How I make my own Quark

To buy Quark is the US is possible, but prohibitively expensive. So, here is a fool-proof way to make it yourself.

1/2 gallon of cold organic 1% fat fresh milk (I use The Organic Cow of Vermont)
1 1/2 cups of cold fat-free buttermilk
1 large non-reactive bowl (stainless steel, or porcellain) with a lid
1 large sieve or strainer
1 old t-shirt, cut open to use as a kitchen linen for straining

Pour the milk into the container and mix in the buttermilk. Mix well with a very clean spatula. Close with the lid, and put in a warm place (77-90F) for ca. 24-36 hours (like close to an heated oven or outside in the summer). After that the milk should have a solid consistency, almost like a yogurt. At this point, place the sterilized t-shirt over the strainer, and pour in the thickened milk over the t-shirt into the strainer to drain the mixture. It will separate the whey (molke) from the solid part of the quark. Place the strainer over a large bowl, and wait for another 24h until the water/whey of the thickened 'sour' milk slowly drips out. Stir the draining milk mixture once in a while, and remove the liquid in the bottom of the bowl (*). After 24 h, the quark left in the cloth will have a thick yoghurt like creamy consistency, a very mild taste (see picture above), and can be used for sweet or savory dishes. It is similar to fromage blanc or thick greek yogurt.




Note: regular milk will likely not work because of pasteurization and homogenization it does not turn sour anymore.

(*) the drained whey is highly nutritious (and low calorie). You can collect it, chill it, and add some sugar; very refreshing. In Germany, you can actually buy whey as a drink (Molke).