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Similar in taste and texture to greek yogurt but with the characteristics of cheese, German quark is made from the curds formed by soured milk.
What is German Quark?
German quark is a thick and creamy dairy product which is technically a cheese made from soured milk that is heated until the curds separate from the whey liquid. While it is a cheese, it is similar in taste and texture to greek yogurt.
How do Germans use Quark?
Quark can be used in many different ways. Most simply it is eaten as a snack the same way that greek yogurt is. Additionally, it is used in many desserts as a creamy addition – such as cheesecake or more of a pound cake. It can also be made savory with various spices added in.
Can I use low fat buttermilk?
Yes! Many recipes say you can only use full fat buttermilk but I tested it many times with low fat buttermilk and found that it works well! I would recommend using full fat buttermilk to make quark for most dessert recipes.
Recipes to use it in:
Tips
- Buttermilk based quark can be made either on the stove top or in the oven. Both will take a few tests to figure out exactly how long they should be heated in the oven or on the stove as it varies depending on your preference as well as the fat content of the buttermilk.
- When heating the buttermilk, low and slow is important. If you heat it too quickly, it will cause the curds to dry out into a crumbly consistency rather than creamy.
- It is important to use a cheese cloth to strain the quark in order to retain the curds (that are somewhat soft) while straining out the whey.
- If the quark is a little too dry for your taste, place it in a high speed blender and add a tablespoon at a time of the strained whey back in until it has reached your desired consistency. Be careful not to add too much as it will become too liquid.
Ingredients
- Buttermilk: As mentioned above, either low fat or full fat buttermilk will work. It is important to note that the cooking times will vary slightly depending on the fat content of the buttermilk.
How do you make Quark?
Oven Quark
- Preheat the oven to the lowest temperature. On my oven it is 170 F but if you can, set it to 150 F. Place a rack in the center of the oven.
- Pour the buttermilk into a large baking dish such as a casserole dish – it is best if the dish has a lid (does not need to be tight fitting).
- If the dish does not have a lid, loosely cover the dish with a sheet of foil.
- Place the dish with buttermilk in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. I like to use a glass dish to visibly see the separation of the curds from the whey.
- If not using a glass dish, use a spoon or other utensil to see if the curds are thick and set, they should hold together slightly. The texture should be somewhat like a very soft tofu – not as set as tofu.
- Once the curds have thickened, turn off the oven and leave the dish inside for another 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and leave it on the counter to cool to room temperature.
- Line a fine mesh sieve with a layer of cheese cloth and place over a large bowl. Scoop the the curds into the lined sieve. Then carefully pour the remaining liquid over the curds through the strainer. Do this slowly so the sieve does not overflow.
- Leave it to strain for at least 6 hours if not 12. This can be done overnight in the fridge. If the strained quark is not smooth, you can use a spoon to press it through a sieve without a cheese cloth.
Stove top Quark
- Pour a 1/2 gallon of buttermilk into a large pot – ideally one with a lid. The bigger the base of the pot, the better, as it will allow the buttermilk to heat more evenly.
- Place the lid on the pot and heat on the low heat setting for approximately 45 minutes. To check how thick or set the curds are use a slotted spoon to see if they have fully separated from the whey.
- Once set, turn off the heat and leave in the pot to cool to room temperature.
- Line a fine mesh sieve with a layer of cheese cloth and place over a large bowl. Scoop the the curds into the lined sieve. Then carefully pour the remaining liquid over the curds through the strainer. Do this slowly so the sieve does not overflow.
- Leave it to strain for at least 6 hours if not 12. This can be done overnight in the fridge. If the strained quark is not smooth, you can use a spoon to press it through a sieve without a cheese cloth.
- Once strained add the quark to a blender, if it is less than 600 grams, add some of the strained liquid to the blender until it measures 600 grams and blend. Start on low speed and work up to high!
German Quark Recipe
Similar in taste and texture to greek yogurt but with the characteristics of cheese, German quark is made from the curds formed by soured milk.
Cook Time1 hour hr
Cooling and Straining7 hours hrs
Total Time8 hours hrs
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: German
Keyword: buttermilk, quark
Servings: 4
Calories: 293kcal
Equipment
Baking Dish
Cheese Cloth
Fine Mesh Sieve
Ingredients
- .5 gallon Buttermilk low fat or full fat
Instructions
Make Quark in the Oven
Preheat the oven to the lowest temperature (between 150 F and 170 F).
Place a rack in the center of the oven.
Pour the buttermilk into a large baking dish such as a casserole dish – it is best if the dish has a lid (does not need to be tight fitting).
If the dish does not have a lid, loosely cover the dish with a sheet of foil.
Place the dish with buttermilk in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour.
If not using a glass dish, use a spoon or other utensil to see if the curds are thick and set, they should hold together slightly.
The texture should be somewhat like a very soft tofu – not as set as tofu.
Once the curds have thickened, turn off the oven and leave the dish inside for another 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and leave it on the counter to cool to room temperature.
Line a fine mesh sieve with a layer of cheese cloth and place over a large bowl.
Scoop the the curds into the lined sieve. Then carefully pour the remaining liquid over the curds through the strainer. Do this slowly so the sieve does not overflow.
Leave it to strain for at least 6 hours or up to 12.
This can be done overnight in the fridge.
Once strained, add the quark plus enough of the strained liquid to total 600 grams into a blender. Blend on low speed and then gradually increase to high.
Notes
This can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 1 week. For a creamier, less tart version use full fat buttermilk rather than low fat.
When heating the buttermilk, low and slow is important. If you heat it too quickly, it will cause the curds to dry out into a crumbly consistency rather than creamy.
It is important to use a cheese cloth to strain the quark in order to retain the curds (that are somewhat soft) while straining out the whey.
If the quark is a little too dry for your taste, place it in a high speed blender and add a tablespoon at a time of the strained whey back in until it has reached your desired consistency. Be careful not to add too much as it will become too liquid.
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 497mg | Potassium: 639mg | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 781IU | Calcium: 544mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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6 comments
Hi, you mentioned this can also be done on the stove, how long should this be left on the stove? Or we need to keep checking and gauge by the texture?
Reply
Hi! It is dependent on your pot and stove, for me it takes about 45 minutes but it can take as little as 30 or closer to 1.5 hours. I recommend checking it every 15 minutes to gauge the texture!
Reply
Love this recipe, I make it every week, adding it to my oatmeal for extra protein or substituting it for yogurt. Next on the list is the lemon cheesecake!Reply
Made quark in the oven last Saturday. I had never made it in the oven or with all buttermilk. I made it in the past with a longer process using milk and a small amount of buttermilk that sat out for several days until it was ready. Your oven recipe is LOADS easier! My German hubby loved it! The 1/2 gallon of buttermilk made about 800g of quark. Thank you!Reply
I’m so happy to hear this worked out!!!
Reply
I have been making Quark and freezing it. It thaws nicely in the refrigerator, and bakes up nicely in a cheesecake. just an fyi 🙂Reply
