Cheese Making 2021

[Brittany]

Hello Guys,

looking for some help with my homemade cheese project. I have spent a few nights looking for the best method. So far, I have watched the vinegar and milk cheese making. Very basic.
but, if you guys have done it at home or have any advice for beginners like me. That would be awesome.

 

[Amish Heart]

That is basic, have you tried it? I like to mix mine with some garlic and Italian seasonings and spread it on bread. If you've got that down, probably mozzarella would be the next step, but you need a thermometer

 

[Brittany]

That is basic, have you tried it? I like to mix mine with some garlic and Italian seasonings and spread it on bread. If you've got that down, probably mozzarella would be the next step, but you need a thermometer

not yet. just exploring what I need to buy. there is some stuff that I ordered online like Rennet should be arriving soon. I also ordered some cheesecloth. OMG, I am so excited! I want to know the difference between regular whole milk and unpasteurized milk. for cheese. Have you tried un pasteurized cheese??

 

[Amish Heart]

Yes! I get raw milk from my cousin's dairy down the road. It's all we drink and use. I have not made cheese with processed milk, but if you do, it'll last longer. Raw milk goes bad in about 5 days, and so will the cheese made with it, unless you freeze it. I press the mozzarella in an empty cottage cheese container, and drain it that way. Yummy.
I also skim the cream off the raw milk and make butter. I use it for the week, or roll it in wax paper, then a freezer bag and freeze it. You can also make farmer's cheese (like the youtube you posted) out of powdered milk, and shelf life cartoned milk (like what is sold at the Dollar Tree) in a pinch.
Make sure you get a thermometer if you're making the mozzarella, and you'll need the rennet. You can order extra rennet and freeze it. There was a purple weed growing on our property in New Mexico (when we lived there) that people would dry the weed head, and powder it, and use it for rennet. But I never tried it.

 

[Brittany]

Cool! Thanks. I bought the Rennet pill due to its convenience. I know that there are two kinds, the veggie (much sustainable) and the Animal, that much I know.
I have a candy thermometer. Is there anything I need to get? or a certain brand. In terms of milk, I would need to go to my organic store to find unpasteurized milk. But, I will first start with store-bought whole milk. I will try a batch in the upcoming weeks or so and let you know how it turns out.

 

[GaRp58]

yellow bedstraw is used for making cheese also
Then there is also the normal Thistle which can be used to make cheese:

 

[Amish Heart]

Oh, yep, there's the nasty purple rennet plant.
You can use processed milk, we just don't because I get raw milk for free, as much as I need. With processed whole milk it'll last longer. We have two grandkids that are milk sensitive, and the raw milk is grade A2, better on the stomach. I got my thermometer at Walmart. Anything will do. Cutting the mozzarella is just fun. You'll see. I have rennet tablets in the freezer, and they are cheaper than the liquid, so use whatever.