:QUOTE [quotetype:personal] Cream cheese is not a processed food. It is a fresh cheese that factories made confusing. :INFO What Cream Cheese Actually Is Cream cheese is a fresh, unaged acid-set cheese made from cream or a mix of cream and whole milk. Acid from a bacterial culture curdles the proteins, and a small amount of rennet firms the curd. Draining through cheesecloth for 12 to 24 hours produces the smooth, spreadable texture. No special equipment, no aging, no brine. The whole process from inoculation to edible cheese takes about 18 hours. :COUNTER.half 75 F | :COUNTER.half 12 to 18 Hours :PATH Warm and Inoculate the Cream Heat cream to 75 F, then stir in cultured buttermilk and a drop of rennet. | :INFO Warm and Inoculate the Cream Gently warm 1 quart of heavy cream to 75°F — it should feel just above body temperature. Stir in 1/4 cup of cultured buttermilk and 1 drop of liquid rennet diluted in 2 tablespoons of unchlorinated water. Stir for 1 minute then stop. Cover and leave undisturbed at 70 to 75°F for 12 hours. The cream will set into a soft curd. :PATH Check the Set Tilt the container — the mass should hold together and pull from the sides. | :INFO Check the Set After 12 hours the cream should have set into a soft, yogurt-like mass. It will be slightly yellow from the cream fat. Press gently — it should hold its form but feel tender. If it is still liquid, leave it another 2 to 4 hours. A clean break means good curd formation. :PATH Drain Through Cheesecloth Ladle into a cheesecloth-lined strainer and refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours. | :INFO Drain Through Cheesecloth Line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth. Ladle the curd gently into the cloth — do not stir or break it up. Bring the corners together, tie loosely, and set over a bowl. Refrigerate. After 12 hours check consistency. At 18 hours it will be thick and spreadable. Blend briefly with a hand mixer for the smoothest texture. :CHECKLIST What You Need [ ] 1 quart heavy cream or cream-milk blend [ ] 1/4 cup cultured buttermilk [ ] 1 drop liquid rennet [ ] Unchlorinated or filtered water [ ] Cheesecloth [ ] Colander and bowl :NOTE Chlorine in Tap Water Kills the Culture Always use filtered or bottled water when diluting rennet. Chlorine in municipal tap water will inhibit or kill the lactic acid bacteria in the buttermilk starter. The same applies to any equipment you rinse — let chlorinated water air-dry for 30 minutes before contact with the culture, or rinse with filtered water. :QUOTE [quotetype:personal] The freshest cream cheese you have ever tasted is eighteen hours away. :LINK https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/cheese/how-to-make-cream-cheese/ Cultures for Health — How to Make Cream Cheese at Home