Cheese Making is almost a lost art. What sparked my interest in this skill? One way we have cut monthly expenses is to have a family milk cow. Since she produces anywhere from 2 to 8 gallons of milk daily, there is ample milk to supply our family’s dairy products. We have learned to make not only butter and yogurt, but also cheese.

I thought it might be interesting  for those of you who have never thought of making your own cheese to know a bit about the basics. The process is actually very simple and producing cheese in your own kitchen is rewarding. I hope this overview of the basics and future  recipes will encourage you to give it a try.

Milk
Even if you do not have your own cow or access to fresh milk, you can still make fresh cheese at home. Store bought whole or skim milk may also be used. Experiment with different brands of homogenized milk to see which works the best. Calcium chloride may be added to homogenized milk to encourage coagulation. One word of caution: Do not use ultrapasturized milk. The high heat of this process destroys the enzymes in the milk which are necessary to cheese making.

Rennet
Rennet is an enzyme in either animal or vegetable form which causes the milk to coagulate. The animal form comes from the fourth stomach of an unweaned calf. Both are available in either tablet or liquid form and should be dissolved in cool water before adding it to the milk. In recipes, 1/4 tablet usually equals 1/2 tsp liquid rennet. While animal rennet is more expensive, it works better in cheeses that age over longer periods of time without giving a bitter flavor.

Salt
Use only uniodized or sea salt.

Citric Acid
Citric acid powder is used to increase the acid level in the milk. I use it when making mozzarella cheese.

Starter Culture - There are 2 basic types:

Mesophilic – A bacterial culture that lives and multiplies in warm temperatures NOT hot ones. Milk heated above 107F kills the mesophilic culture. Used in Chedder, Muenster, and Monterey Jack cheeses.

Thermophilic – A bacterial culture that lives and multiplies in hot temperatures. Used in Parmesan and Swiss cheeses.

The basic equipment needed includes:

Stock Pot – A heavy gauge stainless steel pot works best as it distributes the heat more evenly. Depending on the size of the batch, I use either a 3, 5, or 10 gallon pot.

Thermometer - I like the stainless steel with an easy to read dial.

Cheesecloth – Used to drain the whey from the curd.

Mat – Used to dry hard cheeses after pressing. I now use a bamboo type but have used a wicker paper plate holder.

Wax – Used to prevent hard cheeses from drying out while aging.

Long Bladed Knife – Used to cut the curd.

Stainless Steel Spoon – Used for stirring.

Measuring Spoons and Cups

The Basic Process:


The protein in the milk solidifies to form a curd. The curd separates from the water or “whey” in the milk. Milk sugar and some proteins, as well as minerals are in the whey. Coagulation is caused by lactic acids in soft cheeses and an enzyme in rennet in hard cheeses.

After about an hour of sitting, the coagulated milk, or curd, must be cut into smaller sizes in order for the whey to separate. Cutting increases the surface area allowing the whey to drain more quickly.

In soft cheeses, the curd is usually drained through a cheesecloth. In hard cheeses the curd is heated to firm it, then pressed to form a solid cheese. Using different cultures and different temperatures for varying amounts of time, both help produce the flavors of various cheeses.

Important Point:

Cleanliness is of utmost importance. In cheese making, you are trying to provide the optimum growing conditions for particular bacteria. Take care to prevent the growth of wrong bacteria. Wash your hands before performing any steps in the cheese making process. Sterilize your equipment before beginning.

I keep a gallon jug of dilute bleach (1/4 c bleach per 1 gal water) to rinse all my cheese making equipment. Before beginning, I rinse the pot, lid, thermometer, stirring spoon, knife (before cutting the curd) anything which will come into contact with the milk. Once rinsed with the bleach solution, I then rinse with water. Bleach residue left behind will kill the enzymes necessary for coagulation. So, even though my bleach solution is dilute, I rinse it with water just to be safe.

In Summary:


I have tried to summarize the basics of cheese making and will include specific recipes in future posts. My favorite reference books are “Cheese Making at Home” available from the Center for Essential Education and Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Delicious Cheeses. I order my supplies from The New England Cheese Making Supply and have found them to be overall, the most economical and reliable source.