I have been wanting to try to make cheese for a long time. In fact, I was looking for a cream cheese recipe when I found Chickens in the Road.
I finally got around to making a batch with my Ricki’s Basic Cheesemaking kit from New England Cheesemaking that I got from my mom. I decided that the recipes included in the kit (cheddar, colby, etc.) were far too complicated for my first time. I remembered that I had seen a post on lactic cheese here on CITR and decided to try that.
I was very nervous about ruining my batch but it was pretty much foolproof. I heated up the milk and then added the starter and the rennet. I let it set for over 12 hours (which was really hard because though lactic cheese is patient, I am not). Once enough time had passed, I scooped it into the cheesecloth and hung it to drain.
I was very happy to find that it had worked and indeed I had cheese! ME! The person who is usually only succesful when cooking in the crockpot made cheese!
Another thing I had wanted to make was butter. I had heard that you can shake heavy cream in baby food jars and it will turn into butter. I had been saving baby food jars since my 4 year old girls were babies and finally put them to use. Each of my children and I shook our little jars like crazy and low and behold, we got butter!
Altogether, it was a very productive day in the kitchen. I’m not often able to say that!
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Robin from Rurification says:
The cheese thing is addictive. You’re going to want to try all kinds of cheese now. Plus, your kids are going to Fall In Love with your cheese and beg you for it. Beg. You For. It. So now you have an excuse to buy all kinds of great milk and travel miles to dairies to check them out. Which is what I do. Because sometimes I just need to have five kinds of cheese going at one time.
On May 7, 2012 at 7:48 am
Cassie says:
Thanks Robin! I am super excited about it (couldn’t tell could ya?) I heard a segment on NPR about quark cheese and it sounds super simple and fun. I think that might be my next move. 🙂
On May 7, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Jan says:
Thanks Cassie! You have got me thinking maybe I too can make cheese and butter. I have a goat farm right next door and I’m hoping to use some of their milk eventually to make cheese. We also have a farm not too far away that sells unpasteurized milk that I hope to use too. But for today, I’m working on making soap! Well, working on gathering the ingredients to make soap. I did paint a little table today 🙂
On May 7, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Leah's Mom says:
Sounds like a fun time with your girls! Thanks for posting 🙂
On May 7, 2012 at 9:30 pm
murphala says:
Isn’t making cheese like a little miracle? That’s how I feel about it you brought back some memories of my first cheeses…one turned into lactic cheese that originally started out as cottage cheese. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
You will almost never end up with something inedible. I tend to sometimes end up with something I didn’t start out to make (I made quark by accident once, but I had to sort of guess my way backwards to figure that out, and look at pictures). Thank you for posting! I’m seriously in need of more cheese in the house and you’ve inspired me!
On May 8, 2012 at 2:45 pm
lisabetholson says:
Cassie, I started making cheese and butter without instruction except from the New England Cheese Making Co. I made their 30 minute mozzarella recipe and now give classes and have a great time. If I can do it so can anyone else. There is good money in giving cheese making classes. They are fun and you can do it too.
Congratulations and have fun.
On May 8, 2012 at 10:43 pm