A New Field
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Recipe

Casein plastic (milk plastic)

Heat milk, curdle with vinegar, drain, and press the curds. Dries into a dense, bone-hard plastic like early 1900s Galalith.

Every A New Field recipe has been run in a domestic kitchen or community hall. Read the safety notes before you start and adapt for your venue.

What you’ll make

Hard, bone-coloured, polishable. Brittle if dried too fast.

Flexible slots (flex around your material)

  • Casein source

    Casein (milk protein)1 litre milk

    Protein in milk, curdles when acid or rennet is added. Dries into a tough plastic.

    Examples Whole milk, yogurt

    Note — Heat to near simmer.

  • Acid

    Acid4 tbsp

    Mild household acids. Adjusts pH, curdles milk, releases pectin.

    Examples Vinegar, lemon juice

    Note — Add slowly to curdle.

Fixed ingredients

    Equipment

    • Saucepan
    • sieve
    • muslin
    • moulds
    • cloth for pressing.

    Refinements and variations

    • Add a drop of food colour to the warm curds
    • Press into small silicone moulds.

    Source notes

    A century-old craft recipe, revived in Materiom libraries.