cheese making

[lez]

I have a go at making butter and am intrigued to know if any one has made thier own cheese? is it as easy as butter? how did it turn out? how did you do it?. did a search on here but could not see anything about it so will look on the web aswell. good luck to all.

[zazen999]

We made cottage cheese at school; before Maggie took away the milk.

It was a fair while ago!

[Flummery]

I've made cottage cheese too. Let your milk 'turn' in a warm place. Add some salt (It will taste of nowt of you don't!) and allow it to drip through muslin, preferably overnight. I added chopped home-grown chives. It was lovely.

[WrexTheDragon]

I have made cottage cheese and it is very easy and quick. I do not have the patients to make proper cheese and would have a problem with storage.

Very similar to making Yoghurt.

Heat 1 pint of skimmed milk and let cool, add either a tablespoon of buttermilk or unflavoured cottage cheese. Keep temperature between 70F and 75F for 24 hours. This will cause it to curdle and should be just solid like a jelly. Use a plastic knife and cut into in to small chunks. Let it stand for 10 mins so the whey separates. Put the 1/4 inches pieces of whey into a glass bowl.
Heat some water in a big pan to 72F and place the bowl into the water. The water should be above the level of the cheese in the bowl. Slowly heat the water to 100F gently stair the curd every 5 mins for 35 mins with a wooden spoon. The cheese should be firm, if not heat to 125F checking every 5F to see if it is firm.
Pour curd into a muslin cheesecloth spread over a colander and let drain for 3 mins or the cheese will stick. Make the cheesecloth into a ball and dunk into cold water for another 3 mins and drain so no liquid comes through.
Transfer to a bowl, you can add a teaspoon of salt for each pound of cheese and mix. For a rich cheese add 2 oz of cream to each pound and mix.
Refrigerate.
Eat.

[COMPOST CORNER]

Rather than chop this about, I have included a link to the whole recipe from BBC Saturday kitchen, but the first part is making cottage cheese.

BBC - Food - Recipes: Spinach and homemade cottage cheese ravioli, grilled courgettes and sage butter

I haven't tried it myself, but saw the programme and, it didn't look too difficult

[stella]

I make cheese almost daily from goats milk and it is very easy. I milk the goat and strain the milk. I add a few drops of rennet and a pinch of salt. Leave in a warm room over night. next day strain off the water. Do this until the cheese is as you like it. The longer you do it it harder and dryer it gets. I also add chopped fresh herbs for a change.
Simples

[wollyanna]

Thanks for that Stella . love Goats cheese .Where do you get your rennet from as I've been trying but no luck, wanted it for Junkets. Valerie

[stella]

Very small village shop. They measure it out of a big jar into whatever container I take along.

[WrexTheDragon]

Where do you get your rennet from

Our Sainsbury's sells it:-
£1.09p Just Whole Foods Vegeren Vegetarian Rennet, Vegetarian 30ml

[lez]

excellent thanks to all. will have a go and see what happens. I've always had the interest just needed the push to have a go. goodluck to all.

[Flummery]

Blessed are the cheesemakers!

[RedThorn]

Thanks for that Aunty Flum... remember doing this with my gran... Lovely memory of her too.

[wollyanna]

Thanks Wrex will nip to our local SAinsburys