cheese~ Are you making any?

[applestar]

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.

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

[valley]

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]

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

[applestar]

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]

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

[applestar]

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 , 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.

[applestar]

Ha! I forgot to take pictures after cutting up the mozzarella curd and started the stretching process. Oh well.

...bottom 2 photos are ricotta-making process and finished ricotta.

[applestar]

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!

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

[Voices30]

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.

[sweetiepie]

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!