Kamil Perry
Crowdie is a traditional Scottish cheese made from cow's milk. It is said that the Vikings brought the cheese to Scotland in the 8th century, though some claim it was first made by the Picts, a group from northern Scotland, in the 3rd century. The cheese is soft and creamy with a crumbly, mousse-like texture and a tangy flavour. It is often flavoured with herbs such as chives, parsley, or pepper and traditionally served coated in oats.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Cheese | Soft, fresh cheese |
| Texture | Creamy, slightly crumbly |
| Taste | Mild, tangy |
| Flavour | Herbs (chives, parsley, pepper), honey |
| Variants | Black Crowdie, Skinny Crowdie |
| Ingredients | Cow's milk, rennet tablets, citric acid, sea salt, herbs and spices |
| Preparation | Milk is heated to 90F/32C, mixed with citric acid, covered, and left for 30 minutes. Rennet mixture is added, and the mixture is heated to 105F/40C and maintained for 3-4 minutes. |
| Serving Suggestions | Oatcakes, biscuits, sandwiches, toast, French bread, salad, pear, pasta, baked potato |
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What You'll Learn
Cow's milk is the base ingredient
Cows' milk is the base ingredient of Crowdie cheese, a traditional Scottish cheese with a creamy, crumbly texture and a mild, tangy flavour. It is said that Crowdie was introduced to Scotland by the Vikings in the 8th century, though some sources suggest it was first made much earlier by the Picts, a group who dwelled in northern Scotland and first appeared in historical texts in the late 3rd century.
Crowdie is a soft, fresh cheese often flavoured with herbs such as chives, parsley, or pepper. It is made using whole milk, which is heated to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius). Citric acid is then added to the milk and mixed with a wooden spoon in an up-and-down motion. After letting the mixture sit for about 30 minutes, a rennet mixture is added, and the mixture is heated again to 105.4 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) and maintained at this temperature for about 3-4 minutes. The result is a pan full of lumpy curds, similar to cottage cheese.
To transform these curds into Crowdie cheese, they are carefully poured into a colander lined with muslin, allowing the whey to drain into a bowl below. After draining for 15 minutes, salt is added to the curds. To create a firmer cheese, some recipes call for pressing out as much liquid as possible by wrapping the muslin around the curds and placing a weight on top. The cheese is then shaped into balls or patties, coated in a mixture of pinhead oatmeal and coarsely ground black pepper, and placed in the fridge to set.
Crowdie cheese is a versatile ingredient that can be spread on sweet or savoury dishes, similar to cream cheese. It is commonly served with oatcakes, biscuits, or toast and can also be used in baked potatoes or stirred into pasta for a creamy sauce.
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Rennet tablets and citric acid are also used
Rennet tablets and citric acid are used in the process of making Crowdie cheese. The rennet tablets need to be dissolved in some cooled boiled water. Similarly, the citric acid should be dissolved in a small amount of boiled and cooled water. The amount of water used should be enough to allow the tablets and acid to dissolve.
The milk is then heated to 90°F/32°C, and the citric acid solution is added to it. The mixture is stirred in an up-and-down style, rather than the usual circular stirring motion. The pan is then covered and left to sit for about 30 minutes.
After this, half of the rennet mixture is added to the milk and citric acid mixture, and it is stirred again in the same up-and-down style for about 10 seconds. The pan is then placed back on the heat and brought up to 105.40°F/40°C, where it is kept for about 3-4 minutes.
The result of this process is a pan full of lumpy curds, similar in appearance to cottage cheese. The curds are then carefully poured into a muslin-lined colander placed over a large bowl to catch the whey. The mixture is left to drain for 15 minutes, after which salt is added.
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It's a soft, creamy, slightly crumbly cheese
Crowdie is a soft, creamy, slightly crumbly cheese. It is a traditional Scottish cheese made from cow's milk. It is said that Crowdie was introduced to Scotland by the Vikings in the 8th century, though some sources suggest it was first made much earlier by the Picts. It is a soft, fresh cheese with a creamy, slightly crumbly texture and a mild, tangy flavor. It is often flavored with herbs such as chives, parsley, or pepper.
Crowdie is a very simple cheese to make at home. At its most basic, it only requires one ingredient: milk. To make traditional Crowdie, you would use raw milk left to sour on a windowsill or by the fireside. The mixture is then gently curdled, and salt and cream are added after straining out the whey. However, due to the high moisture content and short shelf life of cheese made with raw milk, modern regulations ban the use of raw milk for Crowdie production. Nowadays, pasteurized milk is used instead, and the milk is soured with lemon juice or cultured buttermilk.
To make Crowdie at home, you will need whole milk, rennet tablets, citric acid, sea salt, and herbs and spices for flavoring (optional). The milk is heated to 90°F/32°C, and then citric acid dissolved in water is added to the milk and mixed. After letting the mixture sit for about 30 minutes, a mixture of rennet dissolved in water is added, and the mixture is heated to 105°F/40°C and maintained at this temperature for 3-4 minutes. At this point, you will have a pan full of lumpy curds that look like cottage cheese. The curds are then strained through a muslin-lined colander to separate them from the whey. After letting the whey drain for 15 minutes, salt is added to the curds.
If you want to make the traditional Scottish Crowdie that is almost firm and served in a roll covered with oats and pepper, you can wrap the muslin around the curds and place a weight on top to press out as much liquid as possible. Pieces of the cheese are then pulled off and rolled into balls, flattened into patties, and coated in a mixture of pinhead oatmeal and coarsely ground black pepper. The cheese is then placed in the fridge to set for a few hours before serving.
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It's traditionally rolled in oats and pepper
Crowdie is a traditional Scottish cheese, one of the oldest in the country, and is said to have been introduced to Scotland by the Vikings in the 8th century. It is a soft, creamy, crumbly, and spreadable cheese with a tangy flavour. It is made from cow's milk, though some sources suggest that it can also be made from goat's or sheep's milk. The process of making crowdie involves souring the milk and straining out the whey. The cheese is then rolled into balls or flattened into patties and covered in a mixture of crushed black peppercorns and pinhead oatmeal. It is placed in the fridge for a few hours to set and is best served with oatcakes, on toast, or with crunchy French bread.
The process of making crowdie is quite simple and traditionally begins with souring the milk. This can be done by leaving raw milk to sour on a windowsill or by the fireside, as crofters (farmers who tended small, rented plots of land) did, or by using modern pasteurised milk and lemon juice. The milk can also be soured by inoculating it with a new culture such as live yoghurt or cultured buttermilk.
Once the milk is soured, the next step is to strain out the whey. This can be done by lining a colander with muslin and placing it over a large bowl. The curds are then carefully poured into the colander, allowing the whey to drain into the bowl. After letting it drain for about 15 minutes, salt is added to the curds. To make the cheese firmer, a weight can be placed on top of the curds to press out as much liquid as possible.
The curds are then pulled off and rolled into balls or flattened into patties. They are then coated in a mixture of pinhead oatmeal and coarsely ground black pepper and placed in the fridge to set for a few hours. The cheese can be served with a variety of dishes, both sweet and savoury, such as oatcakes, biscuits, toast, crunchy French bread, or even in a sandwich. It can also be used as a base for many recipes, such as pasta, baked potatoes, cheesecakes, and trifles.
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It's a simple, quick recipe to make at home
Crowdie is a traditional Scottish cheese made from cow's milk. It is said that Crowdie was introduced to Scotland by the Vikings in the 8th century. It is a soft, creamy cheese with a mousse-like texture and a slightly sour aftertaste. It has a mild, tangy flavour and is often flavoured with herbs such as chives, parsley, or pepper.
Making crowdie cheese at home is simple and quick. At its most basic, it only requires one ingredient: milk. However, to make the cheese, you will need whole milk (not semi-skimmed), rennet tablets, citric acid, sea salt, and herbs and spices for flavouring (optional). You can buy rennet tablets online or from health food shops.
Ingredients:
- 2.272 litres of whole milk
- 1/4 of a rennet tablet
- 1/2 tsp of citric acid
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- Pinhead oatmeal
- Coarsely ground black pepper
Directions:
- Dissolve 1/4 of a rennet tablet in some cooled boiled water in one bowl.
- In another bowl, dissolve 1/2 tsp of citric acid with a little boiled and cooled water.
- Heat the milk to 90°F/32°C.
- Add the citric acid solution to the milk and mix with a wooden spoon in an up-and-down motion rather than stirring.
- Cover the pan and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
- Add half of the rennet mixture and mix again in an up-and-down motion for about 10 seconds.
- Heat the milk again to 105°F/40°C and maintain this temperature for 3-4 minutes. You will now have a pan full of curds that look like giant cottage cheese.
- Line a colander with butter muslin and place it over a large bowl. Carefully pour the curds into the colander, allowing the whey to drain into the bowl.
- Let it drain for 15 minutes, then add 1/2 tsp of salt to the curds.
- If you want a firmer cheese, wrap the muslin around the curds and place a weight on top to press out more of the whey.
- Pull off pieces of the cheese and roll them into balls, then flatten them slightly.
- Mix pinhead oatmeal with coarsely ground black pepper and press the cheese patties into the mixture until they are completely coated.
- Place the coated cheese patties in the fridge to set for a few hours before serving. The cheese will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Crowdie cheese can be served in many ways, such as with oatcakes, on toast, with crunchy French bread, or in a baked potato. It can also be used as a base for many recipes, such as stirring it into pasta for a creamy sauce.
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Frequently asked questions
Crowdie is a traditional Scottish cheese made from cow's milk. It is a soft, creamy cheese with a crumbly texture and a tangy flavor. It is often flavored with herbs like chives, parsley, or pepper.
To make Crowdie cheese, you need whole milk, rennet tablets, citric acid, sea salt, and herbs and spices for flavoring (optional). You can buy rennet tablets online or from health food shops. The milk is heated to 90F/32C, and then the citric acid solution is added and mixed with a wooden spoon. After letting it sit for about 30 minutes, the rennet mixture is added, and the mixture is heated again to 105F/40C and maintained for 3-4 minutes. This results in a pan of lumpy curds, which are then strained and left to drain before adding salt. The curds are then shaped into balls or patties and rolled in a mixture of pinhead oatmeal and coarsely ground black pepper. The cheese is then placed in the fridge to set.
Crowdie cheese has a creamy, crumbly texture and a mild, tangy flavor. It is often described as having a slightly sour aftertaste. It is similar to cream cheese and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.
