. I definitely want to test that out now!
  
  Reply
Ian says

March 11, 2024 at 6:03 pm

We used to make this on our farm from whole full cream milk.
As easy as….. We added chopped-up dill as it gave the cheese flavour.

Reply
Raffaella says

November 22, 2023 at 7:13 pm

Great recipe. I was wondering why the fat content is so high for each serving. The Farmers Cheese in the supermarket is lowe fat.

Reply
- Dina says
  
  November 23, 2023 at 10:40 pm
  
  Thank you Raffaella! I am not too sure why there is a difference. The nutrition calculator is an estimate so it is probably going off of the whole milk.
  
  Reply
Krystal says

May 13, 2023 at 2:34 pm

So my cheese is just now cooling, so far I would say that this recipe has gone very well and was easy to make. My only issue is that no where does it say how long to let it cool for, and if you leave it out in the cheese cloth to form, or in the fridge.

Reply
- Dina says
  
  May 15, 2023 at 4:51 pm
  
  I am happy to hear that your farmers cheese turned out well Krystal! The cooling time can vary. It kind of depends on the temperature in your house.
  
  Reply
Anna says

September 14, 2022 at 1:53 pm

Can I half this recipe with 1/2 gallon and 1/4 c. Vinegar?

Reply
- Dina says
  See Also
  Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipe - On The Go Bites
  
  September 15, 2022 at 10:03 pm
  
  Hi Anna, yes you can cut the recipe in half.
  
  Reply
Levi says

May 20, 2022 at 7:58 am

Can lime juice from a bottle be used instead of white vinegar??

Reply
- Dina says
  
  May 27, 2022 at 2:47 pm
  
  Hi Levi, I am afraid that lime juice might have too strong of a flavor that can throw off the taste of the farmer’s cheese. I would recommend lemon juice instead. (preferably fresh lemon juice). I hope this helps.
  
  Reply
Levi says

May 20, 2022 at 7:33 am

Any tips for using this cheese in cubes instead of crumbles? I’d like to use it as paneer in a Saag Panner curry

Reply
- Dina says
  
  May 27, 2022 at 2:48 pm
  
  Hi Levi, if you compact it and squeeze out all the liquid using a cheesecloth, you can easily cut it into cubes after it’s fully cooled.
  
  Reply
Lou says

April 07, 2022 at 6:19 pm

Do you have a suggested amount of spices to add measurement wise. Say if I used rosemary. When do you suggest adding it to the mixture?

For a sweet cheese do you have suggested amounts of add ins?
Thanks!

Reply
- Dina says
  
  April 09, 2022 at 10:58 am
  
  Hi Lou, if you want to add fresh rosemary, I would suggest adding about 1 Tablespoon of freshly chopped rosemary to the farmer’s cheese. If you want to make it sweet, it depends on what you want to use it for. For example, if you want to use it as a filling for perogies I would suggest this ratio of ingredients. 1 large egg, at room temperature, beaten, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 pound farmer’s cheese. I hope this helps 🙂
  
  Reply
Kenna says

January 18, 2022 at 8:46 am

I did add spices to my farmers cheese but didn’t know when the optimal time to do that was, so I added them at the start of the 15 minute resting time. The cheese turned out great and I added it to a big salad, but the spice flavors did not come through as strongly as I would have liked. Any input on this issue as to WHEN to add things.

Also next time I would like to make the cream cheese version by not removing as much of the moisture. Do you then blend in a food processor to obtain that smooth spreadable texture?

Reply
- Dina says
  
  January 18, 2022 at 8:32 pm
  
  Hi Kenna, I don’t think the issue was the time you added the spices. I think you just needed to add more. I have not tested the creamy version so I cannot give advice without trying it myself.
  
  Reply
plantdude says

May 24, 2020 at 10:07 am

I tried making this cheese last night. It turned out very well. It was my first attempt at making homemade cheese so I am very pleased

Reply
- simplyhomecooked says
  
  May 25, 2020 at 11:35 pm
  
  I am sp glad to hear that! This is such a quick and easy way to make farmers cheese.
  
  Reply
Tamara says

July 30, 2019 at 6:24 pm

When you say bring milk to temperature what temperature do you mean?

Reply
- simplyhomecooked says
  
  August 02, 2019 at 11:31 am
  
  Hi Tamara, you want to put the milk on high heat. Then let the milk come to a slight boil and then remove it off the heat. I have more details for the steps in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
  
  Reply
- plantdude says
  
  May 23, 2020 at 6:01 pm
  
  190 degrees Farenheit
  
  Reply
Madeline milosz says

October 05, 2017 at 5:07 pm

I have a hard time getting farmers cheese in myrtle beach so I hope this works. I use it for homemade pierogi’s. Do I add any flavoring in it?

Reply
- simplyhomecooked says
  
  October 09, 2017 at 10:43 am
  
  Hi Madeline, you can add either salt or sugar depending if you want your pierogis sweet or savory.
  
  Reply
Marina says

February 18, 2016 at 5:51 pm

Second time making this tvorag and it turned out perfect. I even tried making it with 1% milk this time and it still worked. Going to make some yummy nalisniki tonight 🙂 thanks for the recipe!

Reply
- simplyhomecooked says
  
  February 18, 2016 at 7:59 pm
  
  Marina that’s awesome that 1% worked too! Glad you love this recipe. Mmm nalisniki sound so delicious right now 🙂
  
  Reply
Katy | Her Cup of Joy says

July 13, 2015 at 3:12 pm

This recipe looks so simple and less time consuming than most farmers cheese recipes. I love how you added the vinegar step to speed up the process. I need to try this recipe soon, I’ll let you know how it goes 🙂

Reply
- simplyhomecooked says
  
  July 14, 2015 at 3:54 am
  
  Please do try it! 🙂 I think you’ll really like it 🙂
  
  Reply
  - Katy | Her Cup of Joy says
    
    December 03, 2015 at 6:40 am
    
    So I made this last night using milk that was past its sell by date (our daughter stopped drinking milk as much as she used to so I had a whole gallon that was still good). This recipe was perfect, I always thought making cheese was such a long process, this makes it so much easier! Now I have to figure out what to do with the cheese, maybe piroshki. Oh and I didn’t even taste any vinegar in the cheese, the vinegar smell wasn’t even in the milk.
  - simplyhomecooked says
    
    December 04, 2015 at 8:49 pm
    
    Katy I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 yes, try making some piroshki. Or even chebureki with tvorog inside. I love dipping it in honey and drinking tea with it. I have a recipe here on the blog titled “cheese chebureki” 🙂
Larissa says

July 11, 2015 at 9:11 pm

Thanks for sharing! Love easy recipes 🙂 always wanted to know how to make homemade farmer cheese:)

Reply
- simplyhomecooked says
  
  July 13, 2015 at 4:18 am
  
  You’re welcome Larissa 🙂 Glad I could make cooking easy for you 🙂
  
  Reply

FAQs

What is the closest thing to farmers cheese? ›

What's a good substitute for farmer's cheese? We've already mentioned that cottage cheese is a good alternative, but Indian paneer and ricotta work too. That said, certain Slavic recipes (like pierogis, blintzes, and vareniki) are simply not as authentic without it.

What is farmers cheese made of? ›

What is farmer's cheese? Farmer's cheese, a fresh cheese variety, is a pressed cottage cheese that is slightly more acidic and has a firmer texture, thanks to a lower moisture content. Farmer's cheese can be made from the milk of cows, sheep, or goats and can be rolled in different herbs or seasonings for extra flavor.

Read On ›

Why is my farmers cheese not curdling? ›

Curds won't come Together

If you see a bunch of rice-like curds that won't stick together, this means that the cheese is not curdling properly. It is often caused by low-quality milk. However, if you are using fresh raw milk with sufficient calcium, the reason might be due to improper temperatures.

Get More Info Here ›

Is homemade farmers cheese good for you? ›

The health benefits of farmer's cheese. Beyond the probiotics some farmer's cheese varieties can contain, there are many nutrients found in this cheese that qualify it as a healthy choice. These include calcium, phosphorus, protein, and B vitamins.

Get More Info ›

Is there another name for farmers cheese? ›

Also called twaróg, tvorog, or syr, among other names. Found in almost every Slavic, Baltic, and Germanic country. American-Style Farmer's Cheese. This is basically cottage cheese that has been pressed to remove water.

Is queso fresco same as farmers cheese? ›

Cheese History: The story behind queso fresco

Queso fresco was born as a humble farmers cheese—no complex cheese aging techniques here, just simple and delicious fresh cheese. Queso fresco quickly gained popularity in Mexico and abroad, and today it's one of the most popular cheeses used in a variety of Mexican dishes.

Explore More ›

What cheese is the same as farmers cheese? ›

As far as I can tell, cottage cheese and ricotta are very similar to farmers cheese.

Explore More ›

What is the flavor of farmers cheese? ›

Farmer cheese is a mild white fresh cheese with a crumbly texture and subtle, milky flavor. It's super-easy to make at home—it requires just three ingredients and some patience. And because it isn't aged or pressed for a long period of time, you can make it and eat it on the same day.

What cheese is most like farmers cheese? ›

Both farmer's cheese and paneer are made from curdled milk and have a bit of acid added to them. Their similar process is what makes them so similar in nature. Paneer doesn't melt, so it is one of the best farmer's cheese substitutes in uncooked recipes, or Indian cuisine.

Read The Full Story ›

Why is my farmers cheese rubbery? ›

Too much rennet was used or too much butterfat, left your cheese during the process. Rubbery cheese can happen when an excess amount of rennet is used, too much rennet equals a rubber ball, too little, soup!

See Details ›

How do you know if farmers cheese has gone bad? ›

Signs Cheese Has Gone Bad

"However, I'd throw out high moisture [cheese] with visible unintended mold because it can spread quickly in a high moisture environment," he says. Other signs you should toss cheese include an unintentional bitter flavor, fermented fruit taste, and a fizzy sensation on the tongue.

Discover More Details ›

Why is my farmers cheese dry? ›

Based on lots of experience making farmer's cheese (and backed up by the book One Hour Cheese), there are three factors which control the scale of creamy to dry & crumbly: the degree of acidity at which you set the curd; the length of time you cook it (keep it at 180F+) the length of time you drain it.