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| Homemade cottage cheese is cheap and easy! Give it a try! |
Over the last couple of weeks I
have been playing with cheese. No, not
literally playing with cheese, by playing, I kind of mean, learning about how
to make simple cheese. I have had
success with two different types of simple cheese that are very nice to have on
hand or in my case watch disappear!
I like to know how to make things
for myself because sometimes you just can't be sure what is being put into some
of the commercially produced items that we tend to reach for on a regular
basis. Do want to make cheese all the time? But I do want to know how to make it myself. I tend to get a great deal of satisfaction
from researching, applying myself and making something as ubiquitous as cheese
in my own kitchen.
I will tell you that making cheese
takes patience, time and attention to detail.
When you look at a recipe, you need to follow it. When you see an ingredient such as rennet,
you must have it, there is no real substitution. You always want to start off with the necessary ingredients in
order to have a good end result.
I have been playing with homemade
mozzarella cheese for about two years. I have been successful exactly twice and
I think it was by mistake both times.
The other dozen times tried, it
was nothing but a gloppy mess that did not set and was unable to be properly
pulled. I have dumped countless gallons
of perfectly good milk down the drain in the form of failed cheese. More than I would like to admit, but because
we all make mistakes and it is a learning experience and all part of the
journey, I will divest myself of my own pride in order to inspire others.
Cheese making is an art! It is not, however, reserved for farmers and
cheese masters. It is accessible to
everyone. You can find great books on
how to make your own small batch cheeses at home. You can also find great supplies for making everything from
cheese to yogurt at many websites. Have
a look around and a whole new world will open up to you. I suggest you start small and easy like I
did, by making a type of Farmer's cheese or homemade cream cheese. Simple, and delicious and very, very
easy.
Just like the old saying goes, a
job worth doing is worth doing well. In
a world full of instant this and quick that.
Cheese is still one of those things that takes time. I was recently inspired by a friend who made
some quick spreadable goat cheese that she seasoned with fresh chives and other
herbs from her garden. Watching her I knew
that I could do that. Although I am
sans a goat, I did not let that stop me.
Off I went to the Amish market for some fresh whole milk.
Cheese is really nothing more
than milk solids that have been separated from their water or whey. In layman's terms we are removing the water
from the milk. What results is the
thick, milk solid that all cheese is made from. The cheese I made, similar to my friends, was soft, spreadable
and delicious. It did not contain
rennet and did not require time to rest or incubate and become a curd. This cheese was super simple and everyone
can do it!
Farmer's cheese requires nothing
more than a little time, some milk, an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar and
whatever seasonings you wish to flavor your cheese. I made two different types of cheese from one half gallon of
milk. Flavored cheese spread with salt
and Herbs du Provence and the other half I turned into the most decadent
whipped cream cheese you have ever tasted.
Simply divine and does not compare to what is sold as cream cheese in
the market today.
I think making cheese can be very
rewarding, but be warned, if your family is anything but mine it will disappear
quickly. Between bagels, toast,
crackers and simple snacking this cheese might not last the afternoon. Make sure you try and put some aside for
your breakfast, that way at least you can bask in your hard work if only for a
moment.
Now go do something cheesy! Make some cheese!
You can get a printable recipe and instruction here:
https://www.noreenskitchen.com/Farmer_s_Cheese.html
I tried making mozzarella too and failed everytime. Tried both quick and long versions. Could never get the curd like they show on videos and internet. So sad....I hate flushing money down the drain! I'm going to try your version, maybe I can redeem myself!
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