Fresh cheese
Cream cheese
United States — New York State. American-style cream cheese is commonly attributed to a dairy in Chester, New York, in the 1870s.
Profile
- Milk
- Cow's milk and cream.
- Pasteurisation
- Commercial: pasteurised.
- Texture
- Smooth, dense, spreadable.
- Flavour
- Rich, mildly tangy.
- Aroma
- Fresh cream.
- Rind
- None.
- Typical maturation
- None
Tasting & pairing
Compare homemade (tangier) with commercial (smoother, stabilised). Use the tasting wheel.
Food
- Bagels
- Smoked fish
- Cheesecake
- Cinnamon rolls
Drinks (non-alcoholic)
- Coffee
- Black tea
Storage: Refrigerate; homemade within about a week.
How it's made
- Method
- Cream and milk are cultured until acid sets them, then the curd is drained (or centrifuged) and often blended smooth.
- Cultures
- Mesophilic lactic cultures.
- Coagulation
- Acid (cultures)
- Curd handling
- Drained in cloth; blended for smoothness.
- Pressing
- None.
- Salting
- Lightly.
- Ageing
- None.
At home: Intermediate home make
Needs a culture and patience.
Recipes on FriendsPantry that use it
Sources
- Cheese Making Technology e-book — University of Guelph, Food Science
- Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
Guidance changes: check the source for current wording. Original text; figures quoted from the sources where stated.