Farmer's Cheese
Farmer's cheese is pressed curds, an unripened cheese made by adding rennet and a bacterial starter to milk. It comes from cow, sheep or goat milk, and the style ranges from pressed cottage cheese to a firm wheel close to Monterey Jack.
Key Facts
| Milk Type | Cow's, goat's or sheep's milk |
| Rind | Natural |
| Texture | Soft |
| Flavor | Creamy |
| Colors | Pale yellow |
| Age | Unripened |
| Rennet Type | Animal |
| Also Known As | Farmers' cheese, Farmer cheese |
What is Farmer's Cheese?
Farmer's cheese is pressed curds, or an unripened cheese made by adding rennet and a bacterial starter to milk. The starter acidifies the milk and the rennet coagulates it. There is no aging step.
The milk can come from cows, sheep or goats. Each one gives the finished cheese its own texture and flavor, so two cheeses sold under the same name can be quite different.
A cheese technologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison counts three cheeses under this name. American-style farmer cheese is cottage cheese pressed to remove water. European-style farmer cheese is tvorog. Wisconsin or Amish-style farmer cheese is firm and closer to Monterey Jack.
How Does Farmer's Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Farmer's Cheese against.
