cheesemaking-msg - 2/9/08 Comments on making cheese. Recipes. Information sources. NOTE: See also the files: cheese-msg, Cheese-Making-art, cheesecake-msg, butter-msg, dairy-prod-msg, Cheese-Making-art, cheese-goo-msg, clotted-cream-msg, cheese-lnks, fresh-cheeses-msg. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday. This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter. The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors. Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s). Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous Stefan at florilegium.org ************************************************************************ (Freydis Haraldsdottir) writes: >Does anyone out there have a cheese recipe a bunch of neophytes >couldn't butcher too badly? Or perhaps point me in the right >direction for finding one? I have no qualms about using inter library >loan, but have no ideas about what books would be useful, and what >wouldn't. >Your assistance would be greatly appreciated, and I'll be happy to let >anyone know how this great experiment turned out. > >Freydis Haraldsdottir m Liana Ohman >House Anthrax k Dorm Rat >Canton of the Northern Highlands a Houghton, Michigan >Club Med. Michigan Tech Medievalists Club Years ago, when my family had a cow, we had to make cheese and butter just about every weekend to keep up (I was in charge of the butter, while my brother made the cheese). The instructions we used came from a poster that was contained in 'The Mother Earth News'. Sorry, I don't know the date of the issue, but you may be able to find out from the editor's office. Basically, the procedure we used was as follows: Mix together the milk (and/or skim milk, cream, etc) in a large pot and heat gently while stirring, till lukewarm (I think the poster gave an exact temperature here). At this point, stir in the rennet, which has been dissolved in a little water. Most rennet is made from calves stomachs. If this bothers you, it is possible to get vegetable rennets, or you can use other milk coagulants, such as lemon juice or yoghurt culture. We usually used mostly commercial rennet, and a bit (say 10% of the whole volume) of homemade yoghurt for the taste. At this point, let it sit till it coagulates, then use a large knife to cut the resulting curds in a checkerboard pattern. Then pour the whole pot into a colander or other holey device that has been lined with many layers of cheesecloth. Allow to drip for awhile, then put a plate on top of the cheese (the cheesecloth must be brought over the top of the cheese first) and add a weight, such as a couple of bricks. After it has been squeezed dry (overnight or more), the cheese can be unwrapped from the cheesecloth and put in your cheese cellar :-). The longer it is aged, the better it will be, but the longest we managed to keep one was 6 months. 1 - 2 months was more typical. At any rate, that is the general idea. If you can find a copy of the poster from the Mother Earth News, it will clear up any loose ends. Please note that I make no claims for this being particularly mideval(sp?). stephanie moore-fuller ga.smf at forsythe.stanford.edu ga.smf at stanford.bitnet From: sscroggi at uoguelph.ca (Sarah E Scroggie) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Cheesemaking Date: 10 Feb 1995 03:22:05 GMT Organization: University of Guelph I know how to make cream cheese and since it is so simple I doubt the method has has changed much over the years. What's more I learned to make it in Wales (from a swiss woman). Anyway you take a bucket full of milk, unpasturized and unskimmed is what we had - straight from the cow - cover it with a tea towel and leave it in a warm place (eg. beside the furnice) for a few days until it has a thick, slightly moldy curd floating on top. Stain the liquids out though a chese cloth and what's left is creem chese of yogert-like consistancy. It make a tasty desert when mixed with fruit and honey.I think that if you save somw wey from the last batch of cheese and keep it in the fridge until you make the next batch, it can act like a starter. You can probably buy spacific types of cheese starters but I have never looked into it. I have no documentation for this type of cheese making and learned how by watching (that in itself is very period). I hope this helps Sarah Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 10:45:36 -0400 From: marilyn traber <margali at 99main.com> Subject: Re: SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #262 ND Wederstrandt wrote: > I was at the wonderful Central Market and found some cheese with Nettles in > it. I was tempted to get it to try but didn't have enough cash. I also > read that nettles can be used for cheesemaking as well as being a fiber and > dye plant. The Vikings were very adept at using it. > > Clare St. John Definitely, one of the current derivations of vegetarian cheesemaking supplies. The modern stuff [you don't need to float the nettles in the milk] can be mail ordered from: new england cheesemaking supply co, inc 85 main st, po box 85 ashfield, ma 01330 413-628-3808 margali Blessed are the cheesemakers.... Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 00:21:39 -0400 (EDT) From: DianaFiona at aol.com Subject: Re: SC - rennet >>> Actually when I make cheese I've been using mushroom extract for rennet. While it is not period it's easily found, vegetarians can eat the cheese and it's easily stored. I can't recall the name of it right off but I've found it in three stores here in Bryn Gwlad. One day I'm gonna track down rennet from a calf and see what happens. I'm getting ready to make some for a couple of events and one of the things I'm planning on is trying nettles and a few of the other rennet plants. We have a species related to Lady's bedstraw that grows here in the spring and I'd like to try that... see if it works. Clare St. John >>>>>>>>>>> You might want to go to http://www.windward.org/ush/ush.htm (The University of St Hildegarde site) and look at the cheesemaking article there. It went into some detail on different ways to obtain rennet from calves' stomachs, plus a rundown of how well various plants work to achieve the same effect. Lots of good info! Ldy Diana, who would love to visit this wonderful place in person...................... Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 20:25:41 -0500 From: Maddie Teller-Kook <meadhbh at io.com> Subject: Re: SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #391 Ron and Laurene Wells wrote: > I would especially like to make my own cheese! But HOW IN AMERICA (I'm > certian it's possible in other partes of Earth) do I find NON-Homogenized > milk? The dairy farmers won't sell it to people because of the law that - > well - says they can't! Non-homoginized milk can be sold. There is a dairy here in Texas called Promiseland that sells it at the supermarkets here. It is against the law to buy raw (unpasteurized) milk. I would check with the health food stores in your area. meadhbh Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 22:43:22 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #391 Ron and Laurene Wells wrote: > I would especially like to make my own cheese! But HOW IN AMERICA (I'm > certian it's possible in other partes of Earth) do I find NON-Homogenized > milk? The dairy farmers won't sell it to people because of the law that - > well - says they can't! I don't know anyone with a "pet" cow or goats or > whatever. How do I find it? I know it has to be pasteurized - that just > involves cooking the milk to kill bacteria. I don't know whether the problem is any different in Oregon that what I have to deal with, but many farmers' markets, healthfood stores, and some supermarkets sell unhomogenized milk where I live, usually in the old-fashioned glass bottles. It is quite possible, though, to make a decent cheese with homogenized milk. Before I am drowned out by the protestations of purists, I will say that the finished product is not exactly the same as when made with unhomogenized milk, but it is acceptable and often quite good. The problem with homogenized milk is that the butterfat has been emulsified into the milk, acting as a shortening: the fat shortens the protein strands, just as it would with dough, affecting the solidity of the final product, in this case the curds. When you go to buy your rennet, though, you should be able to get some calcium chloride suitable for cheesemaking: it is used to counteract the effects of homogenization and de-emulsify the milk, rendering the final product almost identical to that made with unhomogenized milk. You only need a tiny bit, and if I remember correctly, most of it is drained away with the whey. Adamantius Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 23:36:26 -0400 (EDT) From: LrdRas at aol.com Subject: SC - milk << It is against the law to by raw (unpasteurized) milk. >> It is against the law to sell raw, UNINSPECTED milk for human consumption in PA. The health food stores carry inspected raw milk and many a farmer can be convinced to sell it to you for "dogfood". :-) Ras Date: Sat, 25 Oct 1997 01:30:44 -0400 From: marilyn traber <margali at 99main.com> Subject: Re: SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #391 > I would especially like to make my own cheese! But HOW IN AMERICA > (I'm certian it's possible in other parts of Earth) do I find > NON-Homogenized milk? > > -Laurene You can call the local 4h and ask about kids with prohects, OR you could go to the nearest large animal vet and ask around discretely. I am lucky to have a dairy farm within an hours drive that sells raw milk- apparently CT doesnt have that silly law. BTW, they have a chemical you can add to milk to turn homog milk into cheesable. new england cheesemaking supply co inc 85 main st po box 85 ashfield mass 01330 413-628-3808 margali Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 11:47:46 -0600 From: "Jack Hubbard" <jack at cwebs.com> Subject: Re: SC - cheesemaking Ron and Laurene Wells wrote: > I would especially like to make my own cheese! But HOW IN AMERICA (I'm > certian it's possible in other partes of Earth) do I find NON-Homogenized > milk? We buy pasturized non-homogenized milk from "Whole Foods Markets" other stores of this type will proabably carry it as well. Watch out for the cost though. I belive we pay almost $1.50 a quart! My lady is also intrested in making cheese as she has worked in the selling of same for some years. Eoian Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 15:43:59 -0600 From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US> Subject: RE: SC - sources >I am interested in doing research on period cheese making and dairying. >Does anyone have reccomendations for period sources about this. I am >looking for recipies, if possible, but anything would be interesting. >I have a copy of Menaigier de Paris, what others should I see? >Thank you!!! >Emmanuelle of Chenonceaux Here is a web site that just came to my attention. It is on Scottish cheesemaking. http://www.efr.hw.ac.uk/SDA/cheese1.html Bear Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 10:06:48 -0500 From: donna_m_smith at icpphil.navy.mil Subject: Re[2]: SC - Raw Milk I agree with Lord Ras. Homogenization is a process of keeping whole milk from separating into cream and skim milk by breaking up the fat globules into smaller globules, and distributing it throughout the milk, which happens by a mechanical process of *shaking*. According to my reference, cheese curds will still form if you're making cheese, they will just be softer, and not quite as easy to make into a cheese. Some cheeses are made from skim milk, cream, or whey as well. (Cheesemaking Made Easy, Ricki Carroll & Robert Carroll). Pasteurization will kill off the bacteria found in raw milk. Some of these are human pathogens (ex. tuberculosis and brucellosis) and some are not harmful to humans and can add some useful flavors to cheese if you make it. Some people swear by raw milk cheeses for this reason. You must be very careful about where the milk comes from if you plan to use raw milk, unless the cheese is to be aged more than 60 days. (In PA, I can definitely buy unpasteurized, unhomogenized milk.) There are two ways to pasteurize, one of which has the least effect on the flavor of the milk or the cheese made from it. Of course that one is the least economical. a. The better one: Heat milk to 144 or 145 degrees F (62 C) for 30 minutes. Cool immediately to 40 degrees (F). b. Flash pasteurization (most economical): Heat milk to 160 deg. F (71 C) for 15 sec. This results in a cooked taste to the milk. Another thing that could hinder cheesemaking is the presence of antibiotics in the milk. When adding cultures to the milk, the antibiotic could kill it off even at that point. This happens occasionally, and the culture simply won't grow (the one(s) you *want* in the milk.) I thought that "rotted" milk was due to the presence of bacteria (which would enter from the air after the milk was pasteurized) that happens to produce that kind of result, while cheese (and buttermilk) was due to the presence of wanted bacteria that happens to produce that particular type of output. Meadhbh ni hAilin East Date: Sat, 18 Apr 1998 22:19:48 -0500 (CDT) From: jeffrey stewart heilveil <heilveil at students.uiuc.edu> Subject: SC - excitement for the week. I just thought I would share my triumph and possible triumph with a lot of fun attached. I got part of the Barony together to make cheese. We did an easy quick soft cheese. Essentially, heat up milk, add lemon juice, and drain. It tasted fine, and everyone had a good time. Granted someone requested we try to do feta next... Bogdan din Brasov Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 00:29:45 -0500 (CDT) From: jeffrey stewart heilveil <heilveil at students.uiuc.edu> Subject: Re: SC - excitement for the week. SIMPLE CHEESE: One quart milt, heated to 100F. Add the juice of two lemons. Drain in cheesecloth. Simple but tasty. If you do it this way, ADD SALT. I would suggest forgoing the lemon and try a nice cider vinegar or somesuch having done it once. It was easy and fun for the whole guild. Bogdan din Brasov ps. next time is Feta!! ( i hope. I know it may be OOP, but it sounded easy, and a lot of us use a lot on a day to day basis...) Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 21:34:27 -0500 From: "Diamond" <nordgate at worldnet.att.net> Subject: SC - Trying new stuff Thought I would let you know that tonight I made some goat cheese. The first time I ever tried anything like this. The recipe that I used was very simple, 1/2 gallon goats milk ( I used canned ) and a 1/4 cup vinegar. heat the milk to 180 degrees then add vinegar stir and remove from heat. I was supposed to come out with a ricotta type cheese but instead I've got cream cheese. I'm not sure what I did wrong. It tastes fine but I am going to have to put it in a mold. I also made some of Mistress Christiana's Brwi. It turned out fine. If anyone out there makes cheese let me know what I did wrong. Arabella Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 23:55:52 EDT From: LrdRas at aol.com Subject: Re: SC - Trying new stuff nordgate at worldnet.att.net writes: << I was supposed to come out with a ricotta type cheese but instead I've got cream cheese. I'm not sure what I did wrong. It tastes fine but I am going to have to put it in a mold. I also made some of Mistress Christiana's Brwi. It turned out fine. If anyone out there makes cheese let me know what I did wrong. Arabella >> Did you put it in a cheesecloth and hang it to dry? This would allow the whey to thouroghly drain from it and should change the texture also. Many times cheeses were pressed in molds to achieve the final product. This is off the cuff, so to speak, but I have made yogurt cheese before and hang it in cheesecloth for a couple of extra days under refrigeration. This dries it out somewhat and makes for a superior product, IMO. Ras Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 20:51:38 -0700 From: "Anne-Marie Rousseau" <acrouss at gte.net> Subject: Re: SC - Trying new stuff hi all from Anne-Marie we are asked: > Thought I would let you know that tonight I made some goat cheese. The > first time I ever tried anything like this. The recipe that I used was very > simple, 1/2 gallon goats milk ( I used caned ) and a 1/4 cup vinegar. heat > the milk to 180 degrees then add vinegar stir and remove from heat. I was > supposed to come out with a ricotta type cheese but instead I've got cream > cheese. I'm not sure what I did wrong. It tastes fine but I am going to > have to put it in a mold. I have made a fair amount of cheese, both with goats milk and with cows milk in my day, using both raw milk and pasteurized stuff. I have never attempted to use CANNED milk however, and am wondering if the canning process (which DEFINATELY affects the taste of the stuff) did something funky to the caseins (milk proteins that make cheese a solid). When I make goats milk cheese I use the following recipe... In a stainless steel or other non-aluminum pot slowly heat 1 gallon of fresh milk to 185 degrees, stirring. Stir in 1/4 cup vinegar. keep at 185 degrees for a few minutes, constantly stirring till a soft curd forms. Line a colandar with a cheese cloth. Pour in the curd, salt or season to taste (fresh herbs are lovely), and mix well. Tie the corners of the cloth together and hang to drip. The longer you hang it, the firmer the cheese. Overnight gives a semi firm, like feta. A couple hours for standard "chevre" texture. It will be fairly crumbly/chunky. Note that this is twice the milk for the 1/4 cup vinegar, plus the difference in canned vs fresh milk. - --Anne-Marie Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 23:51:10 -0500 From: "Diamond" <nordgate at worldnet.att.net> Subject: Re: SC - Trying new stuff I have to use canned milk because all the goat farms in this area ( Pensacola, FL ) cannot sell goats milk for human consumption. using the canned milk you have to add a can of water to it. I don't mind it this way but it sure suprised me Arabella Date: Tue, 08 Sep 1998 08:27:31 -0400 From: Phil & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - Trying new stuff Diamond wrote: > Thought I would let you know that tonight I made some goat cheese. The > first time I ever tried anything like this. The recipe that I used was very > simple, 1/2 gallon goats milk ( I used caned ) and a 1/4 cup vinegar. heat > the milk to 180 degrees then add vinegar stir and remove from heat. I was > supposed to come out with a ricotta type cheese but instead I've got cream > cheese. I'm not sure what I did wrong. It tastes fine but I am going to > have to put it in a mold. Well, you said you made some goat's milk cheese, and goat's milk cheese appears to have been what you got, so I don't feel you necessarily did anything wrong. Is it good stuff? Apparently, yes. It might perhaps not score style points as adherent to somebody's idea of chevre or some such, but again, that doesn't make it wrong. Technical points to consider for further experimentation: Goat's milk does tend to have a finer curd than cow's milk, no matter what the method of curdling. Also, canned goat's milk (the stuff I've seen is spray-dried and then canned as a powder, is that what you used?) is pretty well homogenized, first by the goat, and then by the spray drying machine, which means the fat in the milk acts the same way as a shortening: it shortens polymers, making the lumps of protein (curds in this case, gluten strands is what would be involved if this were baking) smaller. One thing I have done successfully in the case of cow's milk cheeses when I've had to use pasteurized and homogenized milk, is to add a few drops of calcium carbonate solution (at least I think that's what it is, maybe someone who's already had their tea or coffee might confirm this); this tends to reverse the effects of homogenization and produce tighter curds in cow's milk cheeses, it might help with the type of milk you are using, if you have no other option. You can get this at a cheesemaker's supply house. (Also at the hardware store for melting snow, buuuuuuttttttttttttt..........) You also might want to experiment with using rennet. You can use that or an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice, but if you're going to have to go to the cheesemaking shop anyway...might as well give it a whirl in the hopes of a firmer product. It certainly won't do less than what you are already using. This is all assuming everything else is more or less above the cheesemaker's board, and that you don't have the option of quickly getting some fresh raw goat's milk to play around with. I don't have easy access to real goat's milk, but I've been able to work pretty well with the canned stuff. Adamantius, whose preference is for goat's milk cheese preserved in olive oil Date: Tue, 08 Sep 1998 14:58:47 -0400 From: Marilyn Traber <margali at 99main.com> Subject: SC - cheesemmaking http://www.cheesemaking.com/ my sypplier, they have a cookbook available with the recipe. BTW, you use taffy pulling skills to make mozzarellza... margali Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 22:28:14 EST From: LrdRas at aol.com Subject: Re: SC - Question on Butters MGroulx at NRCan.gc.ca writes: << I WAS planning on making cheese for lunch to go with the bread, but I can't find rennet (or junket) anywhere. And I mean ANYWHERE. >> Did you try looking in the pudding/custard aile? It is used to make certain types of custard and is located there in my supermarket. Another place to try would be Agway or a similar farm/home store. Ras Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1998 08:52:31 -0500 From: Chris Peters <cpeters at cinemagnetics.com> Subject: Re: SC - Question on Butters [Micaylah was looking for rennet for making cheese] Micaylah wrote: > Ras, I have looked almost everywhere I can think of. Including all the major > grocery stores, and not so major ones, dairies, cheese outlets (boy do we > have alot around here), major wholesalers, farm/home stores, cheese making > clubs, everywhere, including online web searches here in Cda. > > For some reason it is a very difficult commodity to come by at the moment in > this neck of the woods?!?!?! http://www.cheesemaking.com They have it. It's in stock. ( I called) Hope this helps. Date: Mon, 09 Nov 1998 16:18:58 -0700 From: Curtis & Mary <ladymari at cybertrails.com> To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Re: cheese making Kristi Kelly wrote: > Does anyone have any recommendations for books or resources regarding > period cheese making? No necessarily period, but excellent for beginners: The complete Dairy Foods Cookbook-How to make everything from cheese to custard in your own kitchen" by E. annie Proulx & Lew NicholsRodale Press,copyright 1982 by the authors, ISBN: 0-87857-388-7 The first chapter has a bit of history, like perforated cheese making jars found in Swiss lake villages, et. Rodale press also puts out a lot of whole foods cookbooks and things and you will probably find other recipes by checking them out. Mairi, Atenveldt Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 19:14:00 -0500 From: Karen at stierbach.atlantia.sca.org (Larsdatter, Karen ) To: Kristi Kelly <Kristi.Kelly at mci.com>, sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Re: cheese making Elspeth of Wye wrote: > Does anyone have any recommendations for books or resources regarding > period cheese making? > I'm a total beginner and any help would be appreciated. "Cheese Making for the Compleat Novice" by Lady Aoife Finn http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rialto/Cheese-Making-art.html [Another file in my Florilegium - ed] "An Easy Homemade Cheese" by Lady Catriona Fergusson http://www.mtsu.edu/~kgregg/dmir/08/0828.html "Kefir and Kefir Cheese" by Lady Catriona Fergusson http://www.mtsu.edu/~kgregg/dmir/08/0827.html "Slipcoat Cheese" http://www.adelphi.edu/~sbloch/sca/cooking/ppb.html#cheese That should at least be a start ... :)_ _ Karen Larsdatter What A Friend We Have In Cheeses Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 16:12:23 -0800 From: "Melinda Shoop" <mediknit at nwinfo.net> To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu> Subject: Re: cheese making There are at least two books about cheesemaking in print, and available from Lehman's a non-electric company who supply the Amish. The books are: Cheesemaking Made Easy, by Bob Carroll, and Goat Cheese: Small Scale Production, by the Mont-Laurier Benedictine Nuns. The same company also has a video about cheesemaking. I have no financial interest in Lehman's, just that they have good stuff for some of us recreationists. Their website is www.Lehmans.com Hope this helps. From my personal experience, making cheese is ridiculously easy! Vigdis Bjornsdottir Veni, Vidi, Vantsi I came, I saw, I nalbinded Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 02:44:38 -0500 From: Melanie Wilson <MelanieWilson at compuserve.com> To: "INTERNET:sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu> Subject: Cheese making It depends on the type you wish to make, soft, semi soft, hard, blue and so on. I strongly recommend starting with Soft cheese as it is the easiest and quickest and working your way up as above. Books :- Soft Cheese Craft by Mary Ann Pike(gives some later period info The story of cheesemaking in Britain -Val Cheke 1959 The Cheeses of Old England- Shelagh Frazer Dairying Exemplified Josiah Twamley-1784 and on the practical side Home Dairying by Katie Thear is the best I know of There is a UK web site with all cheese making supplies listed they do mail order, and if you can't find a US equivalent might be of use http://www.netcomuk/~moorland/index.html. They do starter kits for curd, soft and hard cheeses. If you tell me more the period you are looking to I might be able to help further. For instance medieval cheeses were often from goats and ewes milk as opposed to cows. Mel Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 07:40:20 -0800 From: Melinda Shoop <mediknit at nwinfo.net> To: Artspersons <SCA-ARTS at UKANS.EDU> Subject: Cheesemaking I did a little digging last night and came up with these sites on cheesemaking, and thought I'd pass them on. New England Cheesemaking Supply www.cheesemaking.com Cheesemaking in Scotland--A History www.efr.hw.ac.uk/SDA/publshr.html Glengarry Cheesemaking and Dairy Supplies (Canadian) www.3dbiz.com/cheese/ The Art of Cheesemaking and Biotechnology (very technical!) www.uwrf.edu/biotech/workshop/activity/act16/act16.htm Vigdis Bjornsdottir Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1999 15:06:18 -0500 From: Marilyn Traber <margali at 99main.com> Subject: Re: SC - Scottish/british food terms There are 2 kinds of lactobacillus used in cheese making, and they are only slightly different. Meso is what is used in chedders, colbys, bries and the non bubbly cheeses. the other type is what makes the eyes in swiss and havarti. margali Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 08:00:18 EDT From: LyAngharad at aol.com Subject: SC - Re: Cottage Cheese There is a recipe for cottage cheese in "Cheesemaking Made Easy" by Ricki and Robert Carroll, pages 42-45 [ISBN 0-88266-267-8]. We haven't actually done these recipes, but have used others from this (modern) book, and they worked fine. There is a lot of information about all kinds of cheeses in this book! The authors are co-owners of the New England Cheesemaking Supply Co., where we order all our cheese supplies from. Ly. Angharad Namron, Ansteorra Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 14:22:26 -0400 From: Melanie Wilson <MelanieWilson at compuserve.com> Subject: SC - Cottage Cheese Cottage cheese Traditionally for using up skimmed milk if the pig is full! 1.12 litres skimmed milk 1 tbs cultured buttermilk or natural yogurt(optional) 2tsp junket rennet salt to taste Heat milk to 30 degrees C, stir in started and rennet, cover leave 1 hour, cut curds reheat to 38 degrees, stirring gently, remove pan allow to settle 15 mins, line colender with scalded muslin, over bowl, spoon in curds drain 10 mins, rinse under cold tap water , add salt chives, or whatever to your taste Mel Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1999 09:57:25 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - Chessy Question Tollhase1 at aol.com wrote: > Oh how does one milk a ewe > (besides carefully). What regulations are there concerning using raw milk? All I know is that in some places it is illegal to sell raw milk for human consumption. You may be able to buy fresh goat's milk, or something, to slop your hogs with. There are ways around most such regulations. > Does it still need to be pasteurized prior to making cheese, or can it be > done afterwards. Are there Places to purchase Raw milk, or at this point in > my craft it won't make a difference. As far as I know, the main enemy for cheesemaking is _homogenized_ milk, not pasteurized milk. I've made many perfectly fine cheeses with pasteurized, non-homogenized milk in the standard grocery-store paper half-gallon cartons. Most large health-food stores (the kind that sell stuff other than jars of vitamins and Weight Gain 4000 ["BEEFCAKE!!!!"] ) sell non-homogenized milk. The trouble with homogenized milk is that the butterfat acts, effectively, as a shortening, preventing protein molecules from growing into chains, as is supposed to happen when milk forms curds, so you can't get a good firm curd with homogenized milk unless you add any of various chemicals, like calcium carbonate. You might consider that route anyway, if you want to experiment on a small scale while you get started. The New England Cheese Supplier place you mention sells calcium carbonate solution; you add a couple drops to a gallon of homogenized milk and you're ready to go. I'd advise this more in the case of a city-dweller who might have trouble getting the necessary unhomogenized milk. Your call. You might also try Jocasta Innes' _The Country Kitchen_ 1979 Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd. London ISBN 0-906459-01-X She has an excellent and comprehensive chapter on cheesemaking. Adamantius Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1999 12:13:39 -0400 From: margali <CmUaSrKgYaNlOiLES at 99main.com> Subject: Re: SC - Cheesy Question > Is it true that say Joann fabric cheese clothe does NOT work for cheesemaking? > Frederich I use unbleached muslin washed twice in detergent to remove the sizing and then again in plain water to remove any residue of the soap. Cut into a 24"x24" square and serge the edges. I also use kitchen cotton cording to tye the thing into the draining sack and suspend it from the valence over the sink to drip into a bowl [I like to make whey bread] I havent really ever used actual 'cheesecloth' [fine gauze] for anything except wrapping fish to poach in. margali Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1999 12:29:25 -0400 From: "D. Clay-Disparti" <Clay at talstar.com> Subject: Re: SC - Cheesy Question In a galaxy far, far away (and several years in the past) we owned a dairy goat herd. We milked twice a day, by hand, and never had a problem. I kept most of does and sold the bucks, hand feeding all the babies. We had milking stands my husband made out of lumber where you put the goat's head through one end so their head is above a box holding some sweet feed to keep their attention...goats will do most anything for sweet feed. It helps to have warm hands and you gently punch the udder like a kid would do to help the milk "let down". Never had a problem with a goat withholding her milk. I personally think it helps if they have been hand fed from birth. We ordered all our supplies from a place called Caprine Supply and I think I vaguely remember some kind of mechanical milking device (although I am getting older and they say the memory goes first)... you can also order all the vaccines, milking supplies (if you want a fresh sweet tasting milk you need to use stainless steel and make sure it is sterilized) and cheese making supplies, as well as books. Your county agricultural agency can also help with answers sometimes. If you decide to raise any goats yourself and need help, just e-mail me. I'm good for some advice on the animals and the cheese making. Isabella Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 15:41:32 -0500 From: "Sharon R. Saroff" <sindara at pobox.com> Subject: Re: SC - Chessy Question I don't remember the name of the cheese now, but I made a soft Indian cheese for Laurel Prize back in November. It was made of milk and lemon juice and spices with herbs. The lemon juice was used to make the milk curdle. I used caraway seeds as spice for one batch, mint in the second, and tarragon and dill in the third. Sindara Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 16:45:26 -0500 From: "Sharon R. Saroff" <sindara at pobox.com> Subject: Re: SC - Chessy Question >"Sharon R. Saroff" wrote: >> I don't remember the name of the cheese now, but I made a soft Indian >> cheese for Laurel Prize back in November. It was made of milk and lemon >> juice and spices with herbs. The lemon juice was used to make the milk >> curdle. I used caraway seeds as spice for one batch, mint in the second, >> and tarragon and dill in the third. >> >> Sindara > >Panir, by any chance? > >Adamantius Yes, That is the name. Sindara Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 06:34:56 -0700 From: varmstro at zipcon.net (Valoise Armstrong) Subject: SC - Re: german/prussian recipe, help needed Adamantius said: >This being a German dish, I suspect cottage cheese or "pot" cheese might >be appropriate. Can anyone tell me what "hoop" cheese is? Is it a >reference to the manner in which it is drained, in something like a flan >ring? Or am I being logical again? I don't know about "hoop" cheese, but since this is a German or Prussian recipe, I suspect the cheese would be similar to Quark or Topfen which consists of fresh curds. I don't know of a period recipe, but there is a really simple one in Elizabeth Luard's _The Old World Kitchen_. I haven't tried it, but a friend of mine swears it comes out similar to the authentic product. Valoise ***** Curd Cheese Quark (Germany) Topfen (Austria) 2 tablespoons plain yogurt or wine vinegar or 5 tablespoons lemon juice [My friend used lemon juice] 2 quarts milk You will need a sausepan, a bowl, and a sieve. If using yogurt, bring the milk to a boil and leave to cool to finger temprature (100 F). Mix the milk with the yogurt in a basin. Put it in a warm place for 4 to 5 hours to set as solid as yogurt. If using vinegar or lemon juice, stir into the milk and brig to a near boil (200 F) in a bowl set in a saucepan of water. Remove and keep in a warm place for 4 to 5 hours. Pour into a sieve lined with a scalded clean cloth. After an hour put a plate on top to weight and encourage the whey to drip through. The curds are the cheese. Cover and store in a cool pantry, and it will keep for about a week. Drink the whey, flavored with fruit juice, for your health-or use it to make scones. Keep in the refrigerator and it within 2 days [If he wasn't ready to use the whey right away, my friend said that he could freeze it without any problems and use it later for baking.] Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 11:59:45 -0600 From: "Brian L. Rygg or Laura Barbee-Rygg" <rygbee at montana.com> Subject: Re: SC - cheese revisited I take yogurt -- the natural kind without the thickeners like gelatin, and drain it in a #6 plastic Melitta coffee cone lined with a paper filter. I cover the top of the cone with plastic to keep out odor and prop it in an 8-cup Pyrex (glass) measuring cup in the refrigerator -- leave it overnight. One quart yields about 2 C. fresh cheese. Don't throw out the whey -- use in bread-making for part of the water. The bread will keep longer. You can also use it to dip cut up fruit in so that it doesn't brown (instead of using lemon juice). Raoghnailt Stan Wyrm, Artemisia rygbee at montana.com Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 16:41:36 -0600 From: "Brian L. Rygg or Laura Barbee-Rygg" <rygbee at montana.com> Subject: Re: SC - Yogurt Cheese > rygbee at montana.com writes: > << I take yogurt -- the natural kind without the thickeners like gelatin, and > drain it in a #6 plastic Melitta coffee cone lined with a paper filter. I > cover the top of the cone with plastic to keep out odor and prop it in an > 8-cup Pyrex (glass) measuring cup in the refrigerator -- leave it overnight. > One quart yields about 2 C. fresh cheese.>> > > I have never tried this method of making yogurt cheese before but you can bet > I will put away the 4 layers of cheese cloth that I used at Ladies Champions > Tourney. That was the first time I tried actually preparing the yoghurt > cheese/garlic dish. :-) > > Ras I use this method of making yogurt cheese as the base for a lower-fat boursin (French garlic, pepper, herb cheese-- usually a double or triple cream base). Let it age for at least a week to blend the flavors. I add the seasonings to taste and use whatever herbs besides parsley I have currently growing in my garden. Raoghnailt Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 19:43:04 -0600 From: "Brian L. Rygg or Laura Barbee-Rygg" <rygbee at montana.com> Subject: Re: SC - Yogurt Cheese > Do you add the herbs/seasonings after it has sat overnight and then let it > sit again for a day or a few hours? > > Frederich Yes, I make the yogurt cheese first (overnight) and then add the rest of the flavorings which then sit again to mingle. Raoghnailt Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 13:16:33 +0100 From: "Cindy M. Renfrow" <cindy at thousandeggs.com> Subject: SC - re: cheesemaking There are some soft cheese recipes in Two 15th c. Cookery Books, and some illustrations of cheese making in Tacuinam Sanitatis. Here's a recipe in verse from Liber Cure Cocorum, 15th c. (BTW, I sent the scanned text of this MS. to Greg Lindahl, but I don't think it's up yet at the Med. & Ren. Food page.) Lede lardes Take eyren and swete mylke of a cow, Swyng hom togedur, as I byd now; Take larde of fresshe porke with alle, Sethe hit and schere hit on peses smalle; Cast [th]er in and boyle hit, [th]enne Styr hit wele, as I [th]e kenne, Tyl hit be gedered on crud harde; Leche hit, and rost hit afterwarde Apone a gredel, [th]en serve [th]ou may Hit forthe, with spit, as I [th]e say. Cindy Renfrow/Sincgiefu cindy at thousandeggs.com Author & Publisher of "Take a Thousand Eggs or More, A Collection of 15th Century Recipes" and "A Sip Through Time, A Collection of Old Brewing Recipes" Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 16:01:56 -0800 From: Maggie MacDonald <maggie5 at home.com> Subject: SC - cheese cultures At 06:10 PM 3/31/00 -0500,CBlackwill at aol.com said something like: >BTW: If anyone is culturing the bacteria for making bleu cheese, I would >really like to know you better...mine died off about two years ago, and I >haven't been able to get another culture to survive more than three days. Of >course, I have been trying with commercially available strains from the U.S., >which may have a termination "gene" in them to prevent cultivation.) Have you checked out the New England Cheesemaking Supply web page? They carry several culture starters, and the first one they list is the type for blue cheese. its at: https://camby.crocker.com/cgi-bin/bigcheez/web_store/web_store.cgi?page=cata log.htm&cart_id= Heck, they make it look easy enough that I may give the cheesemaking thing one more shot. (My last attempt was abysmally AWFUL!) Regards, Maggie MacD. Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000 22:03:44 -0400 From: margali <margali at 99main.com> Subject: Re: SC - My anti modern cheese thing was: toys for tot feast > Her apprentice is my friend and could better speak about the wondrous soft > herbed cheeses she makes. Unfortunately I do not have her last Queen's prize > documentation where I can get it. Suffice to say she did her research. > The closest I can find in the modern world, at least here, is "farmers > cheese." There are a couple of ways to accomplish herbed cheese - my favorite way to do it is to take the milk I am going to cheese and pitching the herbs into it and bring it up to temp, then inoculating it with the bacteria and rennet. Typically the herbs get bound into the structure of the cheese as it is coagulated by the rennet. This works best with fresh chopped herbs. If I am using dried herbs, I cut the curds, drain them and hand miz in the herbs , let stand overnight in the fridge and then put it into cloth to drain the excess whey off. I did find that if I make whey cheese it gets really nasty if I use herbed whey, something about the slow heating and condensing does it. On the other hand, the whey cheese is interesting enough on its own that it doesnt need anything else added to it. Margali [thinking about starting to make cheese again this winter...] Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 00:01:15 -0400 From: "Bethany Public Library" <betpulib at ptdprolog.net> Subject: RE: SC - My anti modern cheese thing was: toys for tot feast Jana penned: >OOH soft herby cheeses to spread on bread. Fresh hot out of the oven, (Ok >so I'll wait 10 maybe 15 minutes before slicing the bread). This sounds >like heaven to me. I await recipes with knife in hand. I'm sure I don't know why making cheese is a big scary thing to most SCAdian cooks. Making your own cheese is easy, relatively effortless, cheaper than storebought, immensely more flavorful, and is impressive as hell when presented pressed into shape and strewn with whole fresh herbs or a decent sauce at the feast table. The farmer cheeses referred to in this thread are different in different areas of the country. In some places it's near cottage cheese, in others it's hard and semi-aged. I think what we all SEEM to mean is what I know as farmer cheese: Crumbly or creamy, pressed (or semi-pressed) white curds or bricks, that are sold fresh. In other words, green cheese. Green cheese is nothing more than fresh pressed (sometimes unpressed) curds. It isn't actually green (the color). It's green (unripe). Thus the moon-is-made-of-green-cheese story. It looks like a cake of pressed, uncured cheese, complete with pits and craters. I've done this sort of thing easily for feasts, and so can you. Curds and whey, Green Cheese, farmer cheese, etc., they all start out the same way. Any cheese but cream and ricotta-styles are made up of Whole Milk and salt, with a smidgen of rennet to make it curdle. Personally I amp up the cream (and thus milkfat and flavor)content by a pint per gallon. You get rich veins of high-milkfat running through your curds. Also personally, I use unprocessed milk (that's a discussion for another time---but I pay half the price of store-bought and the flavor is much better). Another personal foible: I add some buttermilk, sour cream or yoghurt for flavor and to speed along the process of curdling. The active cultures make for a better finished product if aging the cheese, as well. Here's what you do: Dissolve the rennet tablets in water according to package directions. I use 2 Junket rennet tablets in 1/4 cup warm water per each gallon of Whole milk plus additives (1/4 cup buttermilk, pint of heavy cream). If the rennet is weak or old you will have to use more. You will also have to use more if the milk is very new or if the cheese gods aren't blessing your kitchen that day. Don't go overboard, however, because too much rennet when not needed will make a rubbery curd. Rennet is easily obtained from any cheese-supply source, in tablet or liquid form, but you can also buy it at grocery stores. It's what's used to make the dessert called Junket, which is nothing more than an elemental form of cheese. While dissolving the tablets (which can take up to 20 minutes), gently warm the milk to blood temperature. Add your cream and cultured buttermilk/yoghurt/sourcream if so inclined. When the tablets are dissolved in the water, pour this gently into the milk, stir to mix well, and then do not stir again. If you are a culture user, the culture would be added about now, for cultured hard cheese. Not necessary for the soft fresh cheeses. Hold it all at blood-temperature (I end up turning the heat off and on to do this, or wrapping the Pot in towels. Be patient. Sometimes it's a long long wait to get a curd. The curd can look two ways when set: obviously a separation of curd and whey, OR, it may be softer-set. If you are looking at the pot, it's been an hour, and it doesn't look set, don't be dismayed. Sometimes the pot will LOOK like it's not set even when it has. Jiggle it, and see how the surface reacts (is it solid or liquid?). If this doesn't help, stick in a spoon and see if it's solid. Don't be afraid to add more rennet at this time if needed. If somewhat set, heat the pot a few degrees higher (not a lot!), and this will help set the curd. The curd should never be really hard at this stage. Slightly solidified is more like it. Once you know the curd has set, run a big spoon through the mass a couple of times. You want something workable but also want to keep the curds as whole as possible. You do not want a puree! Line a colander with cheesecloth, linen, or a clean smooth-weave cloth. Put it in the sink or elevate over a large bowl. Pour the mass slowly into the colander. It will drain like crazy. The curd will slowly become firmer as it drains. At this point I tie the ends of the cloth together knap-sack style, and let the mass dangle from the faucet and continue to drip. When the dripping slows way down, you can either use the cheese as is (mixed with 1 tsp.. or more per gallon of milk used, of salt). If you want to press it into a cheese shape, this is easily done. I use soup cans or larger cans for lack of professional equipment. Cut off the tops and bottoms of the cans, and clean them very well. Use one of the circles you cut from the cans. Throw the other away. Place the can on the top of a screen or a fine cakerack. Line the can with another piece of scalded wet linen, cheesecloth or whathaveyou. Smooth it to the sides to minimize wrinkles, and let the ends hang out over the can. Put about 1 cup the curds into this improvised cheese mold---for a soup can sized mold (sometimes called a vate in period)---and sprinkle in salt (use 1 tbsp. salt per gallon of milk used--note that this is different fromt he 1 tsp. for curds---some of the salt is drained away in pressed cheese). Overlap the hanging ends of cloth, and place the circle cut from the can on top (this is a follower). Any one pound of weight you can put on top of this will do: Another can, clean stones, etc. Let it press until the dripping is mostly finished. If you desire harder green cheese or want to you cure the cheese, you can add more weight at this time, but for most purposes this will be enough weight. Unmold carefully, transfer to a plate if serving as is. If curing your cheese, choose "cakes" of cheese that are relatively smooth on the surface and have no deep cracks. Allow to stay on a non-reactive surface in a cool atmosphere, turning occasionally each day, until a rind has formed (your cake rack, lined with cheesecloth, linen etc. would be good). You may rub the surface with salt or vinegar to keep it from molding. This will take from 1-2 days to a week. At this point you may seal the surface with cheesewax (usually red) or beeswax. Aged cheese should be stored in a cool dry place, and turned every so often to ensure even moisture distribution. Sample whenever you wish, but I'd wait several months at the least. When testing cheese, patience is a virtue. Viola, cheese. There are various recipes for cheese out there in period. It's quite rewarding to attempt to make them. Someone should ask Adamantius about his slip-coat cheese sometime. It would be a very rewarding discussion for all of us <hint>. Cheers Aoife Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 12:46:24 EDT From: BalthazarBlack at aol.com Subject: Re: SC - making cheese selene at earthlink.net writes: > I'm another cheesehead interesting in making my own! I just picked up a ' > make your own cheese' kit at a garage sale last week, which has a convenient > press gadget. Lehmann's Non-Electric Catalog has a few cheese-making kits, as well as rennet tablets and other cheese-making goodies. I haven't ordered any from them, but they do LOOK like they're high quality... Balthazar of Blackmoor Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 17:09:27 -0700 From: Maggie MacDonald <maggie5 at home.com> Subject: Re: SC - making cheese At 12:46 PM 8/10/00 -0400,BalthazarBlack at aol.com said something like: >Lehmann's Non-Electric Catalog has a few cheese-making kits, as well as >rennet tablets and other cheese-making goodies. I haven't ordered any from >them, but they do LOOK like they're high quality... There is also the New England Cheesemaking Supply webpage. Their prices seem pretty reasonable (though I haven't had the opportunity yet to order any of their kits and give it a try). They list things like the special molds for different cheeses. There are 5 different starter kits for the novice. They claim the mozarella-ricotta kit gets you into cheese in 30 minutes. That could be interesting for a cook's guild meeting, or girlscouts/cubscouts/whatever. They are at https://camby.crocker.com/cgi-bin/bigcheez/web_store/web_store.cgi?page=catalog.htm&cart_id= Maggie MacD. Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 21:35:46 -0000 From: Harry Brandt <harry at sewingcentral.com> Subject: Re: SC - making cheese Philip & Susan Troy said: >I know the New Engand Cheesemaking Supply people (www.cheesemaker.com, I >think) will sell anything and everything you need to make cheese from >supermarket milk, including calcium chloride solution. Nope. That's a really nice website for a cheese maker. http://www.cheesemaking.com/ Harry Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2000 13:41:58 -0600 From: "Brian L. Rygg or Laura Barbee-Rygg" <rygbee at montana.com> Subject: Re: SC - Re: Making cheese The most milk I've made cheese with at once was 3 gallons and I was teaching a friend how to make it (It's a good way to have help). ;-) The largest pot I have is a 20-qt. stockpot. I suppose you could break the milk into 3-4 batches and do it that way. The one thing I do stress is that you need (if you don't already have one) is a real dairy (not the rinky-dink one that came with the Salton yogurt makers) -- not candy -- thermometer. Mine came with a kit I bought a long time ago (1983), but the cheesemakers' site carries one I think. Raoghnailt Stan Wyrm, Artemisia Veritas praevalebit rygbee at montana.com Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 14:05:10 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - Re: Making cheese ChannonM at aol.com wrote: > Raoghnailt writes: > > The one thing I do stress is that you need (if > > you don't already have one) is a real dairy (not the rinky-dink one that > > came with the Salton yogurt makers) -- not candy -- thermometer. Mine came > > with a kit I bought a long time ago (1983), but the cheesemakers' site > > carries one I think. > > I have a brewing thermometer that floats, will that work? Right now my > problem is finding a supply of unpasteurized milk. I've approached a few > farms but no luck so far. Even the "I have lots of kittens" story isn't > flying. > > I'll keep trying. Unpasteurized, raw, unhomogenized milk is certainly a fine thing to make cheese. However... You... do... not... need... unpasteurized... milk... to... make... cheese! This is a commonly held, but incorrect, belief. Anyone who tells you you do need unpasteurized milk is either lying or simply wrong. What you need, or, rather, what is helpful, is unhomogenized milk. Failing even that, you can buy, for some small sum, from the same place you're probably getting rennet from, unless you're slaughtering your own calves and processing the wealcrud, a calcium chloride solution which you can add to ordinary milk from the supermarket. This will improve the curdling abilities of homogenized milk so that cheese-making is possible, while adding a proportionately miniscule amount of a chemical that drains off in the whey anyway. I can certainly understand the desire to learn everything possible about the overall process from period beginning to period end, but to forego making cheese because you can't get raw milk straight from the udder is, if I may coin an original phrase nobody here has _ever_ heard before, letting the best be the enemy of the good. Adamantius Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 09:07:44 -0400 From: margali <margali at 99main.com> Subject: Re: SC - question about cheese... Nisha Martin wrote: > I was thinking about trying to make cheese and have > seen several cheesemaking kits on the internet. Does > anyone have a suggestion for an easier one to start > out with? A company that is good to order from? I was > thinking of starting with fresh mozerella. Thanks. Mozzarella is not a good cheese to start with, it is more complex than even a cheddar-at one stage in its making you heat the curd and stretch the mass sort of like taffy[it is how it gets the funny peel apart string cheese effect.] To be bluntly honest, you can make a soft cheese very simply by taking cottage cheese, 1 8 oz container, 1 yoghurt, 8 oz container and mix them together. I like to throw in italian herbs and garlic at this point. Then I take a simple collander or seive and line it with a layer of clean muslin that I have washed out all of the sizing and soap if any. You pour the resulting dairy glop in and set it either in a sink or in the fridge over something to catch the dripping whey. When most of the excess liquid is dripped out, take a clean large can[the large progresso soup can is good] that has been thoroughly washed and tiny holes punched in the bottom. I save the lid and use it as the chaser. Place the muslin wrapped green cheese drained curds in in the progresso can, place the lid on top and then put a full smaller diameter can on top of the chaser to press down on the curds in the large can. Place the rig over something to catch the drips with, and you can even stack another can on top for more weight if you want. After all of the whey has been pressed out and the cheese is a solid hocky puck, you can eat it green or you can age it. I happen to like the flavored farmers cheese [or you can use chopped chilis for a sort of pepper jack effect] or you can make it without the garlic and herbs for a nice and mild green cheese. If you want to make your own curd cheese from the start, you only need raw milk and rennet, and a small instruction book on cheesemaking that you can get from your local agricultural extension office. The only thing about the kits [I got the basic mesophilic kit from american cheese because I like cheddar] is you get a booklet, a thermometer[which I have never used] a strainer/mold, a piece of cheesecloth and a couple of packettes of mesophilic bacteria combined with rennet. You can buy the mesophilic culture/rennet combo separately, you really dont need the thermometer, you can make your own mold/press, and they sell the booklet separately. margali Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 19:23:43 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - cheese Stefan li Rous wrote: > But what do you use for a cheese press? Do you use one that your purchased > commercially? Did you make it yourself? I'm imagining something with > a large screw thread pressing a disc in a bucket. Or did you simply > use a drilled plastic bucket, a circle of plywood or plastic and a > bunch of wieghts? Would the latter work? Yeah, it works. A fairly common traditional design for a cheese-press is a a perforated cheese-vat, often looking like half a barrel with spaces between the slats, and holes drilled in the bottom. This is inserted into a rectangular frame with a wooden disk fitting inside it, which can be weighted down, screwed down, or clamped down with a lever. Or you can simply use the vat (corresponding to the bucket you mentioned) with the disk inside, and weights. Sources like Digby and Plat mention using weights to hold the disk down. Adamantius Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 09:50:20 -0400 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - Re: Trying Cheese (no, really trying) ChannonM at aol.com wrote: > A suggestion was to see if it separated when dragging a spatula > through it. It did, but was not as solid as I envisioned it would be. That is probably just a perceptual thing. The semi-hard, "squeaky" curds some people think of when in Dairy Thought Mode is the result of cooking curds, a process used in some cheesemaking, but not all. The closest textural approximation of what to look for (that I can think of) is barely set gelatin or aspic, the kind you then spoon over meat dishes, pates and such as a glaze before it sets fully. Yes, you can slip a spatula through it and it does separate (I usually just jiggle the pot and see if I can see a clear space between the milk and the side of the pot), but it doesn't, at this stage, form a curd sufficiently solid to hold itself up without support from a container. It still acts very much like a liquid. I don't know about the stringy reference, that usually comes later, AFAIK. What you've described, though, sounds like viable cheese to me, if in the early stages. > I drained it anyway, thinking I had cooked it and set it too fast. I let the > curds drain a few hours. The curds drained well enough so I added 1.5 tsp > salt, mixed it and I then lined a large empty soup can with holes punched in > it with cheese cloth and poured in about 2 cups of curd. I placed the can's > top as a follower and placed a large can of beans on top. I made two such > contraptions of cheese. > > This was left to press overnight sitting on top of a baking rack over a tray. > Some soft cheese pressed out of the can in little blobs. I then took the > cheese from 1 of the presses out and tasted it, looked at it and generally > thought about it. Well, it was a taste between cottage and cream cheese, but > without the dryness of cottage curds. It was fairly smooth in texture, with a > hint of a rind. Seemed too wet to me, and the only flavour was from the salt. > Kinda insipid. :) This, too, shall pass. If you were able to remove it from the mold at this stage of the game, I'd say you're on your way. Much of the flavor component will come as it ripens, and the texture will also change as the casein is broken down and stirred up by bacterial action. > I added a second can on the other cheese contraption, and will let it press > longer. Sounds like a plan. Do Not... as in, do not, succumb to the temptation to add too much weight in the early stages (even period authors are very clear on this); unlike your little problem with curds shooting out the holes, what you'll be left with (in addition to the aforementioned shooting) will be dry and unpleasant. I would guess that you'll end up with little wheels, each just shy of eight ounces, and you probably want a minimum ripening period of about ten days for wheels that size. That'd be for a not-really-sharp, creamy cheese like, say, Tomme, or York. In short, slipcote. Adamantius Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2001 15:14:11 -0500 From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> Subject: Re: SC - Cheesemaking question rcmann4 at earthlink.net wrote: > So far, I've had a few successes and a few failures, and I think I've > read nearly every cheesemaking website on the Net. There's one > question I haven't been able to answer about period cheesemaking > practices: I know they used cheese presses to shape and firm the > cheese, but did they cook the curds? Or is that a modern > innovation? From what I've been able to determine, it's modern. Admittedly, what I'm saying is, "I don't know that the cooking of curds was done in period," rather than, "I know that it was not done in period." What I do know is that of the actual cheese recipes I've seen in Dowe, Markham, Plat, and Digby (the last three all early post-period), along with various curd-based dishes in the medieval corpus and various net-based cheese process descriptions of things like gruyere (allegedly period) appear to be uncooked. This might be coincidence, and I may simply have missed all the cooked curd recipes, but I suspect not. Adamantius Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 01:23:29 -0500 From: LYN M PARKINSON <allilyn at juno.com> Subject: Re: SC - cheese Hope you aren't completely buried under the snow, but you aren't going anywhere, so try this great site I found today on how to make cheese! http://www.tudocs.com/cheese.html http://www.efr.hw.ac.uk/SDA/cheese2.html The first one brought up a bunch of cheesy sites--didn't have time to look at all of them. One is a catalog where you can buy presses, cheese boxes, etc. Might try their 30 min. Mozzarella, myself, sometime. The second one is directions and history, just the things you were looking for. Allison Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 13:09:13 -0700 (PDT) From: Chris Stanifer <jugglethis at yahoo.com> Subject: Re: SC - yogurt Cheese 101? - --- Solstice Studios <solstice at moscow.com> wrote: > I am experimenting with hyogurt cheese for th first > time ever. Hanging out on this board is getting me > tooooo excited :) I have started with a large > container of non -nonfat plain yogurt. I put it in > two layers of cheese cloth and in a strainer > overnight in fridge. > > Now, I am wondering if anyone else here has played > with what must be a introductory and basic cheese > making method that I am just now getting into :) I > am wondering what sort of spices and uses folks like > to do with this cheese, different lengths of letting > it sit, spice before or after?, and what sort of > recipes are used for it. Sorry if this is too basic > for the experienced folks here. > > -Aleska While being far from actual cheese making, this is a great first step, and is almost fool proof. You will be delighted with your first batch, I am sure. I have made this on countless occasions, and have always had great succes with it. I usually let it sit, in the refrigerator, at least 24 hours, and have even let it drain for 10 days. The former gives you a cheese very much like a creamy ricotta, while the latter will give you a denser, drier consistency...almost crumbly. My favorite herbs and spices to add are fairly simple...fresh basil, mint and rosemary...sometimes garlic, though not often... orange oil or extract...and freshly cracked black pepper. Be careful on the last one, though, as it tends to create a flavor in the cheese very much like raw beef...I'm not certain why this happens, and it could be particular to my tastebuds :) I use the cheese in a number of ways, as well...as a basis for blintz... as filling for canolli...in place of sour cream on any number of dishes (especially Beef Stroganoff)...as a topping for canape or bruschetta...and even as a stuffing for light, pristine Sole. As for when to put in the flavorings, it varies. I prefer to put fresh herbs in with the yoghurt prior to draining, and mix spices and extracts/oils in after it has thickened somewhat. Once you have made this a few times, you might try draining it for about a week, and then pressing it into muffin tins (or a cake tin). Weight it for another three days...then roll it in rock salt to cover it...wrap it in cheesecloth...and age it in the fridge for another week. It comes out tasting very much like a slightly drier Feta Cheese. Very nice in a salad, or over plain cooked pasta with olive oil and fresh herbs. Balthazar of Blackmoor Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 18:54:37 EDT From: LrdRas at aol.com Subject: Re: SC - yogurt Cheese 101? solstice at moscow.com writes: << Now, I am wondering if anyone else here has played with what must be a introductory and basic cheese making method that I am just now getting into :) >> I have made this for period middle eastern feasts. Mixing mashed garlic into it after it has drained. I'm sure Stefan or someone on the list has the recipe I posted on this list. The longer you leave the yogurt drain, the fir