Learn To Make Cheese

Why cheesecloth?  Many cheesemaking recipes call for cheesecloth, a cotton or nylon lint-free cloth that can help in draining curd cheeses to remove whey or line cheese molds.  (Some cheese molds actually come with cheesecloth but others don’t).  Cheesecloth comes in different sizes of weave. If you’re making a smaller curd cheese, fabric with a fine weave will keep the curds from passing through, and can be less messy.  Sometimes a type of muslin will be used, which resembles a tea towel in thickness. For medium and larger size curd cheeses, a bigger waffle weave cheesecloth is sufficient.

Depending on the type of cheesecloth you use, you can sometimes wash and reuse it.  A package of cheesecloth typically costs about three to six dollars for two square yards.  If you plan on using a lot, buying cheesecloth on a roll in bulk is the way to go.  The nice thing about cheesecloth is that you can use it for other things in the kitchen such as making a bouquet garni, a sachet of herbs and spices that helps to flavor soups.  It’s also useful in craft projects.

Cheesecloth can be found at kitchen supply stores, fabric stores and even discount stores.  If you’re shopping for cheesecloth online, you may want to check out the Good Cook Cheesecloth.

The purpose of waxing cheese is to kill any existing bacteria or mold on the cheese, remove air to help cut down on mold growth, and minimize moisture loss so that the cheese doesn’t dry out.

I Make Cheese has lots of great information on cheese waxing techniques and tips based on his own experiences.

A few of his pointers (more after the jump)

“Set up some wax paper on your counters — as you’re working, it’ll make a mess (see above pic!), and you can safely set the cheese down for a moment without worrying about it becoming glued to your workspace.

- Chill the cheese first! This will help the wax cool quickly on the cheese, making it much easier and faster to complete this process.

- Label your cheese! I take a small piece of paper, write the name of the cheese and the current date, and then my very last step is to put the label on the top. (Brush a bit of wax on the top, and while it’s still wet, slap that label right on there. Then give it a light coat or two on top of the label, and it’ll stay put but you’ll still be able to read it through the wax.)”

I Make Cheese: Waxing Cheese Using a Double Boiler.

When you get serious about making cheese at home, you may want to consider investing in a cheese press. While you can find a cheese press at most cheese supply stores, you can also make one fairly inexpensively.   We would opt to purchase one, but if you have carpentry skills like this author from Mother Earth News, making a press from pieces you already have is a great idea.  Check out this detailed description of how to make your own cheese press.

An excerpt:

“I love homemade cheese and find the majority of store-bought varieties lacking in many respects. However, mass-manufactured cheese presses that remove the supermarket middleman can run you up to $100, taking much of the fun (and all of the cost savings) out of it. I happened upon a very simple design a few years ago, which I put together for nothing. (If you have to buy the parts I had on hand, they will run you about $15.) Our source of pure milk is Daisy Mae, a holstein-jersey mix I received six years ago as partial payment for some carpentry work.”

A Homemade Cheese Press.

Leeners, based in Ohio sells kits and supplies for making everything from beer to bubble gum.  That includes cheese.   Their site also provides reliable, straightforward cheesemaking information from start to finish.  You’ll learn about the types of milk, kitchen equipment, recipes, and more.

Here’s an excerpt:

Starter Cultures

The acidification of milk in cheese making by means of bacteria is called ripening.  A variety of bacteria cultures are available for making specific cheese types.  These bacteria, commonly called starters, are added to the milk after pasteurization and at specific temperatures.  They are allowed to work for specific time periods depending on the type of cheese. During this period the bacteria consumes the lactose which is milk sugar.  The biological process is the same as the fermentation of beer or wine.  As the bacteria eat, they produce lactic acid which in turn causes the milk protein to develop into curd.  Other byproducts of this ripening stage provide flavor compounds which enhance the character of the finished cheese.

These cheese starter cultures are available in two forms.  They are defined as culturable and direct-to-vat.  culturable starters are similar to sourdough starters in that they are prepared in advanced and preserved for future use.  Direct-to-vat cultures are much more convenient for the home cheese maker.  No preparation of the culture is required.  These freeze dried cultures are added directly to the milk in the same way you would use bread yeast.

Information and instructions for ingredients used in cheese making.

Hubbard Scientific R-el1 Cheesemaking Kit 60 Students

This popular kit introduces students to the scientific principles of cheesemaking. Students can actually eat the cheese they make from whole or powdered milk which they supply. Kit contains enough rennilase enzyme for 60 students to make their own cheese plus two packages of cheesecloth.