Little Ypsi

Homemade Little Ypsi-Style Fresh Cheese

A simple reproduction of the mild, springy fresh cheese sold in Ypsilanti-area farmers' markets. Because true 'Little Ypsi' is a small-batch regional cheese and not commercially available outside Michigan, this recipe recreates its character using cultured buttermilk for the gentle tang.

Prep

20 min

Cook

40 min

Total

60 min

Serves

Makes about 450 g (1 lb) of cheese

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •1.9 L (2 quarts) whole milk, use pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized) for a good curd set
• •120 ml (1/2 cup) cultured buttermilk, live-active, with declared bacterial cultures
• •1.25 ml (1/4 teaspoon) liquid rennet, diluted in 60 ml (1/4 cup) cool non-chlorinated water; vegetable rennet works for a vegetarian version
• •5 g (1 teaspoon) non-iodized salt, sea salt or cheese salt

Steps

1. 1 Sanitize a large stainless-steel pot, a slotted spoon, a colander, and several layers of cheesecloth. Heat the milk slowly to 32 °C (90 °F), stirring gently so it does not scorch on the bottom.
2. 2 Remove from heat and whisk in the buttermilk. Cover and let the milk ripen in a warm spot for 1 hour, maintaining roughly 30-32 °C (86-90 °F).
3. 3 Stir in the diluted rennet with an up-and-down motion for about 30 seconds. Cover and let sit undisturbed for 35-45 minutes, until the curd gives a clean break when nudged with a finger.
4. 4 Cut the curd into 1.5 cm (1/2 in) cubes with a long knife. Let the cubes rest 5 minutes so the surfaces firm up.
5. 5 Gently ladle the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander set over a bowl. Tie the corners into a hanging bag and suspend it (or place the colander in the fridge with a weight on top) to drain for 4-6 hours, until the curds read pH 5.0-5.2.
6. 6 Transfer the drained curds to a bowl. Crumble them with clean hands, sprinkle the salt evenly over the surface, and knead gently for 2-3 minutes so the salt is absorbed and the curds knit together.
7. 7 Press the salted curds firmly into a small mold, a ramekin, or a bowl lined with plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours to let the texture set into a sliceable wheel.
8. 8 Unmold and serve. The cheese keeps wrapped in the fridge for up to 7 days; eat it cold on crackers, in salads, or pan-fried in a little butter until golden (about 2 minutes per side).