Lemon juice creates a clean, bright curd, predictable and neutral in flavor. Raw apple cider vinegar is what Amish and traditional homestead cheesemakers actually used, and it adds a subtle, earthy complexity lemon juice doesn’t.
When to use which
- For a quick thirty-minute farmer’s cheese, use whichever you have on hand.
- For a soft cheese eaten with fruit, use lemon juice.
- For savory dishes or cheese sitting in the fridge all week, use 1/4 cup (60ml) raw apple cider vinegar per gallon of milk.
Raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar also carries the “mother” — beneficial bacteria long valued in folk tradition.