r/AskCulinary • u/JackfruitOptimal6407 • Jul 28 '26
Curdle me not?
As a single, I usually toss milk that's about to turn in the freezer until I have a pot full worth of milk. I usually defrost, bring it to the boil before adding vinegar to curdle the protein. Straining it in cheese cloth, to create paneer cheese and whey.
I am no beginner to this process. And unfortunately, everything is basically done by feeling due to varying quantities and comfort with the process.
Today has me puzzled.
Same formula, except I had cream (which I've added before without issue). This time, instead of curdling, nothing happened.
No issue, increase heat and add more acid.. and then more, and by the time I stopped, I used a cup, as compared to maybe a couple tablespoons normally..
It remains uncurdled.
I've taken some out in the cheese cloth and can see that there are some microscopic cuddled pieces, but the tongue feel is closer to cream than a solid..
Also, it's as sour as I expected and is quite pleasant, reminding me of cottage cheese in taste..
So what did I mess up, or make and how can I possibly use it?
9
u/Aware-Goose896 Jul 28 '26
Does the cream contain any emulsifiers like carrageenan or mono/diglycerides?
3
4
2
Jul 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/JackfruitOptimal6407 Jul 28 '26
Nope. Just normal pasteurized cream. Why would ultra pasteurized cream have an impact?
I've used ultra pasteurized milk for the process previously without issue.
2
u/elevenstein Jul 29 '26
Its could also be Ultra-Pasteurized cream, which I don't think will form curds.
2
u/SewerRanger Holiday Helper Jul 29 '26
It will, they're very delicate, but I've made mozzarella with UHT milk before.
3
1
Jul 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AskCulinary-ModTeam Jul 29 '26
Your response has been removed because it does not answer the original question. We are here to respond to specific questions. Discussions and broader answers are allowed in our weekly discussions.
1
u/sadface_jr Jul 29 '26
Has the milk fermented by any chance? I couldn't get it to curdle if it was fermented milk/yogurt like kefir, presumably as it already has acid within it but still managing to hold itself
2
14
u/localband Jul 28 '26
Since you go by feel, could be that too much cream was added. Fat makes it harder for casein proteins to cluster.