Questions on Cream Cheese Starter Culture

Sort by Date Helpfulness

• From Judy at 4/13/12 8:57 AM
  • Is the rennet animal or vegetable?
  • This culture uses vegetable rennet.
  • Do you find this question helpful?  Yes   No
• From Kathy at 4/23/12 5:08 PM
  • How long does this last in the frig?
  • The starter will last 3-4 wks at room temp, 6-12 months in the refrigerator, 12+ in the freezer.​
  • Do you find this question helpful?  Yes   No
• From HJ at 4/29/12 11:51 PM
  • How many ounces does ONE batch make?
  • Each packet of this product will culture between 2 and 4 quarts of milk. Once the milk is cultured, you need to strain it to get the thick consistency of cream cheese, which will reduce the volume... so depending on how much whey you strain out, you may get around half the volume (or more, or less).
    
  • Do you find this question helpful?  Yes   No
• From Kathy at 5/1/12 2:27 PM
  • When using raw milk, do I leave the cream in the milk or should I strain it off? Or, does it matter? I wanted to keep the cream and make butter with it.
  • You can try skimming off the cream, but your cheese may turn out very dry and may not press or age properly. Reduced fat cheeses have additives, because taking the fat out changes the texture.
    
    Try making butter from a different batch of milk, and save the fatty cream for the cream cheese, for best results.
  • Do you find this question helpful?  Yes   No
• From Jennifer at 5/23/12 8:45 PM
  • Can this be used with non-dairy milk?
  • We had our cheese expert test this. Here were her results: It does NOT work. I tried it with almond and rice milk, and while they are slightly soured, neither had sufficient solids to turn into anything. It does work with coconut, but not as well as dairy kefir grains do.​
  • Do you find this question helpful?  Yes   No
• From Diane at 1/4/13 10:00 AM
  • Can I use this culture to make cheese with raw milk?
  • Yes you can. There are instructions included with the starter, and here's a page that also has instructions and mentions raw milk: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/how-to-make-cream-cheese-recipe
  • Do you find this question helpful?  Yes   No
• From Brianna at 2/3/13 8:55 PM
  • Does whole milk need to be used? Or can skim milk be used?
  • The fat in whole milk provides the smooth, creamy thickness that cream cheese is known for. If you use skim milk, you will probably get quite a bit of liquid drained off, and a thin, sparse "cream cheese." Commercially sold reduced-fat cream cheeses use thickeners and stabilizers for body and texture. If you add thickeners and/or stabilizers to skim milk, you could use this culture to make a fairly palatable cream cheese.
  • Do you find this question helpful?  Yes   No
• From jackie at 2/28/13 7:41 PM
  • is the maltodextrin from gmo corn?
  • The maltodextrin in this product is certified non-GMO. It is from either corn or rice, but the amount remaining in the culture is "below trace" and therefore not labeled.
  • Do you find this question helpful?  Yes   No
• From Tal at 5/10/13 3:30 AM
  • Can the cream cheese made from this starter be frozen for use later? Should I salt it before freezing or after?
  • You can freeze cream cheese, but the texture will likely change when thawed. It can be more crumbly. Whipping once thawed may help the consistency. Salt should be added prior to freezing.
  • Do you find this question helpful?  Yes   No

Ask Your Own Question