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.

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.

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