Queso Fresco
How to Make Queso Fresco
Queso fresco is made by setting warmed milk, cutting and handling the curd gently to retain moisture, then draining lightly and salting. It is soft, crumbly and eaten within days.
- Yield
- Higher moisture retention generally means higher apparent yield and shorter shelf life.
- Time
- A single working session plus cooling.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Technical information to be supplied by Bixa.Exact coagulant quantities in this recipe are placeholders pending Bixa's confirmation of product strength. Follow your product label.
Ingredients
- Standard pasteurized or raw whole cow's milk
- Bixa Liquid Microbial Rennet — Quantity to be confirmed by Bixa
- Mesophilic culture, if your recipe uses one — quantity per culture supplier
- Cheese salt — Quantity to be confirmed by Bixa
Equipment
- Stainless steel pot or vat
- Thermometer
- Curd knife
- Perforated ladle
- Cheesecloth, colander or small moulds
- pH meter (recommended)
Method
01Warm and ripen
Warm the milk and, if your recipe uses culture, ripen for the specified time. Temperature and ripening time to be confirmed by Bixa.
02Coagulate
Add diluted coagulant, stir briefly, then rest undisturbed until a clean break.
03Cut gently
Cut to a larger curd than you would for a dry cheese — you are keeping moisture in.
04Stir minimally
Stir gently and briefly. Over-stirring dries the curd and makes fines.
05Drain lightly
Drain only until the curd holds together. Queso fresco is meant to be moist.
06Salt and pack
Salt evenly, pack into moulds or containers, cool promptly and refrigerate.
Storage
Highly perishable. Keep cold, handle hygienically and sell or use within a few days.
Scaling up
High-moisture fresh cheese is unforgiving at scale: cold chain, hygiene and consistent drain times matter more than dosage adjustments.
Where to Buy
Ready to buy Bixa?
Buying for a cheese business? Talk to Bixa about commercial orders instead of ordering single bottles.