Milk for paneer won't curdle

I heated the milk to almost boiling then added lemon juice by incremental tablespoons, as I have done in the past. The milk thickened and "broke" very slightly but no curds are forming. It was whole milk, low pasteurized. Any fixes??

gluttonforlife
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7 Comments

Mayuri P.
Mayuri P. March 14, 2020
Hiya, I had the same problem and I fixed it by reheating milk and added 1 spoon apple cider vinegar.
 
Bhakti S.
Bhakti S. July 1, 2020
Mayuri P, very useful tip....... Thank you😊
 
gluttonforlife
gluttonforlife September 20, 2012
OK, recap! I made this again today and let the milk develop the "dome", as per Panfusine, which happened at upwards of 200 degrees. I added in the lemon juice and it worked like a charm. Thank you!
 
MTMitchell
MTMitchell September 18, 2012
Thanks for asking this since it sounds like the same problem I had last time I made ricotta. I assumed it was a problem with the milk (ie ultra pasteurized). Good to know the answer.
 
Panfusine
Panfusine September 18, 2012
The milk needs to boil, wait for that dome of milk to rise. switch off the heat and add the lemon juice. http://food52.com/recipes/16669_homemade_paneer
 
Author Comment
A Whole Foods Market Customer
A Whole Foods Market Customer September 18, 2012
Did you heat it enough; it needs to be at least 175F. I find I usually need at least a tablespoon per quart. If you are using fresh lemon juice, it may not be acid enough; if you are using bottled lemon juice which is old, it also may not be acid enough. Try adding a little white vinegar - just a little, since you have acid in already from the lemon juice.
 
gluttonforlife
gluttonforlife September 18, 2012
The milk was steaming, just on the verge of boiling, I used fresh lemon juice, then added a little white vinegar. All to no avail. Can I reheat and try again, or is this a wasted batch? Thank you!!
 
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