# Cheese making 101 recipes



## catsraven

Ok in the thread Cheese making 101 I told you that some cheeses did not need rennet or a mold. Here are some soft cheeses you can make. No rennet or mold needed.

Buttermilk cheese

1 quart cultured buttermilk
salt (to taste)
herbs (to taste)

Heat on the stove in a pan the buttermilk to 160 degrees stirring now and then. Curds should form. If it dose not, heat to 180. Line a colander with cheesecloth. As soon as the curds form, pour the curds in. Tie the cheesecloth and hang to drain for 6 to 12 hrs.

Put cheese in a bowl add salt and herbs. You can store it in the frigge for 1 to 2 weeks but in my house it dose not last that long 

Herbs can be anything you like. Chives, dill, garlic, pepper or you can leave it plain. More recipes to come.


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## catsraven

Lemon cheese

1/2 gallon milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt (to taste)
herbs (to taste)

Put milk in a pot and heat to 185 to 200. Add juice to milk and stir well. Cover and let set for 15 min. If it dose not set up add a little more juice until it dose set up. Pour curds in a cheesecloth lined colander, tie it up and hang to drain for 1 to 2 hrs.

Put cheese in a bowl add salt and herbs to taste. Or plain if you like. Store in a covered container in the frigge 1 to 2 weeks.

For something a little different use 1/8 cup lemon and 1/8 cup orange juice. Yumy yum yum.

Ok next is White cheese or Quseo blanco. This cheese is firm and can be cut up into 1/2 inch cubes and put into soups, sauces or stir fries. This cheese will not melt and browns well. You can also roll it in bread crumbs and deep fry them.

White cheese

1 gallon milk
1/4 cup vinegar

Put milk in pot and heat to 189 to 190. If you want less acidic cheese go up to 200 and use less vinegar. Stirring often, dont let it scorch or boil.

Slowly add the vinegar. As soon as the curds separate from the whey stop adding the vinegar. Put the curds in a cheesecloth lined colander, tie up and hang to drain for several hrs.

Take cheese out of the cheesecloth and store in frigg in a covered bowl. 

All of these cheeses can be eaten immediately


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## tsrwivey

Can you use any milk or does it need to be whole milk? I can't wait to try it!


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## *Andi

Your White cheese is what we call Farmers cheese ... Tasty!!!


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## catsraven

tsrwivey said:


> Can you use any milk or does it need to be whole milk? I can't wait to try it!


It needs to be whole milk


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## catsraven

Next is cheese that needs rennet and a cheese press.

Farmhouse Cheddar

2 gallons whole milk
1 packet direct-set mesophilic starter or 4 ounces prepared mesophilic starter
½ teaspoon liquid rennet or ½ a rennet tablet diluted in 1/4 cup cool water
1 tablespoon cheese salt
If you use milk from the store you will need Calcium Chloride

Put the milk in a pot and heat to 90 degrees. (You can do this by putting hot water in your sink. Put the pot in the sink.) Add the starter and stir thoroughly. Cover and allow the milk to ripen for 45 minutes.

Add the calcium chloride (if you are using store milk. if not skip) and stir
Add the diluted rennet and stir gently with an up & down motion for 1 minute.
Cover and let set at 90 degrees for 45 minutes or until the curd gives a clean break.
Cut the curd into ½ inch cubes

Slowly heat the curds to 100 degrees , increasing temperature no more than two degrees every 5 minutes. you can do this by putting more hot water into the sink. This will take about 30 minutes. Stir gently to keep curds from matting. The curds will shrink noticeably in size as the heating continues. The yellowish whey will grow in quantity.

Cover the container and let the curds set for 5 minutes. Pour the curds into a cheesecloth –lined colander. Tie corners of cheese cloth and hang to drain for 1 hour.

Firmly pack the curds into a 2 - lb cheese mold lined with cheesecloth.
Apply 10 lbs of pressure for 10 minutes
Remove cheese from mold, gently peel off cheesecloth, turn cheese over and redress with cheesecloth. Press with 20 lbs for 10 minutes.
Repeat process & press at 50 lbs of pressure for 12 hours.
Remove cheese from mold & carefully peel away the cheesecloth.
Air dry on wooden board until nice rind has formed 2 -4 days. Turn the cheese several times a day so moisture will not collect on bottom.

Wax the cheese or vacuum pack. Age for at least 1 month in the refrigerator.


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## catsraven

Just thought I would ask if anyone has tried to make any of the cheeses? What did you think? was it good, did you put herbs in, did you make it again?

Ill post more recipes later today or tomorrow.


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## *Andi

I look forwards to your cheese recipes ... :2thumb:

(and I love the Santa kitty. )


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## catsraven

Santa kitty is so cute 

American Cheese

1 gallon of whole milk (either cow or goat)
1/2 cup of dry evaporated milk powder
1 cup cultured buttermilk
1/4 tablet of rennet

Mix together the whole milk and the milk powder until all traces of the powder are dissolved. Add one cup of room temperature cultured buttermilk and let the mixture stand for one to two hours.

Dissolve 1/4 tablet of rennet into 1/4 cup cool water. Add this mixture to the ripened milk mixture. Allow the mixture to sit until the curds break cleanly when cutting with a knife or your finger. Cut into 1/4 inch cubes.

Heat the mixture to 86 degrees and hold at that temperature for 30 minutes. Slowly, over the next 30 minutes, raise the temperature to 104 degrees and hold it there for at least an hour.

Pour curds into a cheesecloth lined colander to drain. Add cheese or sea salt and cheese coloring at this point, if desired.

Wrap the warm curds with the cheesecloth and press with moderate pressure (15 to 20 pounds) in a cheese press. Turn often.

Remove from press after 24 hours and store in the refrigerator. This American cheese can be eaten immediately or stored up to two weeks or more in the refrigerator.



Cheese curds are fun to make and eat. We make them for snacks.

Cheese Curds 

1. 2 Gallons of Milk are heated to 96F, add 1/2 tsp of calcium chloride at this point.
2. Add 1 packet of thermophilic culture C-201 and let this ripen for 30 minutes.
3. Then add 1/2 tsp rennet and stir gently for 30 seconds.
the milk will begin to gel in 6-10 minutes and a full set ready to cut in 18 -25 min
4. When firm cut the curds into 3/4 inch cubes and stir 5 minutes.
5. Then begin to cook the curds to 116F slowly over the next 30 minutes. (starting out at 2F every 5 minutes and then increasing the heating rate as the curds dry out) 
6. Continue to stir the curds for the next 30-60 min at 116F to increase firmness.
7. Drain in cloth and bundle by tightening the cloth.
Press with a weight of 1 Gallon of water (app. 8 lbs) and let set 1-3 hours.
8. Now break the curds into small bite size pieces and toss with a bit of salt (to your taste) they are ready to eat.


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## *Andi

I was going to ask and forgot  ... where do you buy your cultures/rennet?

Just wondering...


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## catsraven

If I don't make it myself, I get it at CheeseMaking - Online Store. The prices are reasonable.


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## catsraven

Is anyone interested in more recipes?


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## Toffee

catsraven said:


> Is anyone interested in more recipes?


Always interested in more recipes!


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## UniqueOldGal

I got a Ricki's kit for my first mozerrella and made it today.(thank you for the link above catsraven) The instructions are SO simple but first time is still a little flustered getting temperatures exact for several steps and having big pots for both hot and cold and draining and and and and...... Goodness! I had "chicken with head cuff" off moments and "I'm sure it's ruined" moments but in the end a beautiful ball is wrapped up in the fridge.  It was real fun and next time will be a snap because I'll know what I'm in for and have things spread out better for grabbing or moving over to(reading just isn't the same as doing). Now my quest for good milk starts. Our valley only has goat's milk for sale fresh(which I'll try next) and health food store's organic is ruined for cheese making by ULTRA pasturization(how dumb is That!) I'm sure I'll be using catsraven recipes in the future ! Starting a new skill is such a thrill for me!


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## Magus

I'm loving this thread!

Cheese:the ORIGINAL M.R.E!!


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## Jason

Catsraven: for the buttermilk cheese at the top of the thread does it need to be refrigerated while it's hanging? How does garlic taste in it? If it's good, how much should I use? And one more: what other spices do you recommend, and how much should I use?


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## mdprepper

Has anyone tried making cheese from powdered milk? I have Googled it and there are a lot of folks saying they have, but I trust the experiences of ya'll more then strangers. If you have did you use non-fat or whole powdered milk?


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## Magus

got anything with red pepper?


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## LilRedHen

mdprepper said:


> Has anyone tried making cheese from powdered milk? I have Googled it and there are a lot of folks saying they have, but I trust the experiences of ya'll more then strangers. If you have did you use non-fat or whole powdered milk?


Davearm did. He posted his recipe on the thread 'Recipes from Stored Food' post #7.


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## mdprepper

LilRedHen said:


> Davearm did. He posted his recipe on the thread 'Recipes from Stored Food' post #7.


Cool! Thank you!!


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## catsraven

Ok I have had some problems at home so I have not been here. I will answer all your questions.

UniqueOldGal: Good for you. As you get use to it, it gets easier. Your welcome for the link. My health food store dose the same. I don't care how organic it is. If you ULTRA pasteurize it its useless. Not only have they killed the bad stuff but they killed every thing that makes milk good for you. 

Jason: No, don't put it in the frig, let it hang. When its done then put it in the frig. Garlic is good in it. Just to taste. Put a little in, mix, taste. Member you can always put more in. You cant take it out. Experiment see what you like.

mdprepper: I have never made cheese with powdered milk. Sorry. 

Magus: you can put red pepper in jack cheese.

Ill be putting up more recipes as soon as I can.


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## Beaniemaster2

mdprepper said:


> Has anyone tried making cheese from powdered milk? I have Googled it and there are a lot of folks saying they have, but I trust the experiences of ya'll more then strangers. If you have did you use non-fat or whole powdered milk?


Thought I would pass this recipe on given to me by a friend made with powdered milk, haven't tryed it yet though, sorry 

Here is a super sinchy recipe for making yogurt and cream cheese from powdered skim milk:

Yogurt

1 1/2 cups of skim milk powder

3 3/4 cups of water

2 tablespoons of homemade or store bought yogurt

Mix above ingredients with a wire whisk, and strain into a metal or ceramic bowl. Cover and wrap and keep at 90 degrees overnight. Use warm blanket and place in a warm place if need be. Blot excess liquid on top with a paper towel in morning.

Yogurt Cheese (can be used in place of Cream Cheese)

Put yogurt in a strainer lined with cheese cloth and place strainer in bowl. Leave the bowl in the fridge overnight. Next morning you will have a soft curd cheese that can be used in salads, dips and deserts.


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## lhalfcent

Beaniemaster2 said:


> Thought I would pass this recipe on given to me by a friend made with powdered milk, haven't tryed it yet though, sorry
> 
> Here is a super sinchy recipe for making yogurt and cream cheese from powdered skim milk:
> 
> Yogurt
> 
> 1 1/2 cups of skim milk powder
> 
> 3 3/4 cups of water
> 
> 2 tablespoons of homemade or store bought yogurt
> 
> Mix above ingredients with a wire whisk, and strain into a metal or ceramic bowl. Cover and wrap and keep at 90 degrees overnight. Use warm blanket and place in a warm place if need be. Blot excess liquid on top with a paper towel in morning.
> 
> Yogurt Cheese (can be used in place of Cream Cheese)
> 
> Put yogurt in a strainer lined with cheese cloth and place strainer in bowl. Leave the bowl in the fridge overnight. Next morning you will have a soft curd cheese that can be used in salads, dips and deserts.


I use that same recipe and make excellent yogurt with it and yogurt cheese as well. My family likes vanilla yogurt so i mix in 1/2 cup honey or light aguava syrup and 2tsp's real vanilla extract. stir and culture overnight as you do.


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## Magus

Nice thread!

Do you wax dip your finished hard cheeses?


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