homemade cheese?

deb415611 · January 24, 2009, 07:52:36 AM

Here is a link on ultrapasteurized vs. pasteurized milk in cheesemaking.

http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/pg/124.html

It's from the cheesemaking.com website. There is some good info on that website. I ordered some rennet & citric acid from them and they put a smiley face sticker on their box by the address label. So I'm sure I'll be making some happy cheese ;D

seemore · January 24, 2009, 08:25:15 AM

Oh, Deb!!!! Thanks for confirming what the Mr had suspected all along - the organic milk! That dry crumbling mass that I compared to goat cheese was the result of using that milk, I bet! It looked EXACTLY like the pictures of the UP milk during the cheese-making process! Do you think that would have contributed to the blandness of the cheese as well?
I bought organic milk, because that is what we used when we made ricotta cheese, and it turned out so well.
Well, at least I can use the dry crumbling mass on our tacos next week for supper!!!
Thanks again! Back to the kitchen for us!
Seemore & the Mrs.

HCT · January 24, 2009, 08:34:35 AM

Thanks seemore, I'm going to check a few small health food stores for the rennet. Maybe I'll get lucky. :)

deb415611 · January 24, 2009, 08:40:00 AM

Quote from: HCT on January 24, 2009, 08:34:35 AM
Thanks seemore, I'm going to check a few small health food stores for the rennet. Maybe I'll get lucky. :)

HCT,

Shop-rite in Waterbury has the Junket rennet. I saw it a couple hours ago. Maybe you have one up there.

Deb

HCT · January 24, 2009, 10:57:31 AM

Thanks Deb, I'll look in Big y or Stop and Shop, Price Chopper, I'll come up good with one of them. I was just thinking health food store to see if the rennet was any different.

deb415611 · January 24, 2009, 11:28:15 AM

Quote from: HCT on January 24, 2009, 10:57:31 AM
Thanks Deb, I'll look in Big y or Stop and Shop, Price Chopper, I'll come up good with one of them. I was just thinking health food store to see if the rennet was any different.

That makes sense, they may have the actual cheese making rennet.

smokeitall · January 26, 2009, 09:46:34 AM

Ok my wife and I made our first ever batch of mozzarella. I used a couple of the suggestions I got on here, like adding a little extra salt and I gotta tell you we hit a home run on the very first batch. We only made one pound but it is almost gone already. We are probably going to make 2 or 3 batch of 2lbs each this weekend. I would like to try and smoke some and my wife would also like to add of few ingredients, not sure what yet to add, any suggestions??? I think this will def lead to buying / making the equipment to make hard cheese. I will post some pics this weekend if we end up making it.

deb415611 · January 26, 2009, 10:10:00 AM

Quote from: smokeitall on January 26, 2009, 09:46:34 AM
Ok my wife and I made our first ever batch of mozzarella. I used a couple of the suggestions I got on here, like adding a little extra salt and I gotta tell you we hit a home run on the very first batch. We only made one pound but it is almost gone already. We are probably going to make 2 or 3 batch of 2lbs each this weekend. I would like to try and smoke some and my wife would also like to add of few ingredients, not sure what yet to add, any suggestions??? I think this will def lead to buying / making the equipment to make hard cheese. I will post some pics this weekend if we end up making it.

When I was poking around the store the other day I saw the mozzarella that was rolled up with prosciutto. Also one that was rolled up with sun-dried tomatoes & herbs. Looks like it started as a rectangle and then was rolled up into a log. I'm planning on trying it this way for my second batch (assuming I have success with the first).

I want to try the hard cheese too, the obstacles at the moment are the lack of press & finding the constant 55 degree temparature & the time to do it. I bought the Home Cheesemaking book that is written by the woman at cheesemaking.com . So far it seems like it is a really good reference book.

smokeitall · January 26, 2009, 11:41:06 AM

I think I will have to buy that book. The rolled up prosciutto sounds good, I will try that.
Thanks

seemore · January 26, 2009, 05:47:09 PM

Dang, Smokeitall, I am JEALOUS! Your first batch and it turned out great! AWESOME! Send some pics, please!!!
Have you thought about adding some herbs to the mozzarella next time you make it? Just a thought.....I don't know how that would taste. Rolled up in prosciutto sounds wonderful.
You will have to send pix of whatever you and the wife come up with next weekend!

smokeitall · January 26, 2009, 06:08:04 PM

Quote from: seemore on January 26, 2009, 05:47:09 PM
Dang, Smokeitall, I am JEALOUS! Your first batch and it turned out great! AWESOME! Send some pics, please!!!
Have you thought about adding some herbs to the mozzarella next time you make it? Just a thought.....I don't know how that would taste. Rolled up in prosciutto sounds wonderful.
You will have to send pix of whatever you and the wife come up with next weekend!

I only had such a nice first batch because of this forum. Others here that were nice enough to share their mistakes really helped out. I can't wait to make some more, there was one small piece left when I got home tonight and it was even better today. I will try some herbs, I bet that would be good. I am really looking for to smoking some, or if someone had a recipe for string cheese, not this mozzarella string cheese but old fashion real string cheese like you get from upper Wisconsin, you know the kind that is a little dry and when you pull one string off there is a bunch of little strings that come with it? I wonder how its made?