Farmer's Cheese

Place the five quarts of buttermilk in a non corrosive pan, i.e. enamel or stainless steel. Pour water at least half way up the sides of the containers (use cardboard ones, not glass bottles). Bring to a boil and let it go for 20 minutes. Turn of and wait until the water is tepid. Hang the cheesecloth strainer over the sink or over a large pot. You will need help here. Pour each quart of 'cooked' buttermilk into the strainer and let it hang at least 12 hours. What you will have left in the bag is a very dry cheese, similar to Farmer's cheese. You can add a bit of sugar to the cheese. If you put it in the Food Processor and zap it with a some milk you have a creamy spread, similar to cream cheese. We use this in Blintzes and in place of ricotta in some recipes. It would be wonderful if you need Farmer's cheese and can't get it.