Chef at 05:45, 1 February 2025

2025-02-01T05:45:34Z

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|description=Making cheese at home: Cookipedia's editors have only just started to make cheeses at home so we are by no means experts
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[[Image:Home made Cottage Cheese recipe.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Cookipedia's first home made cheese|alt=Home made cheese]]
'''Making cheese at home''': Cookipedia's editors have only just started to make [[cheeses]] at home so we are by no means experts. However, everything we learn will be documented and if you can [[How to edit an article|improve on any of the articles]], then please do.
===The basics===
Certainly, there a few important basics to take into account when cheese making, most of which can be obtained from our growing list of [[:Category:Home dairy suppliers|home dairy suppliers]].
* '''Cleanliness'''
** After use, rinse everything in '''cold''' water, as hot water will harden [[cheese]] deposits.
** Then wash in hot soapy water and rinse well.
** If utensils are stored for a while before re-use, wash again before use.
** If you are familiar with wine or beer making, then follow the same procedures when [[cheese]] making.
** Boil [[cheese cloths]] in water if they have been washed in detergents.
** Avoid making [[cheese]] at the same time, or in the same areas, as used for wine and beer making, [[bread making]] etc.
* '''Temperatures'''
** Stick to temperatures given in recipes. Any slight deviation is likely to result in irreversible changes to your [[cheese]]. That's how my [[cottage cheese]] turned into [[mozzarella]]!
* '''Humidity'''
** Humidity is important whilst storing and therefore maturing [[cheese]]. For instance, the retail shop in [[Neals Yard Dairy]] has a humidifier spraying a fine mist to keep the humidity high. This is not possible at home but a level of humidity can be accomplished using a bowl of water near the [[cheese]]. Some fridges also have a system that maintains a constant level of humidity.
* '''Word of advice'''
** Having decided to make [[bread]] and [[cheese]] at the same time, I realised that this is not advisable. According to experts, spores of [[yeast]] from [[bread making]] can contaminate the [[cheese]] during cheese making.
* '''Advance preparation'''
** Something I always seem to forget: When using [[Penicillium Roquefortii]] for blue cheeses or [[Penicillium Candidum]] for white-mould bloomy-rinded cheeses, the freeze dried powder needs to be rehydrated for 24 hours before you can start actually making the cheese.
* '''Maturing your home-made cheese'''
** Unless you have a cave handy, the [[fridge]] is probably the best place to mature your [[home-made cheese]] although it's really going to be too cold. After discovering the top shelf of my often-opened fridge could be as much as 5° C warmer than the bottom, I've decided to mature my cheeses there. As all fridges differ, check various areas of your fridge with a thermometer to find the area that is around 11°C [51° F], the ideal 'cave' temperature.

Ideally hard cheeses should be left to mature for up to 3 months or more and turned regularly; however, if you don't have the patience to wait that long for your home-made cheese you will find the results of a young cheese perfectly acceptable.

===Basic cheese making equipment===
''The pictures link to enlargements and the text links to more detailed information'''
<gallery widths=270px heights=270px perrow=5>
Image:Improvised-double-boiler-fo.jpg|[[Double boiler]] being used to make Cheddar cheese
Image:Cheese making thermometer.jpg|[[Cheese making thermometer]] (at least 15°C to 50°C)
Image:Digital thermometer.jpg|[[Digital thermometer]] with humidity reading
Image:Dairy thermometer.jpg|[[Cheese making thermometer]], designed to float
Image:Calcuim Chloride.jpg|[[Calcium Chloride]]
Image:Freeze dried DVI starter.jpg|[[Freeze dried DVI starter]]
Image:Rennet.jpg|[[Animal rennet]]
Image:Cheese cloth.jpg|[[Cheese cloth]]
Image:Plastic cheese mat.jpg|[[Plastic mat for cheese draining]]
Image:Improvised cheese press.jpg|[[Improvised cheese press!]]
Image:Two-part cheese mould.jpg|[[Cheesemaking mould|Two part cheese mould]]
Image:Cheese mould - Chinese steamer.jpg|A Chinese steamer makes a good [[Cheesemaking mould|cheese mould]]
Image:Freeze dried Penicillium Roqueforti.jpg|[[Penicillium Roqueforti]]
Image:Freeze dried Penicillium Candidum.jpg|[[Penicillium Candidum]]
Image:Ascott press.jpg|[[Ascott press]]
</gallery>
'''[[Ascott On-Line Store|Ascott smallholding supplies]] is a good place to start for your [[cheese]] making equipment and supplies.'''
* [[Double boiler vat]]
** Used to heat the milk without scalding it. Similar to a large [[Bain marie]].
* [[Dairy thermometer]]. Should be able to cover 15°C to 50°C - a [[home-brew thermometer]] will be fine as long as it's clean!
** Specialised [[cheese making thermometers]] are designed to float on the surface of the milk.
* [[Freeze dried DVI starter|Starter cultures]]
** Specific cultures are used to produce certain [[cheese]] types
* [[Rennet]]
** Used to start the curdling process that splits the [[milk]] into [[curds]] and [[whey]].
* [[Cheese cloths]]
** Used as a fine [[sieve]] to drain the [[whey]] from the [[curd]], to wrap [[cheese]] when in a [[cheese press]] or to wrap [[cheese]] and keep it free of contaminants when maturing.
* Plastic draining mats
** Use to stand [[cheese]] on whilst draining
* [[Cheese press]]
** Used to exert a constant pressure on the cheese in a [[mould]] or [[Cheesemaking form|form]] to compress the [[curds]] and remove [[whey]].
*Cheese [[Cheesemaking mould|moulds]] or [[Cheesemaking form|forms]]
** Two part mould used in conjunction with a [[Cheese press|press]] to compress the [[cheese]]
** One part [[Cheesemaking form|form]] used for soft cheeses
* Fungi to give character to certain cheeses
**[[Penicillium Roqueforti]]
**[[Penicillium Candidum]]
==Useful links==
* [http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/cheese2.html Making Cheese at Home - University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada]
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[[Category:Recipes]]
[[Category:Cheeses]]
[[Category:Cheese recipes]]

Category:Cheese making - Revision history

Chef at 05:45, 1 February 2025