Quark

Anna,

I have seen quark in stores in the states.  Have you seen this too or no?  If you have seen it,  is it not the real deal?

Jeff

Alas, no decent Quark available in the US! A Vermont company makes quark, but it is hellish expensive and doesn't taste right. For my German Käsekuchen I use cream cheese, you don't miss the quark tang because of the addition of lemon zest, and it is lightened by whipped egg whites. (Neither ricotta, nor cottage cheese are adequate substitutes, their consistency and taste is too different, and farmer's cheese isn't quite right, either).

For other purposes I make a quark substitute with buttermilk:

QUARK (1)

2 quarts buttermilk (2 packages)

Pour 2 packages buttermilk (= 2 quarts) in a bowl with a lid. Place overnight in the oven at 150 F. The next morning, pour clotted buttermilk through a cheese cloth lined strainer, tie ends into a knot, and place (bowl with sieve) for several hours in the fridge, until drained (you can use the whey instead of water for bread baking).

There is also a method to make it with buttermilk starter (I haven't tried it out, yet):

QUARK (2)

1 gallon pasteurized whole milk

1 packet direct-set buttermilk starter

2 - 3 tbsp. heavy cream (if too dry)

Heat milk to 88 F. Add starter and mix well. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours, or until set. Pour mixture into collander, lined with cheese cloth. Tie corners into a knot, and refrigerate to drain overnight. If finished quark is too dry, add the heavy cream.

To make Sahnequark (cream quark): use 1 cup heavy cream/4 cups whole milk

To make Magerquark (low fat quark): use 1 - 2% milk instead of whole milk

For a creamier consistency: use 1 pint of light cream or half and half/gallon of whole milk

What are you going to make with quark?

Karin

Hi Anna,

I have heard that Costco might have Quark.  However, I am not a member of Costco, so I really can't confirm if Costco has it or not.  If I find Quark, I would not be surprise if it's really expensive and the taste or texture might be different from the real thing in Germany.

Carl

I am in Ohio, even though we have lot's of stores and even a big Amish community nearby, they are not familiar with Quark. I have also tried the Quark from Vermont, my daughter  got it for me at whole foods as a surprise, but it was very expensive and not the right taste or consistency.  An old neighbor gave me some advise to make my own, similar to what Karin described above, but I haven't tried it.  For German style cheesecake I use cottage cheese.  I just take a hand blender and smooth it out with that a little, it works just fine once it's baked and it's much lower fat than cream cheese.  You can also use ricotta, but it's more expensive and the cottage cheese works just fine for baked goods. 

Off course, that dosn't really work for fresh Quark use, like Quark with fruit, Quark Sahne (Torte), Quark with Herbs etc.  That I save for visit's to Germany at this point.

is a German import store, they sell Quark, but at OUTRAGEOUS prices. I have to disagree w/ hanseata, I have been using either ricotta for my German cheesecakes, or a blended mix of 3/5 cottage cheese, 1/5 cream cheese, 1/5 sour cream (make sure you put this through a food processor and blend it well in order to get rid of the curd in the cottage cheese).

The only other option you have is to make it yourself, but using whole milk instead of buttermilk - or even raw milk, if you have access to that. Google it, there should be recipes around.

but ricotta has a gritty consistency I don't like in dishes I make with quark. I tried a pureed cottage cheese/sour cream mix, too, it's halfways okay.

Unfortunately I never saw whole fat Greek yogurt here around, it's all low or no fat (I hate being fat censored).

Karin

Anna, 

Here's a link to an online German store:www. germancorner.com/recipes/hints/quark

I bought the quark maker a couple years ago and I love it.  I can't swear to the authenticity of the taste since I have never been to Germany but I really like it in pastries.

Phyllis

There is a dairy culture called villi ( a Finnish yogurt)that has more of a sour cream/buttermilk taste than the buttermilk you buy at the grocery store these days. I bought a culture starter from Seeds of Health.

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/starter-cultures/yogurt-starter.html

 It cultures at room temperature and is self renewing. If you make it with full fat milk or even cream it is absolutely sinful! It may need to be drained somewhat if you want a marscapone or greek yogurt consistency. It sounds similar to the quark you are talking about but may be easier to make.

Thanks so much for all the links, I'm going to read them and look into quark made from yogurt, I curious as to the taste difference....I love quark!

I make my own from buttermilk because Quark is $35.00 a kilo in Australia and very hard to find. I use it for sweet pastries, pizza bases, sweet dumplings and my cheesecake. Making my own also leaves me with the Whey which I use in gravies, cakes and bread.

Thanks Sonia

Check out Hawthorne Valley Farm, Ghent, New York  12075.  518-672-7500.

I have seen QUARK  at the Farm Store  -  no question they can help you on this.

A lot of German people in this (Rudolf Steiner, Anthroposophical) group.

Check out their website.  -  Big biodynamic farm  - they grow vegetables on

our land.  I have seen pastries there with Quark/fruit filling.

I'm so glad I found this thread, I had never heard of Quark before I read this. I live in Southern California and I use a lot of Queso Fresco in my baking. Queso Fresco is a fresh Mexican Cheese some refer to it as Farmer's Cheese as well. This Quark sounds very interesting and I'm gonna have to try my hand at making some. I love this website!!!! I get exposed to new food and baking things all the time.