If skim milk exists, why not cheese made with the milk? Just as skim milk is a type of milk made for people who want fat-free and low-calorie milk, skim cheese is a fat-free and low-calorie cheese option for the same population.
Cheese-making starts with choosing the right milk. While some people prefer pasteurized milk, others prefer to make their cheese with raw, fresh milk from dairy animals.
If skim milk cheese sounds a little foreign to you or you have heard of it but don’t know so much about it, you need to read this article.
What is skim milk cheese?
Skim milk cheese is a type of cheese made completely or partially from skim milk.
The milk used to make this cheese has gone through the skimming process – the removal of fat from milk.
The cheese could be 100% skim milk or a mixture of whole milk and skim milk. The low or no fat content of the milk makes the cheese hard and grainy instead of the soft and smooth consistency of cheese made from whole milk.
However, the cheese undergoes some modifications during industrial processing that can make it less gritty. Ingredients like vegetable oil, emulsifiers, and stabilizers are added to the cheese to improve its texture.
Another feature of this type of cheese is its low moisture content which doesn’t make them melt well.
What is the nutritional value of skim milk cheese?
The nutritional value of skim milk cheese depends on the type of cheese, how it was made and the type of milk used.
For instance, skim milk cheese made wholly from skim milk will have a different nutritional profile from the part-skim milk variety.
Let’s take a look at the nutritional value of two different kinds of this cheese.
Part-skim ricotta cheese
100g serving contains:
- 138 calories
- 7.9g fat
- 5.1g carbohydrates
- 11g protein
- 31mg cholesterol
- 99mg sodium
- 125mg potassium
- 272mg calcium
- The B vitamins and other vitamins and minerals
Non-fat mozzarella cheese
100g serving contains:
- 141 calories
- 0g fat
- 3.5g carbohydrates
- 32g protein
- 18mg cholesterol
- 743mg sodium
- 106mg potassium
- 961mg calcium
- The B vitamins and other vitamins and minerals
What cheese can you make with skim milk?
Some of the cheeses that are made completely or partially from skim milk are:
- Romano (part-skim)
- Ricotta
- Parmesan
- Queso Blanco
- Cottage cheese
- Grana padano (part-skim)
- Curd cheese
- Esrom
How to make skim milk cheese
For one pound of mozzarella skim milk cheese:
Ingredients and equipment
- Bowls, measuring cups, and spoons
- Slotted spoon, knife, and thermometer
- 3 ½ pints of milk
- ½ pint of cream (single cream or half and half cream for a low-fat content)
- 1/8 teaspoon of single-strength liquid rennet
- 1 teaspoon of citric acid
Instructions
- Start by dissolving the liquid rennet in 1/8 cup of water. Also, dissolve the citric acid in ½ cup of water
- Afterward, set a pot on medium heat and pour the citric acid solution into the pot. Quickly follow it up with the milk
- Hang the thermometer over the pot to read the temperature of the milk. Heat it to 90°F, stirring continuously to prevent scorching
- When it reaches 90°F, turn off the heat
- Afterward, coagulate the milk with the dissolved liquid rennet and stir for 30 seconds.
- Coagulation begins at 2 minutes and completes within 7 to 10 minutes
- By now you should have curds. Cut them into equal squares to release the whey
- Give the curds a gentle stir to release the whey. When curds settle well, you can drain off the whey but watch out for curds that may flow with whey
- Now that you have the curds, it’s time to heat them in the microwave
- Transfer the curds into a microwave-safe bowl and heat the curds on high power for 60 seconds
- Afterward, bring out the cheese, and fold it on itself as many times as you can to release more whey
- Heat the cheese on high again for 30 seconds to begin the stretching process. You’ll notice that your cheese already feels like mozzarella when you bring it out to fold it
- For the last time, heat the cheese on high for 30 seconds and remove it
- Allow the cheese to stretch
- Then, add salt and stretch, and fold it with your hands
- When you’re done, put the cheese in a bowl of ice-cold water to keep it from collapsing
- However, do not leave it in water for too long. Once the cheese is firm and can hold its shape, transfer it to the refrigerator
How to make skim milk sauce
Apart from making regular cheese dishes with this cheese, you should try this skim milk cheese sauce recipe. This recipe makes 5 servings of skim milk sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons of minced onions
- ½ cup of chicken broth
- 2 cups of skim milk
- 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon of bouillon granules
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pour the broth and minced onions into a saucepan. Cook the mixture on medium heat until it has very little liquid left
- While the broth and onion mixture is cooking, get a clean bowl to whisk the skim milk and flour into a smooth mixture
- Whisk in the milk and flour mixture. Continue whisking until it thickens and there are no lumps
- Thereafter, add the wine, bouillon granules, salt, and black pepper
- Finally, you can now add the grated parmesan cheese
- After pouring the cheese, reduce the heat of the stove to low heat and leave it to cook for up to three minutes
- The sauce becomes creamier and thicker as the cheese melts
- When you can’t see any more cheese, remove from heat and allow to cool
- Serve skim milk cheese sauce as a dip for vegetables and chips or as a sauce for sandwiches, roasted potatoes, casseroles, and mac n cheese
Pros of skim milk cheese
- The cheese has low or no fat content which makes it healthy for people who want to limit their fat and calorie intake
- Also, skim milk cheese is rich in calcium and can promote teeth and bone health
- Additionally, the low amount of cholesterol in skim milk helps to regulate blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease
Cons of skim milk cheese
- Making cheese with skim milk yields a small amount of cheese
- Skim milk cheese does not melt well because of the hard and grainy texture
- Also, because of the low or no fat content, skim milk cheese may not be as creamy as you expect it to be, especially if you made it yourself
- There are limited options for skim milk cheese. For instance, skim milk doesn’t make great cheddar
FAQs
Are there fat-free cheeses?
Yes, there are. Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella, swiss cheese, and American cheese are available in fat-free varieties.
Can you make cheese with 1% milk?
Yes, you can.
1% milk works well for cheese making, just like every other milk that’s been used by cheesemakers. However, you’ll have a smaller cheese yield, and it’ll not be as creamy as cheese made from whole milk.
Can you make cheese with 2% milk?
Yes, you can. You can make cheese with almost any type of milk except ultrapasteurized milk. But when you make cheese with reduced-fat (2%) milk, you won’t have as much cheese as whole milk would yield.
Conclusion
Skim milk is used to produce hard and grainy cheeses like parmesan and Romano. Naturally, skim milk cheeses are supposed to have a low fat (which makes them gritty and grainy) calorie content.
But when they go through industrial processes, other ingredients are added to increase emulsification.
Other cheeses like mozzarella and Monterey jack may also contain trace amounts of skim milk.
However, remember that these cheeses do not melt well, just in case you love to melt your cheese into a creamy sauce.
Thanks for reading.
Learn all you need to know about the different types of cheese and their method of preparation on Millenora.