How to Make Pastillas de Leche and Kesong Puti

Carabao’s milk is a rich and nutritious ingredient that can be transformed into various food products like kesong puti (white cheese) and pastillas de leche (milk candies). These simple processing methods allow small-scale carabao owners to start their own home-based dairy business with minimal investment.

Products & Ingredients

1. Sandwich Spread

Ingredients:

• 1 liter carabao’s milk (equivalent to one large soda bottle)
• 3 cups sugar

Procedure:

1. In a wide-mouth kettle or frying pan, boil the mixture under low heat until about one-third of the water content evaporates. The mixture should reach a thick, condensed milk-like consistency.
2. Pour the spread into sterilized, screw-capped glass jars (e.g., recycled coffee bottles) or plastic containers.

2. Pastillas de Leche

Procedure:

1. Continue cooking the sandwich spread mixture until it thickens further and turns slightly brown.
2. Let it cool, then mold it into small bars similar to “tira-tira,” a locally known hard caramelized candy.

3. Kesong Puti (White Cheese/Curd Making)

Ingredients:

• 1 liter fresh carabao’s milk
• 20 ml crude rennet extract (made by soaking a piece of dried abomasum—found in cattle stomachs—in warm water with 1 spoonful of vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sodium citrate (available in drugstores, acts as a preservative)

Procedure:

1. Heat the carabao’s milk to 40°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, dip the back of your hand into the milk; if the heat is tolerable for a few minutes, it’s at the right temperature.
2. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the crude rennet extract. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes until curds form.
3. Cut the curds into corn kernel-sized cubes, then heat them again for 30 minutes.
4. Gently stir and add 1 tablespoon of salt for flavor. Let the curds sit for 5 minutes, then drain excess liquid.
5. Mix in 1 teaspoon of sodium citrate for preservation.
6. Store the cheese in airtight plastic bags. The curd can last over a week under proper storage.

Start Your Own Dairy Business

By mastering these simple methods, small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs can turn fresh carabao’s milk into high-value dairy products. Whether for personal consumption or small business ventures, kesong puti and pastillas de leche offer a great opportunity to generate income while preserving traditional Filipino delicacies.

Source: DOST (Department of Science and Technology)