Making Cheese Easy
(Page 2 of 5)
November/December 2007
S. Schade-Brewer
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Milk, as it is obtained from the animal, is as real as it gets. Many cheese makers find that this so-called raw milk makes a better product, but using non-pasteurized milk has other advantages. It provides a slightly firmer curd and contains its own cultures, or beneficial bacteria, so it does not necessarily require a milk-clotting enzyme like rennet (although adding one will speed up the process) for protein coagulation. Pasteurized milk, which is readily available at the grocery store, is a good choice for the beginner or occasional cheese maker.
Concentrate on clabbering
The second most important ingredient in cheese making is the starter culture or activator. These beneficial bacteria provide the milk-thickening (clabbering) compounds needed for separating the curds from the whey. Various forms are available: yogurt, cultured buttermilk or freeze-dried bacteria. If you use buttermilk as your starter, make sure it is fresh and cultured. If you decide to use yogurt, make sure it is fresh and the label says “active cultures.” Although these starters work for some types of cheese, many makers employ a class of enzymes collectively called rennet.
Rennet comes from two sources, animal and vegetable, and can be purchased either in liquid or as tablets. The animal form is usually taken from the inner lining of a young calf’s fourth stomach (abomasum), whereas the vegetable type is generally extracted from plant or microbial sources. The milk-protein cleaving enzyme (protease) chymosin is the most important component in rennet.
Rennet, in the form of pure chymosin, is also manufactured using genetically modified microbes such as the fungus Aspergillus niger. Whatever the source, you might need to do a bit of searching to find rennet (see Resources), since it has long fallen from the list of standard household items.
Colanders, cloth and other supplies
Now on to the equipment you will need for your cheese-making project. A large pot, at least a 5- to 8-quart size, is necessary for heating the milk. Use only stainless steel, glass or unchipped enamel. Aluminum and cast iron will react with the lactic acid (produced as microbes feed on lactose or milk sugar) and change the flavor of your cheese, not to mention the metal might lend a greenish tint. Make sure all your equipment is meticulously clean. Remember, we are working with bacteria, but we want only the right kind.
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