Homemade Twarog, Polish farmers cheese, is a fresh, tangy and mild cheese that is easy to make and useful in both cooking, baking or to eat just as is. You only need 2-3 ingredients, depending on which method you choose and about 15 minutes to make it. This polish twang is gluten, grain free and low carb.
Polish Twarog, or Polish Farmers cheese as you say in English, has a special place in my heart. I grew up watching my mom, my grandmothers, my uncle or my ciocia (aunt) making this cheese at home. And I knew that some tasty food were to be made using twarog. Twarog can be made in a few different ways and used in a wide variety of dishes and recipes. Polish farmers cheese is like a mix of cottage cheese and quark, being a bit dryer than regular cottage cheese, but also not as smooth as a traditional quark. This farmers cheese, or similar varieties, are actually a staple in most Eastern European countries. In Poland you can find twarog in almost all grocery stores. In Sweden I’ve seen imported twarog in a few stores, but not to any wider extent. So good thing it’s really easy to make your own at home. Twarog is just as useful in cooking as baking and can be made both sweet and savory. Some of my favorite recipes including twarog are traditional polish dumpling with either sweet or savory cheese filling, different breads and cakes baked with twarog, polish crepes filled with sugar and cinnamon flavored twarog, “lazy dumplings”, baked treats topped with a twarog crumble mixture on top (might not sound that tasty, but it truly is) or to just use it as a spread on your breakfast toast.
A few tips:
- In this recipe I provide two different ways of making twarog. One using Swedish filmjölk, kefir or sour milk, and one using milk and vinegar. I always make it with filmjölk.
- If you have old milk that has turned sour you can use it to make farmers cheese instead of throwing it away. If you’re a bit reluctant of using old sour milk, then go for one of the other optionas.
- No matter which method or base you choose, you want it to come to a gentle boil, reducing the heat to low, then letting it simmer until it curdles. Do not boil on high heat to prevent it from cooking over, burning the milk and giving it a bitter and burnt taste.
- Run the curdled cheese through a coffee filter or cheesecloths, separating the whey and the actual cheese. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes to make sure it’s strained properly.
- Transfer the curdles cheese to an airtight container. Mix with creme fraiche, sour cream or quark.
- Now you can leave it as is or add any spices, herbs of your liking. A few suggestions for seasoning: fresh herbs, chopped chives, thinly sliced scallion, salt and pepper just to mention a few. You can also make different salads or spreads using twarog, like egg salad, mackerel salad, spread with radish and chives.
- The cheese is good to store in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Ingredients for Homemade Twarog – Polish Farmers Cheese:
Version 1:
- Filmjölk, sour milk, kefir
- Creme fraiche, sour cream or quark
- Salt (optional)
- Herbs and seasoning of your choice (optional)
Version 2:
- Milk
- Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- Creme fraiche, sour cream or quark
- Salt (optional)
- Herbs and seasoning of your choice (optional)
Other recipes you might like:
- Vegan Cream Cheese (Made with Cashews)
- Vegan Ricotta (Cauliflower & Tofu Based)
- Whipped Goat Cheese Cream with Home Cooked Cherry Marmalade (Vegetarian, Gluten, Grain & Sugar Free)
- Rhubarb Compote (Vegan, Gluten & Sugar Free)
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Dip (Vegan, Gluten, Grain & Sugar Free)
- Roasted Beetroot Pesto (Gluten & Grain Free)
Homemade Twarog – Polish Farmers Cheese (Gluten, Grain Free & Low Carb)
Ingredients
Filmjölk/Sour Milk/Kefir Based
- 1 liter Filmjölk/Sour Milk
- 2-4 tbsp Creme Fraiche, Greek yogurt or Quark
- Salt, to taste (optional)
- Herbs or seasoning of your choice (optional)
For the milk based
- 1 liter Milk
- 2 tbsp Apple cider or white wine vinegar
- 2-4 tbsp Creme Fraiche, Greek yogurt or Quark
- Salt, to taste (optional)
- Herbs or seasoning of your choice (optional)
Instructions
For the filmjölk/sour milk/kefir version
- Pour the filmjölk/sour milk/kefir into a big pot. Bring to a gentle boil, lower the heat and let it simmer until it starts to curdle. Remove from the heat and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Place a colander over a large bowl or pot. Drape a thin clean kitchen towel over the colander. Pour the mixture over/into the kitchen towel lying over the colander. Now the curds and the whey (liquid) will separate. Save the whey for later and use it in bread baking, waffles, cakes, biscuits or any other recipe that can use an extra tang.
- When the curd has drained for 10-15 minutes transfer to an air tight container. Add 2-4 tablespoons of sour cream, creme Fraiche, yogurt or quark (depending on how creamy you prefer your farmers cheese). Season with salt (if using) and any additional seasoning like fresh herbs or chives. It is also great to leave plain, you can always add the seasoning when it's time to use it. And by leaving it plain you can also use it in sweet recipes.
- Store in the fridge for up to a week.
For the milk version
- Pour the milk into a big pot. Bring to a gentle boil, lower the heat and let it simmer until small bubbles start to form. Remove from the heat, stir in the vinegar and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Place a colander over a large bowl or pot. Drape a thin clean kitchen towel over the colander. Pour the mixture over/into the kitchen towel lying over the colander. Now the curds and the whey (liquid) will separate. Save the whey for later and use it in bread baking, waffles, cakes, biscuits or any other recipe that can use an extra tang.
- When the curd has drained for 10-15 minutes transfer to an air tight container. Add 2-4 tablespoons of sour cream, Creme Fraiche, yogurt or quark (depending on how creamy you prefer your farmers cheese). Season with salt (if using) and any additional seasoning like fresh herbs or chives. It is also great to leave plain, you can always add the seasoning when it's time to use it. And by leaving it plain you can also use it in sweet recipes.
- Store in the fridge for up to to a week.