Let me start by skipping right to the moral of this story:
you cannot make cheese out of breast milk. As Rani found, "It turned out that breast milk can not curdle, because the protein content is lower, and because the protein in breast milk is more easily digested compared to cow's milk." She had a bunch of expired breast milk lying around, and since she enjoys making paneer, she thought she'd attempt human cheese. After her experiment failed she said, "Don't even try" and I'll second that emotion. But not because it doesn't work as cheese. Because the thought makes me go bleurgh.
Again, bleurgh. Bleurgh. Bleeeeeeeeuuurrrrgh.
I'm all for breastfeeding 100 percent and you'd think if something is good enough for the babies I'd be more open-minded about its cheese possibilities. But, um, no. It's a completely illogical visceral reaction, but it's my reaction and I'm standing by it. You go on with your human yogurt and smoothies and such; I'll just be over here worshiping the udder, not the boobie. For food production, anyway.
By the way, I did get a wee little pang of envy at all the extra breast milk lying around. As I've mentioned, I was a sucky pumper, and would remain stuck to the suction cup for hours and only get like half an ounce. Not enough to even consider cheese.
The whole cheese debacle reminds me of a hilarious thing that happened to my better half when he was about ten: he and a friend were at a birthday party eating cake, and they overheard one mom compliment the groovy hostess on the spread. "Why thanks!" she said brightly. "I actually added my own breast milk to the cake recipe." Better half and friend were traumatized, had to covertly spit out the goods, and developed deep cake suspicions after that.
