Home Cheese Making – Recipes for 75 Homeade Cheeses
I made my first successful batch of hard cheese over the weekend (at least so far, so good, but we won’t taste for another month) to use up some surplus milk. The recipe I used came from Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Homemade Cheeses (left picture).
I had already made several batches of soft cheese (mozzarella) that came out beautifully using recipes from this cheesemaking book, but my first attempt at a hard cheese resulted in something that I didn’t dare attempt to eat. I think my failure had to do with the fact that I didn’t follow the exact instructions from the recipe book. This time I followed the Farmhouse Cheddar recipe step-by-step, even going so far as to dechlorinate the water that I used to dissolve the rennet tablet. Below is the result of my efforts, although I still have to wait another 24-hours for it to dry enough to be put into cheese wax. It will be put up to age for one month after waxing. I can’t wait to try it!
Left: The cheese press.
You can make your own by following these instructions, or buy one here.
Right: Homemade cheese
Dry on a cutting board for 24-48 hours before waxing.
I just had to see the cheese. Made with milk from a happy grass fed cow you say? Wow. Even being a vegan, I must admit that if I had a cow… I’d make some cheese.
We’ve enjoyed making sourkraut in the past. Lot’s of good enzymes and probiotics there. So is the cheese raw too? I know there are even some raw foodies who eat raw cheese. Thanks for sharing the photos!
Eve,
The milk was unpasteurized and the only heat needed was that from the hot water tap in my sink. So I guest that means its “raw” when you think about it like that.
PS: I just waxed it last night after letting it sit out to dry. Now all I can do is wait for a month and see what happens. I can’t wait to eat it!
Great project! Let us know how it tastes.
Jan 31st, 2009 at 3:51 am
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