Garlic & Herb Cream Cheese
- 5 MINUTES
- MAKES 2 CUPS
- EASY-PEASY
Making garlic & herb cream cheese spread from homemade cream cheese is a piece of cake! The best part? It’s free of harmful additives, nutritious, tasty and super quick to make. Your family and friends will love you for it!
Contents
Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese Recipe
STEP 1: Make the Cream Cheese
If you prefer to use commercial cream cheese, skip to step #2 for further instructions. If you prefer to make your own, then you’ll need to separate the milk solids from the liquid whey to make the cream cheese at home.
You'll Need:
- 1 kg of plain, unsweetened yogurt or kefir (organic is best)
- a clean tea towel (see the variation tip below for using a cheese cloth)
- a strainer
- a dripping bowl
- a lid that will fit on top of the strainer
Instructions:
- Place the strainer on top of the bowl.
- Line the strainer with the clean tea towel.
- Transfer the yogurt or kefir into the lined strainer.
- Cover with a lid and let sit for about 12 hours at room temperature (do not transfer it in the fridge, leave it on the kitchen counter).
VARIATION TIP
If you're using cheese cloth instead of a tea towel, you can use the following two methods: 1, simply transfer the yogurt or kefir into the cloth. Tigh the cloth onto a hook (cupboard handle) so it remains elevated. Place a bowl underneath the cloth to allow the liquid whey to drip into it. 2, Using a tall jar will work also. Just tigh the cloth onto a wooden spoon and lay the spoon on the jar's rim. The cloth will be inside the jar but elevated and hanging off the wooden spoon so the whey will easily drip off.
Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese Recipe
STEP 2: Store the Liquid Whey
After 12 hours, the milk solids should be free of liquid whey, which fully dripped into the bowl.
What's liquid whey good for and what to do with it?
The liquid whey can be used in many ways. First, you can swap water or milk for liquid whey to boost the nourishing power of your shakes. Second, liquid whey can be used as a starter culture for lacto-fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi. Finally, you can add one tablespoon of liquid whey to a glass of room temperature water to help and settle the stomach.
Storage Instructions:
Simply transfer the liquid whey into a closable jar and keep in the fridge tightly sealed. It will last for up to 6 months and you can use the extra whey as per the examples above.
Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese Recipe
STEP 3: Make the Garlic & Herb Spread
It will take you less than 5 minutes to make the garlic and herb cream spread.
You'll Need:
- Fresh herbs to taste (I’m using chives & dill)
- Garlic to taste (I’m using 4 medium size cloves of garlic for this batch)
- A pinch of nutrient dense salt (I’m using Himalayan salt)
- A mixing bowl
- A spatula
- A closable food box for storage (I like glass)
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients!
- Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge (consume within a week).
CONSISTENCY TIP
Have the liquid whey handy in case the spread is too thick and you want to make it "runnier". I find that thinner texture is great for dips and thicker consistency works for sandwiches.
Ahoy, I'm Eva!
