valley
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cheese~ Are you making any?

Hi, Just wondering if you make cheese~ what culture~ tools~ storage.
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rainbowgardener
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Nope, sorry I never have. But since you didn't get a response, I thought I would mention that I heard an interview on the radio with the author of this book:

https://www.workman.com/products/9780761177487/

One hour cheese - simple cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella, paneer that you can make at home easily and quickly. She also makes a faux cheddar, that she calls "smoky cheater" that sounds really nice. Recipe is here:

https://www.npr.org/2014/11/13/363349698 ... n-one-hour

So I want to try these. Not having my own or any farm-fresh milk or any fancy equipment, I'm not motivated to try anything more difficult. Even for this, I will need to break down and buy a cooking thermometer.

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applestar
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I was hoping Ozark Lady was lurking and would comment :(
Also any other members with REAL cheese making experience (not meaning any negative on rainbowgardener -- sounds like we're at about the same place :wink: )

Occasional "Yogurt cheese" is extent of my experience.

I keep going here and wanting to try. https://www.cheesemaking.com
So far have had to put it off. But note the good milk list link on the left sidebar for those of us with no goats or milk cows.

valley
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Hi guys, Thanks for the input. appplestar, do it, you'll come out with cheese of some kind and it will be great, fresh and tasty, eventually it will out flavor anything you can get at the store.
Nicole wanted Cheddar so we're putting some up. Blue cheese is another one I like and is not a problem to make.

Let me know when you do make a bit of cheese, you'll be suprised how good it tastes if you haven't already tried it.

Richard

valley
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Cheddar
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pepperhead212
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I thought I posted a response, but this happens with my mobile devises, for some reason.

I have made a lot of cheese, but no aged cheese of any type, as I don't have a spare fridge to keep the temp. just right, but I have made many fresh cheeses - queso fresco, Oaxacan string cheese, buttermilk cheeses, paneer, mascarpone, and mozzarella come to mind, but there were probably others. This is why I have never purchased any molds or special presses, but I have acquired different mesh cheese cloths and draining bags, plus some additives, such as lipase and calcium chloride, which are called for in many cheeses, plus the usual mesophilic and thermophilic cultures, and rennet. I haven't made much goat's milk cheese, mainly because it costs more for me to make it than to buy it! If I had a cheaper source for the milk, I would try more.

One thing I discovered is that my hydroponics pH meter is great for those cheeses that require a specific pH at some point. Oaxacan string cheese is one I have used it for.

Leeners and New England Cheesemaking Supply are my two favorite sources for supplies.

valley
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pepperhead, I'm not fond of waiting for cheese to age. Some use wine coolers for keeping cheese. Never made a cheese that required a pH meter. I use same ingredients you mentioned with the exception of calcium chloride. Many people call for that in hard cheeses they make, I don't even like the sound of it. I do make String Cheese, we have been BC.
Wifey did purchas a small press, good for solids from a gallon, I have to make a larger one, I like some I've seen on line with a counter weight, you know the kind I'm talking about.
For a less costly source of milk , people are leasing a %age of a cow to receive the milk, [I'll explain how that works if you want.] as in some states they won't let cow fresh milk be sold even for animal use. There is nothing like fresh whole raw milk. We have a closed herd, and plan to sell straws rather than allow a cow in to our bull.
Glad to have met you pepperhead, Oh, do you make recotta, bake with or dump the whey? The best to you in the Garden State.

Richard

valley
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Pepperhead, I have a picture of a Cheese Press, Dutch style, that is ease to make. I'll post or send a picture if you're interested. Simplest one I've ever seen.

Richard

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applestar
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I was looking in the pantry and found the wooden tofu mold. I wonder if I could use that for cheese as well....?

valley
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applestar, I think you could use that mold. The way I would use it is to make a follower, unless it has a follower, drill holes in the follower, line the mold with cheese cloth, fill the mold with curd. I would use a block to set in a pan, set the mold upside down on the block, add weight on top, that would be on the botton of the mold. { Hope I'm saying this clearly}

The cheese clothe wicks the whey out as it is squeesed out of the curd. A little weight 5-10 lbs for 4 hours, then add more weight 20- 50 lbs for several hours, how hard you want the cheese. For a softer cheese, less weight until the whey stop coming out, than remove from the mold.

You can't press it too dry in a mold with a bottom in it or you'll have trouble getting it out.

I just made a hard cheese processing it so that I was able to get the milk solids from 2 gallons into the mold that only holds curd from 1 gal. pressed it over night and had a little work to push the cheese out, this was with a cylinder mold, no bottom.

I have the porcelian pan down stairs that my folks used, all our cheese was the shape of that pan, they must have inverted the pan.

If you find a plastic container you like you can drill holes in it and not invert.

I have a PVC mold I'm looking to get a stainless steel sleeve, I'd like that better.

Richard

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ElizabethB
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DITTO - wish Ozark Lady would check in. I am jealous of those of you who have access to fresh milk - cow, sheep or goat, for cheese making. Cheese is in my top three foods. I spend lots of $ on premium cheeses. I keep telling G that I want to move to the country and have a few acres so I can have sheep and goats and a cow. Also chickens. Love home made cheese. There is a small town just a few miles from Lafayette - Breaux Bridge, La. They have done a wonderful job of re-vitalizing their down town area. Lots of shops and restaurants. They have a couple of wonderful shops that specialize in homemade cheeses. To die for!

Really jealous!

valley
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Elizabeth greetings, Re: Ozark Lady, haven't seen her around for a while, maybe she'll come by. The girls have gotten into Minature Jerseys. We went to other states to get the animals they wanted. This has been our access to fresh cows milk . We had wonderful milk from their Minature Goats but none are fresh now.
I mentioned earlier: Arranging for fresh milk can be done and sometimes at reasonable cost, in states where we are protected from enjoying fresh milk, people lease a %age of a cow at say 20 or 40 $ a month and get so many gallons from their cow,
It could be in exchange for work, like mucking, milking, or something for free milk and some pay.
Our girls for years have cleaned the stables of a ranch down the road from our high desert place.

At this time wifey feels we should age our cheese, there's a very sharp white English Chedder we like. I would as soon eat it fresh, even still warm, tho last night she brought me a plate of peta with a wedge of recently pressed.

If I had my dreathers I'd make Armenian String cheese and eat it warm and through the following days.

I love cheese, I eat no meat or much less meat when I have cheese so as not to have too much animal product.

It is a pleasure to hear from your Grace.

My sword in your service.

Richard

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ElizabethB
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Richard O:) - thank you dawlin! You crack me up. You always make this old lady smile. :lol:

valley
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Greetings, If you make cheese, this may be of intrest to you:

This morning I started a small, 2 gallons, lot of cheese. At 90-93degrees I added a western Mesophilic culture and a couple tablespoons of a Thermophilic live culture from a former Soviet Republic.
I covered the pot and wrapped the pot with a towel for 1hour.

The milk, after sitting for 1hour, was now solid curd. { no renne added} I've never seen this before.
I was willing to drain an press the curd but wifey felt we should add the rennet.

I busted the curd with a slotted spoon as well as I could, stirred in the rennet, and set the timer for 1hour.

We'll see.

Richard

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ElizabethB
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Richard - so jealous. Can't wait to hear about the final product.

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applestar
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I made some yogurt yesterday -- I thought I did something wrong because it was still runny last night but I added fresh hot water in the hot water bottles and replaced the warm water in the bottom of the picnic cooler incubator, and all three jars had set when I checked today. :D

I'm DEFINITELY venturing into cheese making ... after Christmas. :wink:

valley
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Hi, The Cheese is in the press now, made whey recotta also it came out very rich, very good, well see about the cheese that's in the press. I'll try it tomorrow, when I trim the cheese ring.

applestar, Re: Matzoon{ yogurt} Remember how the older stoves, with pilots, helped the matzoon stay at the right temperature? We lost that with the newer self lighting ovens.

Richard

valley
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Greeting, The cheese I described {3 posts back} I trimed the ring and tasted a bit.

Very nice, Provolone~parmesan like, but milder, lighter, full flavor with a wonderful after taste. I'm sure it would ripen but I'd like to enjoy it this week.

Recovered from the whey a very creamy, fresh tasting, similar to Cream Cheese, that is pleasant on French Bread.
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With a Merlot, a tear of Pita, some pepperoncini, dry cured olives and this cheese: a fine meze to serve family or friends.

Richard
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applestar
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Wow Richard, you really make it sound like it's not a difficult process.... :-()

"Recovered from the whey a very creamy, fresh tasting, similar to Cream Cheese,..." How is that done? Just strained?

valley
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Hi applestar, Isn't difficult, a little time and care.

The whey cheese is recovered just like whey recotta: RECOOKED,I brought the temperature up to boiling, water boils at a lower temperature here 6800ft, for about 10+min, the cheese or milk solids congeals and can be strained through cloth.

The cheese I recovered from the whey was creamer than Recotta because there was more butter fat expelled from the curd. I just had some on bread with strong black coffee, Nice!

If you take the time to recover from the whey, there isn't a feeling like you're getting just a little from the amount of milk. The resulting liquid can still be used for baking and soup or the animals love it.

Milk goes farther and stores longer when cultured. You can't go wrong, eat your mistakes.

Make some, when you've time, take pictures, we can improve what you've done or copy the results.
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During the first world war, in what is northern Italy, a village hid cheese in old wine barrels from soilders who would gather foods from locals, the barrals could be hidden away in and under things. The cheese when taken from the barrels was so much imporved it is made and aged in that same way and sold as Ubleato Formaggio,{Drunken Cheese} forgive my spelling if nessary. The cheese has the taste of a mingling of Cheese and Wine. When you roll it around on you tongue you make a approving sound and look to heaven.
I stayed a week longer, just to see if the taste was due to the good company or the formaggio.

Richard

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applestar
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So... I attempted a cultured mozzarella using cream on top milk from Whole Foods and made ricotta from the leftover whey.

Ricotta is delicious --I could just snack on that as it is-- and the squeaky cheese I saved for the kids from the mozzarella curd is actually "squeaky" on the teeth :D , but I got too tired to keep going and try to get the mozarella to stretch. I think I'll try the 30 min mozarella recipe next time. The recipe I used today took too long, though the resulting, not stretchy, more like fresh mozzarella --which is NOT what I was supposed to end up with-- tastes great. :wink:

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applestar
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Ha! I forgot to take pictures after cutting up the mozzarella curd and started the stretching process. Oh well. :roll:
image.jpg
...bottom 2 photos are ricotta-making process and finished ricotta. :D

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applestar
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I made the kids a delicious spaghetti in creamy cheese and ham sauce out of cream cheese, creamy whey from my home made american mozzarella, a few pieces of the mozarella melted in, powdered white Chedder, butter, reserved cave aged Gruyer, some Amish deli ham, frozen super sweet bicolor corn, and a diced freshly harvested stalk of celery from my Winter Indoor Garden. It smelled SO yummy but the kids went off to play after their first bowlfuls, declaring they were going to eat more later :?

I waited while the pot of pasta keeping warm on the stove smelled more and more delicious and tempting. :| FINALLY had to yell at the kids to get back here and eat the pasta because I couldn't hold out any longer! :o

With all of the pasta gone, I could give in and make myself something else to eat. Whew! :>

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Voices30
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I'm super jealous too, I want to make some cheese. I have never made any, but I had a friend that owned a couple of goats, and he used to make cheese and yogurt and of course, he had the milk. I have never tasted any of the goat products before or ever again since, but I do remember that it was some of the tastiest cheese I have ever had in my life. It's ironic because cows milk is not appealing to me. I am not lactose intolerant, but I have real trouble drinking cows milk. It always smells bad to me, regardless if it is or not. I seemed to actually enjoy the goats milk though, and I wonder why that is. I really can't stand cows milk. In fact, in other countries, they view the amount of milk we drink as Americans very strange. They don't think that drinking the milk of another animal is natural. I have to agree.

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sweetiepie
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I have my own milk cow, so of course have to much milk. So I have made several cheeses but my family's favorite is the mozzarella. I cheat and make the no stretching kind and just shred it and throw it in the freezer. It's different than the 30 min kind and it requires buttermilk and yogurt for a starter. But super easy and cost effective for me, because I don't have to buy culture. I shred the cheddar too. I have so much cheese in the freezer and my cow is due to calf again in two months.

The one kind of cheese I wish was easier to make is good old American cheese but haven't found a recipe that compares.

I did get a bucket calf and named it cheddar just so I wouldn't have to make cheese every day.

I love the pictures!



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