When you have more milk
than you know what to do with, you have to take drastic measures.
I had been making ricotta and soft type cheeses for several years,
but then I started making other sorts of cheeses. I have made a
pressed farmers cheese, cheddar, parmesan and cottage cheese. I
made yogurt which can be used in place of sour cream. I also made
yogurt cheese which can be used in place of cream cheese. I will
be trying others as time goes on.
Ricotta or Soft Type
Cheese
It is very easy to make
the soft cheese, especially ricotta type cheeses at home with
little to no equipment. Plus, you can use any type of milk...even
store bought!! The way to make real ricotta is to use the whey
from other cheeses you have made. I have done this, but I
actually have more success doing it another whey (couldn't resist).
You can use either one
or two gallons of milk. I have made mine with 5 gallons before if
I have milk to deal with. I put it in a stainless steel pan. Don't
use aluminum. When you take milk and add acid, you get a
clabbered milk. It separates into curds and whey. The curds are
the protein and the fat. The whey is the water, minerals (including
calcium) and lactose which is milk sugar. The temperature of the
milk helps to determine the toughness of the cheese. Because heat
toughens protein. At about 165 degrees you will have a soft curd
sort of like cottage cheese. At about 205 degrees it will more
closely resemble the eraser on a pencil. I used to heat the milk
up to about 165 or 170 degrees. However, I am trying to not kill
all the enzymes and try to keep it as raw as I can. I now heat
the milk up to about 138 degrees. Then I add the acid part. You
can add lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. I normally use raw
apple cider vinegar. If I use 2 gallons of milk, I would start
out with about 1/4 cup of raw apple cider vinegar. Stir this into
the milk. Keep stirring. You will notice curds starting to form.
Just keep stirring. I usually have had to add more vinegar when I
make this. I add a bit and then stir. Really take the time to
stir in between the adding of the vinegar. Sometimes it just
takes a few minutes to go through the milk. You want to use as
little of the acid part as you need to, so that it does not
strongly flavor the cheese. I keep doing this until there is a
definite separation of the curds and the whey.
They whey will be a
clear yellowish or greenish liquid with the white curds floating
in it or even sunk down to the bottom. You can line a colander
with cheese cloth if you like. I have just been using the
stainless steel colander. Drain off the whey. You can save the
whey for several things. You can feed it to your animals since it
is has all those wonderful minerals. Some people make a whey
lemonade with it, since it is so good for you. You can water
plants with it or put it in your compost. I hear it is aslo good
for your septic system. :) If you use cheese cloth you can do the
following. After the curds have drained a bit, take the four
corners of your cheese cloth and tie them in a knot. Then hang
your cheese up to drain over a bowl. I keep a small piece of wire
that I wrap around the knot and the put through the handles of my
cabinets. Many of the cheeses I make need to hang to drain. Since
I just use the colander, I keep turning the cheese to let the top
portion drain. I have a bowl on the counter below to catch the
whey when I hang the cheese or I just sit my colander in it. Once
it is drained, there are several things you can do with this
cheese.
I always add a bit of
salt no matter how I use it. At this point you can use it as
ricotta just like it is. Or you can add Italian herbs and spices
and use it that way. When it is Italian flavored it makes a good
cheese spread. I put some of the curds, salt, garlic and the
Italian herbs in the food processor. I add in a bit of milk to
make it creamier. It is wonderful spread on crackers, used in a
baked Italian dish like lasagna or even putting pieces of it on a
salad. Last year I tried something new. I put the curds, salt,
onion, garlic and jalapenos in the food processor. It is
WONDERFUL and a real hit to everyone who has tried it. It is not
really hot, but you get a wonderful flavor. The crackers and
cheese disappear when we have it setting out. Another thing you
can do is to put the curds, salt, and some sort of sweetener like
honey or agave nectar (you could use sugar) in the food processor.
It makes a wonderful sweet cheese that can be spread on toast or
crackers. It is good on crackers with a small piece of fruit on
top. You can also take a loaf's worth of bread dough and roll it
out. Put a line of cheese down the middle long ways. Then add
your favorite fruit or jam. Cut down the sides at an angle and
bring them up and over the fillings. Bake and you have a danish!!!
This cheese is very versatile and really helps use up the milk. I
often freeze the different kinds of cheese to have them on hand
when I need them.
Goat Milk Ricotta Using
Buttermilk for Acid
In a stainless steel pot
heat one gallon of whole or low fat goats milk to 180 degrees.
When the milk reaches that temperature add 1 quart of cultured
buttermilk. Turn off your heat. Stir gently a few times and you
will start to see the curds forming. When the whey becomes clear
yellowish or greenish, then drain the curds into a colander lined
with cheese cloth. Allow it to drain for about one hour. Put the
cheese in a bowl (you may add a dash of salt if you want) and
refridgerate. You can use this in any recipe that calls for
ricotta. It is a very delicate cheese though and must be used
quickly. It makes about 4 cups.
Other uses for the goatmilk ricotta
Olive Goat Cheese Spread
You can also take this cheese and add some garlic to taste, some
cheddar cheese (up to 2/3 cup)and some fresh herbs (I love basil
and thyme, but use what you like). Then mix the above cheese with
the other ingredients in a food processor or with a mixer. Then
chop some olives (either black or green) and stir them in. This
is a delicious dip, or a cracker spread.
Fiesta Dip for Mexican Night
Take about 8 ozs. of fresh made salsa or you can use salsa in a
jar. Drain it well. In a food processor or with a mixer blend 12
ozs. of the goat ricotta with 1 cup of very sharp cheddar cheese.
Stir in the salsa and several fresh sprigs of cilantro. Put it in
the refridgerator and chill well. Then serve it as a dip for
tortilla chips or put it on your tacos or in your burritos. Yummy!!
You can also use the first ricotta recipe above for these 2
recipes.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese turned
out to be the easiest thing I have made. It even looks like store
bought, although it is better. I take 2 gallons of milk and put
them in a large stainless steel pot with a lid. I put it on the
coolest part of my wood cookstove. The ideal is to keep it at
about 70 degrees. In the summer I put it on the counter. I leave
it there for 2 days. By this time the milk has separated and the
curds are floating on top. I get a slotted spoon and lift out the
curds. I usually put them in a colander in the sink. Then I put
them back in the empty pot. Heat them to about 100 degrees and
keep it there for a couple of hours. Then line your colander with
cheese cloth and drain. Again, tie the four corners of your
cheese cloth together and hang up to continue draining. Once they
are drained, I break them into the size curds we like and then
add some milk into them to make them creamier. You can also add
some cream if you like. Then I add a bit of salt. We have found
that they are not very good without the salt. It just seems to
bring out the flavor you are looking for. This will keep
refridgerated about a week. Mine only lasts this long because we
use non-pasteurized milk. We usually serve a small bowl with a
meal with some fruit on top of it. We also found it is really
good as another item to put on your tacos.
Neufchatel Cheese
Take one gallon of whole
milk and add 1 pint of heavy cream. Mix it well. Warm the milk
indirectly (double boiler, etc) to 72 degrees. Add 4 ounces of
mesophilic cheese starter culture. Add 1 tsp. of a diluted rennet
mixture. (Dilution: 3 drops of liquid rennet in 1/3 cup cool
water) The exact amount of rennet is important. Too little rennet
and the cheese will drain through the cheesecloth. Too much
rennet will give the cheese a hard, rubbery texture. Let the milk
set covered at 72 degrees for 12 to 18 hours or until a thick
curd has formed.
Pour the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander and hang to
drain for 6 to 12 hours or until the bag has stopped dripping.
Place the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander and place the
colander in a pot. Place a plate in the colander, resting on the
bag of curds. Place a weight on the plate (the weight of two
bricks is sufficientor use a gallon jar of water). Put the cover
on the pot and refrigerate for 13 hours.
Take the cheese from the pot and place in a bowl. Knead and mold
the cheese by hand into four cheeses. You can salt to taste and
add a variety of condiments if desired such as chopped chives,
chopped garlic cloves, chopped onions or scallions, or cut up
pineapple, olives or pickles. Shape the cheeses and cover each
with Saran Wrap or wax paper and store in your refridgerator.
Mozzarella Cheese
Add 1/2 tsp. of powdered
citric acid to 1/4 cup cool water. Stir this into 2 gallons of
cold milk. Warm the milk to 88 degrees.
Dissolve 1/2 tsp. liquid rennet in 1/4 cup cool water. Stir the
rennet into the milk very gently for 15 seconds. This make sure
that it is evenly distributed. Cover and allow the milk to set
for 15 min. until milk coagulates.
Cut the curd into 1/2 inch cubes. I do this by taking my longest
knife and cutting stripes every half of inch all the way to the
bottom. Then I turn the pot and do the same thing the other way.
Then I have a very large flat sort of ladle. I use it to cut the
layers from side to side. Often times I will gently lift the
pieces and cut any that are too large. Then allow the curds to
rest for 5 mins.
Raise the temperature to 108 degrees. Do it slowly over a 15 min.
period. Gently stir through out this heating time. Continue to
stir for an additional 20 mins. while maintaining a temperature
of 108 degrees. During this heating stage the curds will shrink
in size as they expel whey. It is important to constantly stir
the curds gently so that they do not mat together at the bottom
of the pot. Pour the curds into a cheesecloth lined colander and
allow to drain for 15 min. You may want to do this over a pot and
capture your whey. (You can make true ricotta from the whey)
Place the mass of curd on a cutting board and cut into 1"
cubes.
Heat 1 gallon of water to 170 degrees and dissolve 1/2 cup of
salt in the water. Place the curd cubes in a large bowl and pour
the hot water over them. Using a wooden spoon, mix the curds
together. they should stretch and mold together in a large mass
of curds. (I use thick rubber gloves for this step. I save them
and use only for cheesemaking) It takes about 5 min. for the curd
to become stringy. Place the mass of curd on a cutting board and
knead together as if you were working with bread. You want to
have the curds to become a part of the mass of curd. If the curd
starts to cool off, place it back in the water for a bit. Now
pull the curd like taffy or like when you pull wool to spin. It
will become satiny and smooth. You can add herbs and spices now
if you like and work them into it. I don't normally do that. Once
the curd has been stretched into a solid mass, this can be shaped
into a round ball or string cheese sticks and then placed in cool
water for about 15 min. until they hold their shape.
When it is ready, dry with a clean towel and place in an airtight
container and store in the fridge.
Cheddar
Cheese
Equipment:
Cheese pot with a lid to hold the milk (it is good to make this a
dedicated cheese only pot), a larger stock pot or water bath
canner, dairy thermometer, mesophilic starter culture, rennet,
stainless steel whisk or long knife, cheese ladle, stainless
steel colander, french fry mill/cutter, salt without iodine
(you can use a coarse cheese salt, pickling salt, or I use Real
Salt).
First
of all fill your cheese pot with water.Put all your
utensils that you will use in it and bring to a boil.This
will sanitize all of your equipment and not cause problems with
the cheese.Pour the boiling water into a larger stock pot
or water bath canner.This will be used to heat the cheese
and keep the temperature.
Pour 2
gallons of milk (this recipe can be doubled) into your cheese pot.Set the pot down into the larger stock pot or water bath canner.
Place a thermometer down in the milk making sure it is easy to
read.Let it heat up to 86° F.
Once
it reaches the right temperature put in your culture.Use 1
packet (1 packet works for up to 2 gallons of milk) of mesophilic
starter culture.Sprinkle it over the top of the milk and
stir in to the milk with a stainless steel whisk or cheese ladle.Cover and let sit for about 30 mins. to ripen.
If you
are going to use calcium chloride, it would go in next.I
did not use it, but it is good to use if the milk is homogenized
or pasteurized.If you are going to use it, then take 1/2
tsp. and mix it in with about 1/4 cup of cold water.Pour
the water over the surface of the milk and then stir it in.
Next,
we will add our rennet.You will use the same amount of
rennet in cheese as you use calcium chloride.So, add 1/2
tsp. of liquid rennet to about 1/4 cup of cool water.After
mixing in then pour over the surface of the milk and mix it in.Cover and let the milk sit for 30 to 50 mins.I leave my
thermometer sticking out the side of the lid so I can make sure I
keep a constant temperature.
It is
time to test the curd.The last place to set up will be the
center.I take a thick candy thermometer (you could use
something else) and poke it down gently into the center of the
curd and then sort of lift up at an angle.It the curd
breaks in a clean straight line it is ready.Use the large
stainless steel whisk to cut the curds.You can use a long
knife, but it is SO much easier with a whisk.Cut across
one way and then cut across the opposite way while turning the
whisk a bit to make cubes.If you use a knife, after you
cut both ways across, then you need to use a flat cheese ladle to
cut the layers from top to bottom.Or insert the knife at
angles to try and cut them.The whisk made all the
difference in the world for me.I actually ordered some
large 16" ones to put in the store for other to be able to
get them.Once you cut the curds you are going to allow
them to rest for 2 to 5 mins.They will sink down into the
whey.
Leaving
the pot of milk in the double boiler set up, turn a low heat on
under the pot.You are going to raise the temperature of
the milk from 86° F to 100° F.You are going to do this
very slowly over a 40 to 45 mins. period of time.You will
need to stir the curds gently and often.I stirred with the
whisk.Once the temperature hits 90° F and above, then the
curds will try to mat together.You will need to be
diligent in your stirring from that point on.Once you
reach 100° F turn off the heat and watch that it does not get
any hotter.If it does, remove it from the double boiler
and set on the counter.It is good if you can keep them in
the pot though because it helps keep the temperature constant.You are going to let the curds sit for 30 mins. undisturbed.They will sink to the bottom and mat together.
It is
time to test and see if the curds are ready to be drained.Pull
some up from the bottom in the flat cheese ladle.Take a
small handful and gently squeeze.If they hold together
then they are ready.They should also easily separate back
out.
Drain
them into a colander over a bucket or large pan catching the whey.Put about 3 quarts of your whey back in the cheese pot and put
the colander over that pot.Pack the curds down in the
colander making a nice slab.Turn on a VERY low heat under
this.The curds should not be in the whey, but they will be
over the nice moist air.Put a lid over them and let them
cheddar (that is what this process is called) for about 45 mins.
to an hour.I turned the slab over pressing down again
about every 15 mins.When you are done, you will have a
nice big flat smooth slab of cheese.
Put
the slab on a cutting board and cut into fairly large chunks.There are 2 ways to do this next step.You can use a knife
or you can use a french fry mill/cutter.Put the curds
through the mill or cut into strips about that size.Put
them back into the pan or into a bowl and add 2 1/2 tsp. of salt.Mix it in well with your hands.At this point, you can eat
these as fresh cheese curds (they are really good) or you can
press them into a wheel.
Lay a
folded piece of cheese cloth on the bottom of your cheese press
and then put the hoop on top of it.Fill the hoop with the
curds.Place another folded piece of cheesecloth over the
top of the curds and then add your follower (wooden round that
fits just inside your hoop).Assemble the rest of your
press and apply pressure to the curds.You do not want to
push down as hard as you can at this point.Push down until
the whey starts to come out the bottom.Depending on
your press you will either want to set the press down into a pan
to catch the whey or have a bowl to catch it.Leave it this
way for an hour.Check it periodically to see if you need
to apply a bit more pressure.
After
the hour is up, take your cheese out and you will dress it.Take a piece of cheesecloth and wrap the cheese, covering all
surfaces.Place it back into the hoop and add the follower.Now tighten your press to the maximum pressure.You will
leave the cheese in the press for 24 hours.
