Photo: Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Dish · From Bladwijzer

Fresh cheese with lady’s bedstraw

Updated on 10 October 2026

• Makes: ± 200 g
• Time: 45 min + 30 min draining
• From: Lady’s bedstraw

Ingredients

• 1 litre whole milk (preferably not UHT)
• 1 small handful of fresh flowering tops of lady’s bedstraw (± 10 g)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• a clean piece of muslin or a thin tea towel

Method

1. Briefly rinse the bedstraw tops and shake them dry.
2. Heat the milk with the bedstraw in a heavy-based pan, stirring, until small bubbles appear at the edge (85 to 90 °C). Do not let it boil.
3. Take the pan off the heat, put the lid on and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Lift out the bedstraw with a slotted spoon, or pour the milk through a sieve back into the pan.
4. Heat the milk again to 85–90 °C. Take the pan off the heat, gently stir in 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and leave for 10 minutes: the milk separates into white curds and greenish-yellow whey. If the whey stays milky, stir in another tablespoon of lemon juice.
5. Line a colander with the cloth over a bowl and ladle in the curds. Leave to drain for 20 to 30 minutes, mix in the salt and press the cheese in the cloth into a ball.

Storing: Covered, in the fridge, to be eaten within 3 days. Lovely on bread with honey, in a salad or with fresh herbs. The whey can be used in bread or pancakes.