Cheesemakers Always Get Their Whey...

Wow, I finally entered the wonderful world of cheese making. 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!! Ü Smile! I guess the correct 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). I use either one or two gallons of milk. 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. So, I heat the milk up to about 165 or 170 degrees. Then I add the acid part. You can add 1/4 cup of lemon juice or 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar per gallon of milk. Stir this into the milk. Keep stirring. You will start to see small white specks in the milk. Just keep stirring. I have had to add more vinegar when I do it. I add a bit and then stir. 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. Then you can line a colander with cheese cloth. 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. 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. Then I have the bowl on the counter below to catch the whey. Once it is drained, add a bit of salt (to taste) and you can use it as ricotta just like that, or you can add herbs and spices and use it that way. Many times, I add herbs and then we use it as a cheeseball type cheese with crackers. It is really good, and so easy to make.

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 the 2 recipes above.

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. 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 sufficient). 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.