Cheese: A natural way to preserve your milk

cream cheese, enzymes, pillowcases

by MARY JANE

A guide to making cheese at home is offered. Basic information includes which pots and utensils are necessary, as well as other things necessary for cheese production. Various cultures used in cheese production are detailed, along with culture substitutes. Recipes for many different types of cheeses are detailed.

Making cheese is a great way to preserve your milk supply. Some types of cheese can be aged for two years or more without refrigeration, while others have a shelf life of two years or less. We freeze the soft cream cheese-style cheeses. We wax the cheddar's, colbys and parmesans, since they will keep for a long time. We also make a marinated feta that is covered in herbs and oil. It keeps in a jar in a cupboard at room temperature for several months with no problems.

Cheese is basically milk, culture and rennet. All cheese will be white unless you color it. I never do this, as it is totally unnecessary. The different kinds of cheese are a result of the type of culture used, temperature control and cooking time. Some cheeses such as blue, Bric, Swiss or strong feta do require special enzymes to change the character of the cheese.

Forget about making American cheese. America seems to be in love with it, and yet it isn't really considered a true cheese at all. It is real, all right, but it is the result of several types of cheeses blended together with milk and stabilizers, then pressed into the neat squares you see at stores.

Because it is no longer a recognized type of cheese like cheddar, colby or Swiss, it is now considered a cheese food. Check the label the next time you go to the supermarket. You won't have the type of equipment at home that is needed to reproduce American cheese.

To get started, you'll need to consider what kind of culture or starter to use. Rennet coagulates the milk. Cheese wax is a must for colby, cheddar and parmesan. Cheese wax is reusable. It can be washed in warm water, dried and melted again and again. It's an investment in your home cheesemaking. Get some good recipes, and you should be on your way to making your own dairy products.

Cultures, wax and rennet can be purchased from any good cheesemaking supply company. (See Cheesemaking Supply Sources)

Some basic information

** Pots and utensils: Use only stainless steel or unchipped enamel for making cheese. Acidity levels in cheese will cause the aluminum to leach into your cheese. Any stirring or cutting utensils are fine as long as they can be sanitized and are not made of aluminum.

** Salt: Use only non-iodized salt, such as kosher or canning salt. Iodine will give your cheese a greenish cast.

** Cheese press: You need this if you plan to make waxed cheeses. You can make one with an empty coffee can. Cut out both ends and cut a wood follower to fit the opening. Small red bricks can be wrapped in foil and used for weights. There are several good cheese presses available at a variety of prices. The best deal is the one Hoegger makes for around $60. Anyone who is handy with wood can make their own.

** Cheese wax: Don't substitute paraffin or beeswax for the cheese wax. I have already tried them, and they don't work. Cheese wax is softer and more flexible than the other types.

** Rennet: It comes in liquid or tablet and in vegetable or animal types. They all work equally well. The tablets keep on a shelf, but liquid rennet needs to be refrigerated. However, it does have a life expectancy of two to three years. It never really dies, but it does lose potency at about two percent a month. This can be compensated for by adding a little more rennet as it ages. The liquid rennet is a must for making soft-style cream cheese.

Don't buy Junket brand rennet from the grocery store. This is not the same thing as cheesemaking rennet.

** Starter cultures: Cultures come freeze-dried in small packets. Some must be recultured first before using. These are considered regular type cultures.

Others are called DVI (Direct Vat Inoculate).This means that they can be added directly to the warmed milk without the added step of culturing them first. They are a real time-saver and handy for the occasional cheesemaker. The drawback is that they are generally more expensive to use. I prefer them because they are more convenient. If money is a concern, those that can be recultured are cheaper to use in the long run. Their drawback is that the culture must be recultured on a regular basis just like yogurt to keep them live and working well.

These cultures fall into two basic categories -- thermophilic and mesophilic. Thermophilic is a heat-loving culture. It is used for cheeses that must be heated to a higher temperature such as mozzarella, parmesan or Swiss and Italian-type cheese. Yogurt is also made with a thermophilic culture. Mesophilic is a non-heat loving culture which would be destroyed at higher temperatures. It is used for 90 percent of your cheesemaking. Buttermilk is made with a mesophilic culture.

I often used these items as culture substitutes in some of my recipes.

** Cooking curds: Most times when you need to cook the curds (cooking firms them up), a sink of hot water works better than a stove. You can control the temperature better by adding more or less hot water as needed.

** Cheesecloth: Don't buy cheesecloth from the grocery store. This isn't real cheesecloth, and it won't be useful for draining anything. Cheesecloth is a much thicker, muslin type 100 percent cotton. It can be washed in hot soapy water with bleach and be used over and over again. The best way I can describe it is that it reminds me of diaper material--not prefolded, but the old-fashioned diapers that we had to fold ourselves. When held up, you could almost see through it, but not clearly.

Old pillowcases work great for draining cheese. I cut open the seams and wash them in hot soapy bleach water. They make a nice square yard of cloth and can reused for years until they actually wear out.

To hang the cheese, we use old shoelaces which we also bleach and use over and over. Tie a big knot in each end of the lace before using. This will keep the laces from sliding out while the cheese hangs. Cheese that falls from hanging on a cupboard handle can really make a mess.

** Aging: Waxed cheeses can be aged several ways. The ideal temperature is around 55 [degrees] to 60 [degrees] F. A basement or root cellar works great. A non-working refrigerator or freezer can be used to keep out rodents. I have had really good luck using a chest freezer with a tight-fitting lid. I set it in my basement and have kept cheese in there for over 1-1/2 years. Unwaxed cheeses can be kept for several months if covered with oil. Any type will do nicely, but you need to be sure that all the cheese is completely immersed in the oil. Mold needs air to grow.

** Milk: Milk from any species can be used to make cheese. My recipes were developed using whole milk. If you're saving the cream for butter making or ice cream, you can use the leftover milk to make cheese.

Milk must be clean, cooled properly, or pasteurized and heat treated. If you're using raw milk to make cheese, the cheese should be aged for 60 days or more. Any harmful bacteria won't survive the aging process after 60 days.

** Pasteurizing: There are pasteurizers available for purchase, but this job can also be done on a stove top. Use the double boiler method, placing one pan inside another. Add a few inches of water to the outside pot and heat the milk until it reaches 161 [degrees] F. Stir to make sure the milk is at an even temperature throughout, then place in a sink full of very cold water for quick cooling.

Even if you decide not to pasteurize your milk, quick cooling is the most important step you can take to have good-tasting milk and successful cheese making. A candy thermometer works great for pasteurizing. It can be hung on the side of the pot. Once you know how long it takes for the milk to reach 161 [degrees] F, you can set a timer to keep from accidentally overheating the milk.