Farmer’s Cheese (Tvorog)

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my farmer’s cheese recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Milk – I recommend whole milk for the richest, creamiest texture. You can use 2% or skim, but you’ll definitely taste the difference.
• An Acidic Ingredient – This is what works its magic to turn your milk into cheese! Most farmer’s cheese recipes use white vinegar. I use a combination of vinegar and lemon juice in mine, because the flavor turns out better that way. You’ll need freshly squeezed lemon juice, as the bottled stuff is not acidic enough.
• Sea Salt

Can you use only vinegar or only lemon juice?

Yes, but the time to ferment will vary. Vinegar is stronger than lemon juice, so using vinegar alone will be faster. Lemon juice alone won’t be as effective, and will definitely take much longer.

How To Make Farmer’s Cheese

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Heat the milk. Combine the milk and a pinch of salt in a large pot or Dutch oven. Heat on the stove over medium heat, until bubbles form on top — just before a simmer. This will take a while! Turn off the heat once it reaches this point.
2. Stir in the vinegar and lemon juice. The milk will start to curdle after a few minutes. Let the mixture sit in the pot for 10-15 more minutes.
3. Strain. Place a colander or fine mesh sieve lined with a cheesecloth (I use these organic ones) over a large bowl (or a second pot). Pour the curdled mixture through the cheesecloth to strain the curds.

4. Squeeze out the liquid. Wrap the cheesecloth around the curds. Wring and squeeze to get as much liquid out as possible. It should be a lot.
5. Season if you like. The cheese curds in the cheesecloth are farmer’s cheese! Open up the cheesecloth and add more salt to your taste.

6. Enjoy crumbled, or press to make it firm. If you want your tvorog to have a firm, spreadable texture, wrap the cheesecloth tightly around the cheese and shape it into a disc. Place it on a plate and weigh down with something heavy (I use my Dutch oven lid!). Place in the refrigerator to firm up.

Storage Instructions

Keep crumbled farmer’s cheese in an airtight container in the fridge, similarly to how goat or feta cheese come from the store. For firmly pressed, keep it wrapped tightly in plastic wrap before placing in the container.

It will have the best texture for 2-3 days, but can last a few more days before it goes bad. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months, but it will be more crumbly after thawing. I try not to freeze it.

Ways To Use It

Both my grandmothers used farmer’s cheese in many ways, and since making it myself, I’ve come up with a few new ones. Here are some ideas you can try:

• Appetizers – Spread it into mini bell peppers or stuff dates with it. You can even place a pressed disc onto a holiday charcuterie board with crackers.
• Blintzes – For blintzes like my grandma’s, mash the farmer’s cheese with sweetener of your choice (I use Besti), fold in raisins, and wrap in your favorite crepes (I use almond flour crepes these days). The wrapping process is a lot like cabbage rolls, where you’d fold in the sides first and then roll. Then, fry them in a little oil until golden.
• Breakfast Bowl – Fill a bowl with tvorog, and top with healthy granola and berries. Add a dollop of jam or a drizzle of honey (I use my zero sugar honey).
• Pancakes – Add a few tablespoons to your pancake batter, or use it in place of cream cheese in my cream cheese pancakes. I also plan to test a recipe for syrniki, which are tvorog pancakes my grandma made with this cheese.
• Cheesecake – To lighten it up, replace half of the cream cheese in your favorite recipe with farmer’s cheese. It’ll be a smoother than a ricotta cheesecake, but less so than using regular cream cheese. This also works by replacing half the yogurt in my healthy cheesecake recipe.
• Lasagna – Since this cheese is very similar to ricotta, you can use it as a substitute. I’ve enjoyed it in zucchini lasagna.
• Salad – Use it in place of goat cheese in my strawberry spinach salad, fall salad, spring mix salad, or mandarin orange salad. It’s great for all seasons!