The Last Thing To Do Before Throwing Away Sour Milk

Picture this: One day you pour yourself a tall glass of milk to go with your fresh baked cookies, only to realize that the beverage is a bit more pungent than usual. You take a sniff, and to your dismay you realize your milk has gone sour. You may despair that your only option is to send the drink down the drain, but fret not. There's no use crying over sour milk, because you can easily turn it into cheese!

Before we begin, we should clarify that we're talking about sour milk, not spoiled milk (yes, there is a difference). If your milk smells rancid and has formed lumps, it has spoiled and should not be consumed, or you will risk some serious gastrointestinal distress. However, if your milk has just a slightly sour scent, it is perfectly safe for making your own cheese. Once you've determined that your milk is only sour as opposed to spoiled, it's time to gather your cheese-making materials. All you'll need is a saucepan, white vinegar, cheesecloth, a colander, and of course, that slightly sour milk.

Heat up a saucepan with ½ gallon of sour milk until it starts to boil, then turn the heat down to low and add 3 tablespoons of vinegar. After adding the vinegar, you can start working on separating the mixture. To do this, move the saucepan off of the stovetop and begin to stir. Eventually, the heated milk should split into lumpy cheese curds and a thin, yellowish liquid called whey. Once everything has separated, let the mixture cool. Line your colander with cheesecloth and place it in the sink while you wait. When you're ready, pour the curds and whey into the colander; use your hands to squeeze the cheesecloth until the curds form together, and all the extra liquid comes out.

You can stop here and enjoy your homemade, crumbly cheese by sprinkling it on a salad or in a taco. Or, you can turn it into cottage cheese by crumbling the curds into a bowl and adding 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Then adjust the texture by adding whole milk or cream until you find a consistency you like. Believe it or not, this is just one of many recipes that will use up the sour milk in your fridge. It's always important to cut down on food waste whenever we can, so make the most of your sour milk by transforming it into cheese or using its higher acidity to bake fluffy southern biscuits and blackberry scones.