Any cheese makers here?

[Patio Princess]

Today, I made my first cheese! It's a queso blanco-type cheese; very easy to make. I wanted to experiment for future 18th C. eating at reenactments. I think it turned out very well.

Here's the recipe:

1 gallon whole milk
3 eggs, BEATEN SEPARATELY
2 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. salt

In a large stockpot, bring the whole milk to a gentle boil, stirring often (do not scorch). Add the eggs, one at a time; then 1 cup of the buttermilk, then the rest of the buttermilk, stirring constantly. Soon, you'll see curds forming and swimming in the whey liquid. When they look like cottage cheese in the whey, remove pot from heat, then pour into a cheesecloth-lined (double the cheesecloth) colander (or through a clean linen towel). The goal is to drain as much of the watery whey off as possible. Press the whey out through the colander as much as possible; then, grasping the cheesecloth into a sack, lift is out, and drain by holding it up. Open the cheesecloth, and mix in the salt. Wrap it back up into a bundle, then either place in a cheese press, or set it back in the colander, twist the corners to form a bundle of the cheese, then invert a saucer over the bundle. Start weighing it down with whatever you have, or 2 bricks. Again, the goal is to press out the whey. Let this sit for an hour or so, until the whey is out. Open the bundle, and enjoy! Chill any unused cheese up to 1 week.

[springfever]

Patio, how much cheese does this make?

[julianna]

I've never seen a recipe that uses eggs.. interesting!

[propercocker]

That is a different recipe. The queso blanco I made just had milk and vinegar... I also make 30-minute mozzerella, yogurt, ricotta...

[melodyelf]

I am into cheesemaking and historical reinactment too :) I have made Queso Blanco. I just got some cheesemaking stuff and am getting ready to try Neufchatel cheese. where did you find that cheese recipe with the eggs in it? I've never seen one made with eggs before.

as for the saving money part, you can buy one container of plain yogurt and one container of buttermilk and keep the cultures alive indefinetely. you just have to feed them once a month. the cheesecloth can be reused for years. after that, it's only the cost of the milk.

you can get about a pound of cheese from a gallon of milk. right now they cost about the same at the grocery stores, but if you can get a source of free milk or trade garden produce or something for it, you can come out ahead. and, like so many things, the cheese you make yourself tastes better and doesn't have weird additives.

[Emerald]

___Milk is onsale at Meijer this week 2 gal/$4-- so I will be making yogurt and cream cheese.
___I have made mozzarella and ricotta, yo-cheese and cream cheese-- If I can figure out how to get a small part of the basement rodent proof and get it to keep about 55 degrees I might try to make some farm-house cheddar.
___My favorite yogurt for making more is the plain Blue Bunny-- it just made the best yogurt ever--firm and not too tart, hubby didn't care for the too sour stuff, and it has such a nice buttery aroma.
___I have frozen buttermilk and yogurt in ice cube trays to use as starters and cultures but am out right now.
___I also have made more buttermilk by putting about 1/2 cup of buttermilk in 1/2 gallon of regular milk and let it sit out (covered of course) overnight in the summer, and it was ready, winter time it does take about 24 hours to set up.
___My favorite forum for cheese is http://cheeseforum.org/.

[Longtail]

I used to make a lot of goat milk cheeses. I got pretty good at cheddars, I nearly burned down the house once tho after waxing some cheddars. $5,000 in smoke damage and the entire house was filled with a waxy film. I havent made any in 4-5 years now but might get back at it a little, I made some nice presses and used bricks as weights.

Only cheese lately has been a few soft yogurt cheese. I neve cared for the Queso blancio stuff. I did make a polich Easter cheese one time which used a lot of eggs, tossed that stuff!!

problem with making cheese, especially the fresh mozzarela is that you just eat way too much of it!

[springfever]

Ok, I have to ask before I try this, doesn't the boiling milk cook the eggs?

[Longtail]

The milk isnt boiled!

[Patio Princess]

Sorry everyone, I tried to reply earlier, but the site froze up.

To answer some questions:

The recipe says it makes 1.5 lbs. I don't have a scale, so I am not sure--feels about that weight, though.

I did boil the milk. You have to bring it to a gentle boil first, then add the other ingredients. I found I had to boil the whole mess longer than expected--about 20-30 minutes; so the eggs should have been cooked.

Here's the link:

http://www.tammysrecipes.com/node/2356

[Patio Princess]

I am into cheesemaking and historical reinactment too :) I have made Queso Blanco. I just got some cheesemaking stuff and am getting ready to try Neufchatel cheese. where did you find that cheese recipe with the eggs in it? I've never seen one made with eggs before.

as for the saving money part, you can buy one container of plain yogurt and one container of buttermilk and keep the cultures alive indefinetely. you just have to feed them once a month. the cheesecloth can be reused for years. after that, it's only the cost of the milk.

you can get about a pound of cheese from a gallon of milk. right now they cost about the same at the grocery stores, but if you can get a source of free milk or trade garden produce or something for it, you can come out ahead. and, like so many things, the cheese you make yourself tastes better and doesn't have weird additives.


What do I do with the yogurt and the buttermilk? Do I mix them together to strecth out the buttermilk? It's an intriguing idea, thanks! (the link to the recipe is in my post below).

What time period do you reenact?

[Longtail]

you don't cool the milk first?? I can't remeber boiling it.

[melodyelf]

What do I do with the yogurt and the buttermilk? Do I mix them together to strecth out the buttermilk? It's an intriguing idea, thanks! (the link to the recipe is in my post below).

What time period do you reenact?

you use the yogurt to make thermophilic culture and the butter to make mesophilic culture. this website tells you how:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Cottage/1288/

the time period I've been reinacting is Medieval, but I have been less than thrilled with the local SCA group. I'd be willing to switch time periods if it meant hanging out with people I can get along with better.

[Patio Princess]

you don't cool the milk first?? I can't remeber boiling it.

No, just add the rest of the ingredients as instructed in the recipe--it seemed to turn out fine! :)

Only one problem--it's so rich, I can only eat a small wedge at a time--and there are only 2 of us--so I think I'll only make it for company and reenactments, as we will share it there.

[lorna-organic]

Remember to use the whey, it is very high in protein. I use whey for soups, or in place of milk in batter recipes such as pancakes and cakes. Sometimes I drizzle a bit on the dogs' kibble, they love it.

[Longtail]

or make a whey cheese. I use it iin soups, breads and the chooks like it.

[RozieDozie]

I've always wanted to make cheese. Thanks, Patio Princess for starting this thread and thanks everyone for the links.

I'm going to try some of this soon. I know 2 women who started their own goat cheese business and now it's really booming. I remember my grandmother putting pans of milk covered in cheese cloth on the back porch. I guess she was making cheese of some kind, maybe cottage cheese?

[Emerald]

I've always wanted to make cheese. Thanks, Patio Princess for starting this thread and thanks everyone for the links.

I'm going to try some of this soon. I know 2 women who started their own goat cheese business and now it's really booming. I remember my grandmother putting pans of milk covered in cheese cloth on the back porch. I guess she was making cheese of some kind, maybe cottage cheese?

When my aunt did that she was letting the cream rise to the top to be skimmed, and to use the cream for butter. But I can see letting pans of cheese ripen that way.

[DebbieG]

I'm making the queso blanco tomorrow, I will let you know how it turns out.

DebbieG

[Patio Princess]

Remember to use the whey, it is very high in protein. I use whey for soups, or in place of milk in batter recipes such as pancakes and cakes. Sometimes I drizzle a bit on the dogs' kibble, they love it.


I think I read somewhere (the website??) that you could use whey to fertilize the garden--anyone ever try this? Do you think it would work?
(I had to let mine drain in the sink--the cheese bag was not big enough, and handling it was awkward--it was either lose the cheese, or let the whey go!)

[Jennifer3141]

I'm a cheesemaker too! :)

I make our own yoghurt and marscapone, mozzarella, and ricotta. And my cheese press in on order so I can get into the hard cheeses too.

I don't know anyone who's had luck with ultrapasturized milk from Meijer's or elsewhere. We buy our milk from a local farm that pasturizes but doesn't ultrapasturize so that more enzymes stay alive. That's interesting.

[Train]

Ya!
Just a note.
Ordinarily when more than one layer of
cheese cloth is required, butter muslin
is the best choice.
I have made thousands of pounds of
cheese and never used a linen t-shirt
or anything else.
Doesn't mean you can't but once you
purchase a few yards of you'll find it
will last you for years.
Train

[propercocker]

I either feed the whey to the dogs or pour it on my compost. I read an interesting article about diluting it a bit and spraying it on your plants... seemed like it helped prevent mildew or something...

[lorna-organic]

Oh yea, Lisa is right, some folks use milk spray to kill powdery mildew. I haven't tried it, just read about it.

Princess, if you use a colander, or sieve, to let the whey run through, you can place a mixing bowl beneath it to catch the whey. You could also place your cloth wrapped cheese in a large Melita style coffee filter and place it over a container. I can balance my large Melita filter on top of a big glass Pyrex measuring cup to let whey run through. Sometimes there is so much whey, I have to pour some of it into a juice jug before the cheese is finished draining.

I have tried drinking whey, plain. It is a bit tart. I have mixed it into yoghurt fruit smoothies. That works out well.

[redneckplanter]

does toe cheese count?

[lorna-organic]

NOOOOOOooooooooo :eek:

[redneckplanter]

ok ok lorna....sorry....

[Cheesecake]

Curds and whey make for great homemade cheese
By Jenny Slafkosky
Oakland Tribune Correspondent
Posted: 02/18/2009 12:00:00 AM PST
Updated: 02/18/2009 06:19:57 AM PST

SURVEYING the bounty of a well-stocked cheese counter, the pungent blues, luscious triple creams and exotic washed rinds, it's easy to forget the real cheesemakers — the ones that bleat, moo and hoof about on pastures often miles, if not worlds, away from the grocery store.

For Dee Harley of Pescadero's Harley Farms, the "real cheesemakers" are 200 goats that nibble grass, munch on grain and live right outside her back door. For 17 years, Harley has cared for goats and made cheese on her 9-acre coastside farm. While the farm's always had its share of cheese-loving visitors who seek Harley's sweet, mild chevre, fromage Blanc, feta and ricotta, it wasn't until recently that she's noticed an increase in public interest in the cheesemaking process.

"In the kind of interesting times we're living in, I'm seeing more and more people coming to the farm because they want to have a relationship with their food and they're a little bit more concerned about it," says Harley. "A lot of families come in and they're teaching their children where food is really from. An egg is really from a chicken. They're making a conscious effort to go and look for these kinds of experiences, which they can take home with them."

After taking a tour of the farm and the cheesemaking operation, someone will inevitably ask Harley if it's easy to make cheese at home.

"Without a doubt," is Harley's quick reply.
Click here for a great article about buying and making cheese. Recipe's and tips, from the people who make some of the best cheese in the world. (http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_11723303?source=email)Source: Contra Costa Times/Oakland Tribune-California.

[lorna-organic]

I concocted a cheesecake yesterday using only 8 ounces of cream cheese. It is a butternut squash cheesecake. I used about 1/3 cup of brown sugar in the graham cracker crust, and about 1/4 cup maple syrup in the cake batter. I'm very pleased with it.

[DebbieG]

OK,

I made the cheese using Patio Princes recipe, almost. I like cheese in my scrambled eggs, but scrambled eggs in my cheese was just something I couldn't quite get over, :o soooo......I tempered the eggs before I added them to the milk mixture.

The cheese has a very mild flavor and is similar in texture to mozzarella. I was quite happy with the results, but it probably would have been a little creamier if I could have used fresh milk instead of store boughten milk. Other than that I was pleased with it.

Thank you for sharing the recipe, it really was simple and didn't take too long to do. I probably spent about 45 minutes cooking the milk and getting it poured into the cloth. I used the empty gallon milk jug filled with water for my "press" and that worked just fine. I let it press for about 2 hours then put it in a glass dish with a lid and put it in the fridg to keep it.

I will definitely be making this cheese again. ;)

DebbieG

[Imp]

Here is a very good site, even how to make low cost cheese presses:

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese_5_gallons/CHEESE_5gal_00.htm


And that butternut cheesecake sounds good!

Whey can also be used in making that homemade bread!

Add some to soups, make more cheese out of it, fatten the dog, hog, or chickens....

[Jennifer3141]

We add whey to our pizza crust for Friday night dinners. Oh, it's amazing!

[Emerald]

___As trying to get any kind of raw milk around here is tantamount to buying Crack, I have been using Meijer's milk for making my yogurt and cheese and have never really had any problems at all. It is BGH free But since the Meijer store that I go to doesn't carry heavy cream in the large size I do buy it somewhere else-- it is pasteurized cream but it still makes butter and cream cheese.
___When you ask farmers about getting some raw milk/cream for some veggies from the garden, why, you would think that I had just asked for their firstborn son!

[lorna-organic]

Maybe the farmers think you're a USDA snitch trying to entrap them, Em!

[Emerald]

___One of the fellas that I asked went to High School with me! Since I was kinda a "rebel" and was at all the bonfire keg parties , you would think that me being a snitch would be funny! He even said that the company he sells to doesn't even like him and his family taking raw milk for their own consumption. If I had a dairy there would be no way in h%$* anyone would be able to make me Not use my own milk.. That would be like the USDA coming in to my yard and telling me that I couldn't eat anything out my garden!:eek:

[Longtail]

Lawyers, they ruin everything!!

[springfever]

went and bought some milk today, I've got buttermilk and eggs so... i'm going to give it a try.

[shoeless]

Cheesemaker here!!!

I have been milking goats (and a few sheep) and making cheese for about 15 years. Last week I brought home a Jersey. I have experimented a little with cheese, but mostly make Cheddar, Feta, Mozzarella and Chevre. Raw milk is a BIG ISSUE a lot of places right now. Some neighbors(who have multiple cows) and I have been discussing this issue a lot lately in light of current events. As people have noted on other threads lately.......giving gifts is a wonderful thing....not that I do it or anything.

As far as hoping to get milk from a registered dairy, in most states it is not even worth trying. I heard the owner of a dairy in my state got busted for GIVING milk to his own brother-in-law. The state gave him a $10,000 fine and wouldn't even tell him where they got their information. Dairies that are signed up with the "system" have chosen their own sets of rules. I say "Long Live the Family Cow (or goat)".