Learn To Make Cheese » artisanal cheese

Celebrating Artisan Cheesemakers: Check Out Cheese by Hand Project

sarita — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:14:55 +0000

Cheese By Hand is a project by cheese enthusiasts Michael and Sasha who explore artisan cheeses and meet with cheesemakers throughout the United States. Now based in Portland, Oregon, they share their cheese experiences on their website, and Sasha is currently writing a book on west coast cheese. Be sure to check out their fabulous photos and audio interviews with cheesemakers, and pick up a super cute Cheese By Hand t-shirt while you’re at it!

Cheese by Hand.

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Cheesemaking Is Easier Than You Think. So Are Other Things

sarita — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:02:36 +0000

This fabulous article at The Art of Darkness features a list of things that people tend to think are harder than they really are. And of course, cheesemaking made the list:

“Craft: Making Cheese
Why You Should Bother: You can make fantastic-tasting cheese cheaper than you can buy it, you can experiment with interesting herb and spice flavorings, and you know exactly what ingredients go into it. Although many cheeses require a coagulant such as rennet, there are many you can make with nothing more than milk and lemon juice. Start with easy fresh cheeses like queso fresco or mozzarella before working your way up to more complex recipes.
Getting Started: Gourmet Sleuth has a number of recipes, and the book Home Cheese Making covers a range of styles and does a good job of explaining the techniques and equipment required.”

There are tons of resources on our site and throughout the Web for how to do this. Starting with a simple cheese recipe is the best way to learn the principles and build confidence in your cheesemaking. Whether you are concerned about the expense of store-bought cheese, prefer the flavor of fresh artisanal cheese, or you just find yourself with a lot of high quality milk on your hands, we say go for it.

Other activities you should try include pickling and preserving, brewing beer and sausage making, which will go beautifully with your fresh homemade cheese.

The Art of Darkness » Blog Archive » Things That You Think Are Harder Than They Actually Are.

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Milk In Cheesemaking: Organic or Genetically Modified?

sarita — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:49:40 +0000

Artisanal Cheese has its own blog where different staff members write about cheese. They discuss things like cheeses and cocktail pairings and addressing misconceptions about mold on cheese. Needless to say, it’s fascinating!

We particularly enjoyed the article on organic or genetically modified cheese. It discusses hormones, artificial flavors, homogenization and other unfortunate aspects of industrial cheese production.

Here’s an excerpt:

“No more smoked cheese in USA. All are produce with artificial flavor added, even those rewarded at the annual American Cheese Society competition.

Most of the cheeses produce in North America are with“engineering” rennet to avoid usage of animal rennet (natural). Engineering means laboratory reproduction. Naturalist considers those as genetically modified products (GMO). Most good producers make cheese with animal rennet which has very bad press with vegetarian.”

» Organic or Genetically Modified? » News From The Cheese Caves.

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