Time magazine published an interesting Q&A with Liz Thorpe, one of the world’s most formidable cheese experts. She discusses topics including raw milk cheese, processed “cheese,” and basic cheesemaking.
Fresh mozzarella cheese is one of the most popular cheeses that people are making at home. It is a quick, fairly easy process that requires minimal equipment.
The basic things a beginner needs to make homemade mozzarella cheese at home are:
If you don’t have a cheesemaking supply store nearby, there are plenty of online sources such as the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company. Or, they offer fabulous cheesemaking kits for mozzarella, ricotta, goat cheese, mascarpone and more in a range of prices. They include recipes, gadgets like thermometers, vegetable rennet, even instructional dvds.
The Wall Street Journal had an interesting article recently titled “Cheese Whizzes” on the growing popularity of cheesemaking. Many professionals and retirees are taking up this fascinating handcrafted practice full-time.”
“Ms. Hanley and her husband, Leo Brooks, got into the cheese business after they moved to Westport Point, Mass., an old whaling village, in 1995. They were alarmed that local dairy farmers were struggling with low milk prices and selling their land to developers. To preserve the rural landscape, Ms. Hanley worked with one nearby dairy farmer, Karl Santos, and his three brothers, to convert some milk production to making cheese, which pays significantly better than fluid milk.”
The New Zealand Sunday Star Times article, Cheese DIY On the Rise, confirms what we’ve already known about the inevitable cheesemaking revolution. (more…)
In Ancient History
Cheesemaking is said to be accidentally discovered by the nomads of Central Asia 10,000 years ago. Cottage cheese was a favorite among ancient Greeks as illustrated by their tragedies and comedies. Egyptian murals depict cheese making. Gauls and Romans alike, even when fighting, shared their love for cheese. Cheese products were efficient sources of nutrients for warriors because they could withstand all types of weather and time itself.
