Learn To Make Cheese

Steve Shapson, expert cheesemaker, home-brewer and winemaker offers a great cheesemaking kit that makes up to 30 pounds of cheese.   He provides detailed instructions and his methods are clear and easy-to-follow.  While we haven’t used it ourselves, it looks like a great way to demystify the cheesemaking process.

Here are a few helpful tips from Steve:

“1. Avoid aluminum pots, the acid will dissolve them and possibly overload you with aluminum.
2. Sterilize the pot just before use by pouring ½ inch of water in the bottom, covering, and bring to a rolling boil for at least five minutes. Pour out the water, replace sterile lid, keep sterilized pot covered until you are ready to add the milk.
3. If the curds float, you have a gas-producing contaminant in your starter or your milk was contaminated. You need to pay closer attention to handling your milk, and/or purchase fresh starter. The bacteria which form bubbles may be a form of Escherichia. However, it does not necessarily ruin the cheese, but does make it iffy. Many CO2 formers are non-pathogenic. Indeed, you might WANT bubbles in your finished cheese. Think about Swiss cheese… However, to be safe, age your cheese for at least two months because pathogens do not survive this extended aging. In addition, you will have a little more difficulty separating the curds from the whey if the curds float.”

Home Made Cheese Making thats very Satisfying when you taste your first Cheese.

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.

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:

• fresh mozzarella cheese curds
• sea salt
• large pot for boiling water
• large and flat-bottomed stainless steel bowl
• wooden spoon
• latex gloves (unless you like immersing your bare hands in painfully hot water)

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.