Any other cheesemakers out there?

[Agilityscots]

I just ordered my beginner's cheese kit from www.cheesemaking.com, and I'm about to make my very first batch of mozzarella after watching the DVD and reading the instructions 8,000 times. I'm very excited! So I'm wondering if anyone else out there makes their own cheese? Any thoughts on where I might be able to find milk that hasn't been ultra-pasteurized? (it's turning out to be a dickens to find)

Amy

 

[2manyhats]

My DH, DS and I took a course in Mass last year. We have made the Mozzarella and the caso blanco with success. One of our local brands states that it is hormone free and just pasturized. You just have to keep looking until you find one. Try the organic milk. I live in dairy country here in central NY so it is easier to buy from a local brand like Byrne Dairy. Good luck. We hope to get an extra fridge so we can try some aged cheeses. I make my own yogurt and love it.

 

[Agilityscots]

Oh, I'm jealous you got to take a class! Lucky you!

I just tried making a batch of mozzarella and it was a miserable failure: watery, gloppy mass that went down the drain. The curds never came together. I can only guess as to why...humidity? Powdered milk? Who knows. I'm off to the store to buy more milk to waste. I'm totally disappointed.

Amy

 

[ninjapoodles]

It is HARD. The organic brands available here, ALL of them, are ultra-pasteurized. So I have to make cheese with non-organic milk, which I really hate. In Arkansas, it is illegal to buy or sell raw milk products (with the exception of cheese that has been aged for at least 60 days). There may be an exception for goat's milk bought on-site, but I think it must have been frozen, or something? I'm still researching. So I can't even buy raw milk. When searching for NON ultra-pasteurized milk on my grocery shelves, the secret for me was that I had to find milk from dairies in my state, or neighboring Tennessee.

My daughter and I are making a batch of mozzarella tomorrow, and I'm trying to figure out some interesting flavoring additives for it. My fresh herbs are pretty anemic right now.

 

[2manyhats]

Milk is ultra pasteurized to increase its shipping and shelf life. The local (instate) dairies that ship locally don't need to ultra pasteurize. I looked up mozzarella in Ricki Carroll's book. She suggests that you reconstitute the powdered milk over night an then use a pint of heavy cream or half n half to 7 pints of the powdered milk (the cream can be ultra pasteurized). Hope that helps some.

 

[MissPrissy]

I did mozarella on the yogurt thread with photos. Lots of other recipes here too.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9738

Ultra pasturized will not make cheese.

 

[JessicaGrant]

I've made a few different kinds of cheese...the 30 minute mozzerella from the new england cheese company worked ok but was not my favorite! I bought some moulds on line and can now make a brie cheese that is to die for! Is raw milk legal in your state? It makes the *best* cheese. In Massachusetts we can buy it if we go to the farm and it is now all I drink. I know other states have other laws.

There is also a feta recipe using goat milk that is sooo yummy! Do you know any goat farmers in your area? Here are a couple of links I like...

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese.html
http://fiascofarm.com/recipes/index.html

Keep working at it! Good luck!

 

[ChickenChaps]

If the motz didnt come together, it may be because of the milk, but in my case, first time, it was because I got it too hot at that last step. I have it perfected now and make yummy motzerella, and ricotta from the used whey. I have my own goats, so its not pasterized and sure that probably makes a difference. I also mix in some garlic powder and italian seasonings at the time I mix in the salt. Oh wow, does that ever taste yummy!

 

[Agilityscots]

I've tried two batches of mozzarella now and both failed. The first time I used powdered milk (which the recipe said was okay) but it was a mess. The second time, I used pasteurized but not UP or homogenized milk, and it was better, but the curd wouldn't set and it still just ran right through the slotted spoon. I realized afterwards that I was using an aluminum pan, which may have affected it...and it was raining that day. I'm not giving up though! Luckily, I was able to find lots of non-UP milk, so now let's hope I can actually make some cheese! I'd like to try making my own cream cheese, along with some of the others that Ricki Carroll's site sells stuff for.

Amy

 

[MissPrissy]

Here is my recipe for a yogurt cheese very much like cream cheese

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=94528#p94528

Here is my mozzarella

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=111652#p111652

Good luck with your next try.