Homemade Cheese (making it Easy)

Ask any group of people what their favorite comfort foods are and most likely cheese is involved. What if you could make you own cheese at home anytime you wanted, and it would be ready that same day! That’s what I did. I have always been into projects. For a long time I have made my own wine.(But that’s another story) I also like to cook. One day while looking up recipes on the net I found a site called www.How-To-Make-Homemade-Cheese.blogspot.com My curiosity was peaked. I could make my own brand of cheese to cook with or serve with my own wine! AWSOME!

 I did some research on the web about homemade cheese and found all the resources I needed. Not only that, I found a one stop shop for over 700 different types of exotic cheeses. (I had a couple wheels shipped to my house) I also realized home cheese making, on a small scale, is much more art than science. You need a basic understanding of the science but in the end, your cheese will be your own. If you are new to cheese making, and wish to try this rewarding cottage craft you won’t be disappointed. It is amazing how easy it is to make your own homemade cheese. A simple cream yogurt cheese spread can be ready for breakfast overnight. Homemade mozzarella cheese is ready the same day its made. That's right, you can make mozzarella cheese in only one hour. Even the aged cheeses like Cheddar, Gouda and Colby are ready to eat in just a few weeks.

The basic ingredients for making homemade cheese are milk, starter culture and or natural acids, and rennet.(a milk-curdling enzyme) Cheese can be made from any dairy animal milk. First place the stock pot of milk on the stove over medium heat. It is important that you heat the milk slowly. Sprinkle in the citric acid and mild lipase powder while you gently stir. Heat slowly until the milk reaches 88 degrees. Stir every few minutes to prevent scorching the milk on the bottom of the pot. You will begin to see the curd develop. Once the milk reaches 88 degrees F. stir in the diluted calcium chloride then the rennet and water mixture. Continue stirring every few minutes until the milk reaches 105 degrees F. Turn off the heat and let the milk set covered for 15 minutes at 105 degrees. Curd (white mass) and whey (greenish liquid) will now be fully separated. Use a slotted spoon or strainer to transfer the curd to a dish. If the curd is to soft to transfer, let the milk sit a few more minutes. Pour off as much of the whey as you can. Gently press the curds together with the spoon and force more whey out of them. Squeeze out and drain as much whey as possible. At this point your soft cheese is done. You will end up with a creamy white cheese with a tender curd and a fresh, tangy flavor. You can throw this homemade cheese in the refrigerator for later, or enjoy it strait away.

To make a homemade cheese firmer just takes a little bit longer, and requires a couple more tools. Line a sieve or a basket with a double thickness of cheesecloth or a coarse, porous towel. First rinse in cold water, and set it over a bowl. Ladle the curds into the sieve and season them with salt, roughly a half-teaspoonful. The whey, which will drain into the bowl, can be used for baking. Great for bisquets. Refrigerate overnight or until the cheese is well drained. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth over a wooden spoon balanced over a bowl and let it hang until all the whey has drained out. Fold back the top layers of the cheesecloth or toweling and turn the cheese carefully out onto a plate. The imprint of the cloth will be left on the cheese. To make hard homemade cheese put the cheeses in a cheese press and let sit for several more hours . There are many things that can be done with this cheese. It can be enjoyed by you, or served on a tray at a party, and lets not forget about cooking. Let's hope everyone reading this article is ready to ban the blue box from their kitchen, and is open to the magic of homemade cheese and macaroni. I can say from experience that I have never tasted something so fulfilling. Layers of my fresh homemade cheese piled over warm macaroni. Its like a favorite blanket. The three cheeses in Martha Stewart's recipe for Macaroni & cheese are White Cheddar, Havarti, and Muenster. All these you can make at home.

 I hope that you learned a little something from this article. There is plenty more info out there, and I suggest you find it because making your very own cheese is a lot of fun!