My great-grandparents immigrated from Syria to the United States and brought their recipe with them. Over the years it has been Americanized and modernized for the way we live today and the ingredients available. This Middle Eastern cheese is similar in texture to feta. It takes time to make but is so worth the effort and patience that you put into making it.
Ingredients:
3 pounds Farmer’s Cheese Oil
3 Tablespoons Salt Thyme
Directions:
• Open and drain the cheese in cheesecloth.
• When drained – In a large bowl mix cheese and salt very well.
• Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Then, with paper towels.
• Form cheese mixture into balls and place on paper towels. Traditionally they are about the size of oranges but I prefer them about half that size
• Next, cover with another layer of paper towels.
• Now place in a warm place (top of the refrigerator works well) for 3 – 4 days. Important: Each day turn the balls and replace the paper towels with new ones.
• Now place a paper towel in the bottom of a container ( I use a coffee can) and place the balls inside and another paper towel on top.
• Cover and Place in a warm place and check for mold in 3 – 4 days.
• When the balls are ready, In separate bowls place enough Oil and Thyme to coat the balls. If you want you can get Za’atar online to roll the balls in.
• Wash off the mold and roll the balls in the oil and then the thyme.
• Store in the refrigerator or wrap each ball in plastic wrap and freeze. Thaw at room temperature as needed.
Note: For 2 Weight Watchers SmartPoints use 1 Tablespoon.
I love this on eggs, salads, fresh tomato slices, and pizza.
- Grade 90 Best Quality Cheesecloth
- 6 Square Yards
- Made from 100% soft and absorbent lint free cotton
- Natural and Unbleached – no bleach or harmful chemicals
- 100% Money Back Guarantee
- Possible Uses
-> Nut Milk Bag Alternative
-> Spice/Herb and Natural Tea Bags
-> Basting Turkey/Chicken and other poultry
-> Canning, Cheese Making, Wine Making, Straining Jelly
-> Making Greek Yoghurt
-> Art and Craft
-> Polishing/Dusting Furniture
-> Cleaning Cars, Mirrors, etc…
When I received the opportunity to review the Jolly Chefs Cheesecloth in exchange for my honest opinion being of Syrian descent I knew that I wanted to make Shanklish from my family’s recipe. The cheesecloth was strong and the tightness of the weave made extracting the liquid simple and effective. This 90-grade cloth performed very well for this recipe. I will be using it for a long time because there’s such a large amount in the package I barely used any. I believe this a great value and would highly recommend this product.