Garlic and chive kefir cheese spread

Prep Time 5

Refrigerated straining 1

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

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Ingredients

▢ 500 g plain milk kefir One 500 g bottle is enough.
▢ 2 tbsp fresh chives Snip finely before measuring. Finely chopped green onion tops can be used instead.
▢ ¼ tsp garlic powder Choose garlic powder without added salt.
▢ ½ tsp prepared mustard Use yellow or Dijon-style mustard made from mustard seeds, not green sushi paste.
▢ 1 pinch salt
▢ 1 pinch ground pepper

You will need

Fine-mesh sieve and tightly woven food-safe cheesecloth
Deep bowl and a plate for covering
Small mixing bowl and spoon
Kitchen scissors and measuring spoons
Kitchen scale

Instructions

Set a sieve lined with a double layer of clean cheesecloth over a deep bowl, leaving room underneath for the whey to collect.
Pour the milk kefir into the lined sieve.
Cover with a plate and let the whey drain in the refrigerator at 4°C (40°F) or below for about 24 hours, until the cheese is thick enough to spread.
Scrape the drained cheese into a small mixing bowl. Keep the whey in a covered jar in the fridge in case the cheese needs loosening.
Rinse the chives under cool running water, then pat dry with a clean paper towel.
Finely snip the chives, then measure the amount needed.
Use a spoon to stir the chives, garlic powder, mustard, salt and pepper into the cheese until evenly mixed.
Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Our Greek Yogurt Maker, a strainer box made for the fridge, can replace the sieve and cloth. A 500 g bottle of kefir gives roughly 200 g of cheese, depending on how much whey drains away.

Storage and safety

Store in a clean, airtight container at 4°C (40°F) or below and eat within 2–3 days, or sooner if the kefir label gives an earlier date. Discard if left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour above 32°C (90°F). Contains mustard.