Today, we’re diving into how to make quark with buttermilk. If you’ve ever wanted to try making fresh cheese at home, you’re in for a treat! This creamy, tangy cheese is not only delicious but also incredibly versatile. Whether making savoury or sweet dishes or enjoying it straight from the bowl, quark is a fantastic and healthy addition to your culinary repertoire. So, roll up your sleeves and let’s get started on this simple and satisfying cheese-making journey!
Table of Contents
How to make German Quark with Buttermilk
- 1 liter milk 1,5% fat for 20% fat Quark, 3,5-3,8% fat for 40% fat Quark
- 50 g buttermilk
- In a large bowl, mix buttermilk and milk.
- Allow it to sit until it reaches a consistency similar to yoghurt. I let the quark sit for 48 hours at 20°C (68°F). If your room is warmer, the process may only take 24 hours. Be sure to check the consistency periodically to monitor its progress.
- When the mixture reaches a yoghurt-like consistency, strain it to remove the acidic whey. Use a large sieve over a bowl that fits your sieve and cheesecloth for this process. If you don't have cheesecloth, you can use a cotton towel.
- Don't let the cheesecloth edges hang over the kitchen counter. Instead, please place them in the sieve to prevent them from making a puddle under your bowl.
- Straining may take up to 6 hours, depending on the desired consistency. After 6 hours, the Quark will be thick, making it perfect for cheesecake or Quarkbällchen.
- Make sure that you check and remove the whey from the bowl, if there is too much of it.
- Use a large spoon to remove the Quark from the cheesecloth.
- Store your quark in an airtight container in the fridge for up to seven days.
What is Quark?
Quark is a creamy, slightly tangy, spreadable dairy product similar to yoghurt or cream cheese, and it is popular in Germany. There are several ways to make it; in today’s post, however, we will use milk and buttermilk.
Quark’s texture is between yoghurt and cream cheese. Its taste is fresh, and the less fat it contains, the more tart it is. In German grocery stores, you can usually buy Magerquark with less than 10% fat and Speisequark with 20% or 40% fat.
Quark plays a massive role in German cuisine. We eat it for breakfast, lunch, dessert, and dinner. It can be found in cereals, cakes, desserts, and as a side dish.
Ingredients Needed
To make quark with buttermilk, you will need just two ingredients.
Milk – to make any quark, you will need fresh pasteurised milk. I am making Speisequark with 20% fat, and therefore, I will use milk with 1,5% fat.
Buttermilk – chose regular buttermilk with any fat content.
Equipment
Large Bowl – use an oven-prooved bowl, such as glass or ceramic.
Kitchen Towel – use the kitchen towel to cover the bowl.
Sieve – use a large sieve to strain the mixture.
Cheese Cloth – use cloth made of cotton.
Quark Variations - Types of Quark
To make quark with 20% use milk with 1,5% fat.
To make quark with 40% ude milk with 3,5-3,8% fat.
Steps to make Quark with Buttermilk
Step 1: Gather the ingredients and mix them
Step 2: Let it sit at room temperature (not lower than 20°C/68°F ) for 48 hours
Step 3: Strain the mixture (the longer you strain it, the thicker it will become)
Step 5: Well done, enjoy your homemade quark!
Make the cheese with your eyes rather than timings
Making quark is easy, but the timing might change depending on how hot or cold it is. Therefore, I would encourage you to be patient and curious and make it with your eyes.
How do you strain the mixture?
To strain the mixture you will need a bowl that fits your sieve, sieve and cheese cloth or cotton towel.
When is the right time to strain the cheese?
I let the mixture of milk and buttermilk sit for 48 hours in a room at 20°C (68°F). The cheese’s consistency got pretty thick (similar to yoghurt). This is the right time to strain the mixture.
Remove the whey every few hours
Depending on how much you want your quark, you will be left with some acidic whey. Remove the excess whey from the bowl every few hours and keep it in a separate bowl in the fridge. Please don’t throw it away! Whey contains probiotics and has a bracing acidity, so you can use it in your smoothies or even to tone your skin. If you are looking for creative ways to use up whey, I recommend reading this helpful blog post: Creative ways to use leftover Whey.
Tips for Perfect Quark
Use Full-Fat Ingredients
Use full-fat ingredients if you want your quark to be extremely creamy and tasty.
Keep an Eye on the Temperature
To make a quark, you need a bit of warmth. We have an energy crisis, but your quark will still need a room temperature above 20°V (68°F). Funny enough, I am just sitting in my living room at 20° and wondering how my quark is doing and how long it will take this time to make it!
How to Eat and Serve Quark
This is, without a doubt, my favourite section of this blog post, as I will share with you my favourite ways of serving and eating German Quark.
Savoury ways of eating German quark:
- Mixed with various herbs and spices on the top of jacket potatoes
- Mixed with linseed oil
- Mixed with garlic as a side to potato pancakes (instead of apple sauce)
Sweet ways of eating German quark:
- Zwetschgen Knödel
- Quarkauflauf
- Quarkbällchen
- Quark Schichtdessert
- Käsekuchen
- Haferflocken-Frucht Quark
- Haferbrei mit Quark und Früchten
- Polish Crepes with Quark Filling
Storage & Reheating
You can store homemade quark in the fridge for up to 7 days.
