There is something magical about cheese--all the better when you can make it yourself. This is an endeavor in which you will need to invest, as it will require more than what can be found easily one's kitchen. However the investment is more than worth the effort and expense.
My foray into cheese-making grew from my father's Christmas gift: a cheese-making class held by a woman who happens to be a poodle fan and a maker of incredible cheese, Barbra Skapa, of
Echo Ridge Farm Organic Cows Milk Cheese. If you can take a cheese-making class, it allows you the opportunity to actually see how cheese is made, make cheese yourself, and ask questions of the cheese-maker--far more interactive than working from a book or an online site. Thanks to Skapa's influence, I began to collect the tools for cheese making. They are as follows:
BOOKS
If you are working with raw milk:
The Cheesemaker's Manual by Margaret Peters-Morris
If you are working with pasteurized milk:
200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes by Debra Amrein-Boyes
The distinction between the two milk types is very important, as raw cows' milk acts far differently than pasteurized milk during the cheesemaking process.
If using pasteurized milk, use ONLY whole milk.
CULTURES AND INGREDIENTS
(by cheese)
Brie/Camembert: MA4001/4002*, Rennet**, Penicillium Cadidum Powder***
Cheddar (Farmhouse): MA4001/4002, Rennet
Fromage Blanc: (a soft, French cheese) MA4001/4002, Rennet, spices and herbs of your choice
Mozzarella (Cultured): MA4001/4002, Rennet, Lipase****, Citric Acid
Queso Blanco: (semi-soft white cheese) White Vinegar, spices and herbs
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*MA4001/4002: mesophilic starter
**Rennet (either vegetable- or calf-based): curdles the milk
*** Penicillium Cadidum Powder: produces the white mold found on Camembert, Brie and more
****Lipase: according to Merriam Webster, is "
any enzyme (as one secreted by the pancreas) that
catalyzes the breakdown of fats and lipoproteins usually into fatty
acids and glycerol "
WHERE TO BUY CULTURES AND ENZYMES
The Dairy Connection
This is my go-to source of most of my cultures and equipment. It was
recommended by Barbara Skapa, and has proved, time and time again, to
have excellent prices and excellent customer service.
The Cheesemaker A good source cultures, enzymes and moulds.
New England Cheesemaking Supply Another good source of cultures, enzymes and moulds.
EQUIPMENT
Cheese Moulds
used to give cheese their shape
Brie/Camembert
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| The mould pictured is 7 inches in diameter with 4.5 inch sides. These moulds come in various sizes. Note the open bottom. Large moulds available at the Dairy Connection and small moulds available at all three listed above. | |
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CHEDDAR (FARMHOUSE)
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| The mould pictured is actually cut from a length of PVC pipe purchased at Lowes. It is 6 inches in diameter and has 8 inch sides (post-cut). It must be lined with a plastic bag before use. |
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FROMAGE BLANC AND QUESO BLANCO
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| The moulds are 4.5 inches in diameter with 3.5 inch sides. To allow free drainage of the cheese (whey is visible in the bottom of the pot), the moulds should be placed on a platform which also allows unfettered drainage--in this case, the basket from a salad spinner turned upside down. When working with pasteurized milk, the moulds MUST be lined with very fine cheese cloth or an equivalent fabric. The moulds are available at the Dairy Connection, The Cheesemaker and New England Cheesemaking Supply. |
CLOTH
Any fine-woven natural cloth made from cotton or linen will do and can be found in many stores. Some examples are:
Cheese cloth: Defined by Webster as a "very lightweight unsized cotton gauze" which has been associated with cheesemaking since the 14th century. Only very fine cheese cloth will do. The stuff draped on trees at Halloween is far too loosely woven, and will allow the curds as well as the whey drain away. It can be found at many stores and health food stores and the cheese suppliers listed above.
Flour Sack Towels: This was a fine discovery I made at the Dollar Tree stores--for they cost only a dollar (unless you were to buy them by the case) and work very well for cheesemaking.
Linen or Cotton Handkerchiefs: These are available for less than a dollar at thrift stores. Their smaller size makes them perfect for lining moulds when making soft cheese using pasteurized milk.
POTS
Pots from the cabinets will work. Ones that are of a heavier gauge work best as they will heat more slowly as well evenly. However, if your pots are of a thinner gauge, you can compensate by adding water to a large pot and putting a smaller pot inside it, essentially creating a double boiler. Six quarts hold a gallon, ten or more hold the necessary 2 or 3 gallons if you are making Brie, Camembert, or Cheddar. Tall pots also make great places in which soft cheeses can drain.
SUNDRIES
Thermometer: This is must--the more accurate the better. A digital thermometer with a probe works very well as the base can be set on shelf at eye-level while the probe can hang into the pot. Note: these thermometers do not take well to being dunked in hot whey and refuse to work afterward.
Salad Spinner: Another must--especially when making soft cheese that must drain. The basket inside the spinner makes a perfect platform on which to set the cheese moulds.
Turkey Baster: A must when making Camembert or Brie for these cheeses generate a lot of whey which must be constantly drained while settling into the mould.
Cheese Mat: These are available at the above cheese suppliers and can be cut to whatever size you need. They are useful when draining Cheddar as well as Brie and Camembert.
Storage Boxes: These are quite useful stand-ins for cheese caves. The thicker ply of the storage box is essential to create the mini-environment in which the cheese can ripen. They are also essential for keeping air-born particles from the cheese as it goes through its initial draining--especially when making Brie or Camembert. For draining, the box needs to be tall enough to accommodate the height of the mould as well as its width.
Cheese Press: These are available at the above suppliers. However, it is possible to create your own press. I used this article for inspiration: Setting up a Homemade Cheese Press.
