How to prepare cheese ?

Question

I like cheese very much. is there any way to make it at home ? I want the cheese that would taste similar to the company made cheese.

Answer 1

WHITE CHEESE

Ingredients 10 liters of fresh sheep milk
20 drops /20 ml/ of rennet
salt /200 g per 1liter of water for the salting brine, and 120 g per 1 liter of water for the preservation brine/.


Directions:

Filter the milk.

Warm it up to a temperature of 70o C for 10 minutes, not allowing it to boil and then cool it to 33-34o C.
Add the rennet diluted by boiled and cooled water in a proportion of 1:10, stir well the milk and leave it at the same temperature for one hour to turn into cheese.

The cheese thus produced should be drained in a cheese-cloth /gauze/ for 2 hours in order to remove the whey.

The cheese obtained and drained should be placed in a strainer and pressed by weights for at least 6 hours.

Then you can cut it into lumps and put them in a salting brine. It is made of 1 liter of water and 200 g of salt. The cheese should be steeped in the brine for not less than 24 hours, in order to become lightly salty in taste. Finally, arrange the cheese lumps in the utensils where they will be preserved and pour preservation brine /120 g of salt per 1 liter of water/ on it.

The cheese will be ready for consumption in 60 days and during this time temperature in the room should measure about 10o C. Later you can store it in a refrigerator.


BLUE CHEESE

1. Start with cold drained curds from "Farmer's Cheese" made from two gallons of milk. (It was drained in the refrigerator)
2. Sprinkle on 2 teaspoons of salt, mix in to form pea-sized crumbles.
3. In a blender, blend 1 teaspoon of uncontaminated blue cheese (I used "Saga Blue") with 1/4 cup of cool clean water to create a smooth suspension of cheese (the inoculum).
4. Pour the inoculum over the salted curds, toss to mix thoroughly.

5. Line the press with a sterile handkerchief (sterilized by boiling), and load the curd. Press lightly so that the curd are not compressed together, but instead retain air spaces within the cheese.
6. Leave in the press overnight
7. The next morning, remove from the press, and create air hole by inserting a sterilized rod, about 1/4 inch in diameter (6 mm) through the cheese every inch or so. This is to allow air to enter the cheese which is necessary for growth of the mold. [I used a phillips screwdriver which had been dipped in Vodka. One could also boil to sterilize. You do NOT want to introduce bacterial contamination in these air holes.]
8. Rub the surface lightly with salt, and place the aerated cheese on a dry sterile handkerchief. Fold the cloth over to lightly cover.
9. Place on a non corrosive rack to encourage air circulation around the cheese.
10. Place the cheese on the rack in a "cool box" which will hold the temperature around 10 C (50 F). Here I am using a refrigerator in our basement which stays around this temperature during the late winter when I made this cheese. If you can turn the thermostat high enough to maintain this temperature, that will work fine.
11. Monitor the temperature and humidity. The temperature should be around 10 C, and the humidity around 70%. You can elevate the humidity with a pan of water in the bottom of the "cool box." Since the cheese will be aged unwaxed, this high humidity is important so that the cheese does not dry out. On the other hand, if it is "dripping wet" so that the cheese "weeps," the cheese will spoil.
12. Turn the cheese daily, replace the handkerchief with a dry sterile one if it appears wet.
13. After a week or ten days, a white "bloom" appears on the surface of the cheese. Note that the holes I made are filled with the bloom. They should have been larger so that air would not be excluded from the interior of the cheese. Indeed, after a month and a half, the outside had developed a white with green bloom, but the interior (I cut it open), lacked any green. I replaced it in the "cool box" and within two weeks, the interior exhibited the characteristic coloring.
14. Here is the finished blue cheese after two months. Note the marbling of the interior with Penicillium. It could doubtless be aged longer, but it is utterly delicious as it is.
15. Here is a closer look at the bloom on the rind, and the appearance of the sliced cheese. Wish you could taste it.

Cream Cheese

I N G R E D I E N T S
1 gallon goat's milk (store-bought cow's milk will work too!)
¼ tsp. direct set mesophilic-m culture
2 Tbsp. diluted rennet (add 1 drop of rennet to 5 Tbsp. cool water)

I N S T R U C T I O N S
In a large pot (I use a 6-qt.) add goat's milk. Heat milk to 80 degrees. Remove from heat and add the mesophilic-m culture and stir will. Add the rennet and stir. Cover the pan and let sit undisturbed at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

After the time is up, what you have in the pot should look like very thick yogurt. Now you will drain and drip your cheese.

Line a colander with your clean pillowcase. I set this colander in a large bowl to catch the whey. Now drain your thick, yogurt-looking cheese into this cloth. Gather up the cloth and tie it tightly. Now you need to hang it somewhere. I have handles on my kitchen cupboard that work perfectly for this. Wherever you hang it, make sure it is up high enough to allow the whey to drip through the cloth into a bowl below. Now let your cream cheese drain for about 6 to 8 hours. You can speed this process along by stirring the cream cheese about halfway through the time, and you can do it again if you need to.

When it is completed, what you have left in the pillowcase is your cream cheese! You can salt it a bit or not; that is up to you. It is ready to be used right away over a homemade bagel, or you can use it for cooking or even cheesecake! You can also put some of the cream cheese in a food processor and blend it up a lot and you will end up with a great substitute for sour cream.


Mozzarella Cheese

I N G R E D I E N T S
2 gallons milk, pasteurized and cooled to 90F
7 tablespoons cultured buttermilk
6 tablespoons yogurt
rennet to coagulate 2 gallons milk (1/2 Hansens
tablet) dissolved in about 1/2 cup Cold water.

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Mozzarella is one of several kinds of "plastic-curd" cheeses, originating in Italy. In making them the curds are kneaded, which expels whey and produces plasticity. Because of their dense texture they keep well in warm climates and are ideal for smoking. Provolone is an aged version of a plastic-curd cheese.

Mozzarella is one of the most versatile cheeses to
make at home, since it tastes wonderful freshly made,
freezes well, and can be used like an aged cheese in
cooking, melting readily when heated.

Start this cheese in the evening. Maintain the milk at 90^F in a double boiler. Mix the buttermilk and yogurt separately with a little of the milk to remove lumps, then blend into the rest of the milk. Add the rennet solution and mix thoroughly. Let sit until the curd sets and breaks clearly when tested with a finger about 20 to 30 minutes. Cut the curd into 1/2 inch cubes as evenly as possible. Maintain at 90^F for 15
minutes, stirring with a clean hand. The curds are fragile because they have not been cooked, so stir very gently, just enough to keep them from matting together. Gently pour the curds into a cloth lined colander. When the whey has drained, the curd should be in one solid piece. Rinse in cold water, then soak in a pan of cold water for 15 minutes. If it is a big batch, cut the curd into several blocks, 4 or 5 inches square.

Drain off most of the water, then refrigerate the curds, or keep in a cool, 40^F place. Leave them in a colander or other container that allows drainage. (Commercially, mozzarella curds are shipped to delicatessens at this stage, where the cheese is finished.)

The next day, warm the cheese to room temperature so it will ripen, or become more acidic. After an hour or so, test the cheese for acidity as follows. Cut off a small piece of cheese and cut it into three 1/2 inch cubes. Heat several cups of water in a sauce pan to 165^F. Put in the cubes and stir for 5 minutes. Remove the cubes and mold them together like modeling clay.

Reheat the lump of cheese in the water for a minute, then remove and work or mold it together a little more. After repeating several times, try to pull the curd apart. If it breaks or tears, and clouds the water, it is underripe. Wait an hour or so and test again. When it pulls into a long rope and can be molded together again, it is ready. It will have a
glossy surface and* will cloud the water only slightly. The whole cheese is treated somewhat like the test sample to finish it. Cut it into small cubes and put them in a pan. Heat water to 170^F and pour enough over them, to cover the curds by about 2 inches. Keep a thermometer in the pan and let the temperature drop to 135^F. Press the cubes together, and then knead the cheese, by stretching and pulling it, as if working modelling clay. It should become
"plastic" and stretch into long strands. When it does,
shape into half pound balls, or make a thick rope, fold it in half, and twist several times to make a decorative oblong cheese. Mozzarella can be dipped in hot water to make a glossy surface, or wrapped in cheese cloth to protect it. To keep the cheese very fresh tasting for up to a week, keep it in a bowl of water in the refrigerator, and change the water every day. To salt mozzarella for longer keeping, or to
prepare it for smoking, soak it in brine for 4 or 5 hours (See Brined Cheese) The whey from mozzarella is perfect for making ricotta because it does not have a chance to develop much acidity.

Smoked Mozzarella: Mozzarella and other firm cheeses
can be cold smoked for flavor. Salting and smoking both help preserve the cheese by drying it, and discouraging bacteria and insects. Set the cheese on a rack in the smoker, or wrap in cheesecloth and hang it. Keep the temperature below 90^F to prevent sweating off butterfat or melting. Smoke at 60 to 85^F for 4 to 15 hours.

Brined Cheese: Press the cheese for 5 or 6 hours, or overnight, without salting it. Make enough brine to cover the cheese by about an inch, using 4.1/2 Tablespoons of plain salt for every quart of water needed. Soak the cheese from 12 to 24 hours. A small cheese requires less time than a large one. Turn the cheese once or twice to ensure that the brine penetrates all sides. Drain for about an hour on a
cloth covered rack. Cover and refrigerate. Keeps for a week or more, longer than most fresh cheeses.


Farmers Cheese

I N G R E D I E N T S
1/2 gallon (8 cups) skim milk
1 c dried skim milk powder (Carnation instant)
1/4 c lemon juice or white vinegar (I used the latter)
optional seasonings to taste

S U P P L I E S
Cheese cloth

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Heat up skim milk, and mix in the skim milk powder. As mixture begins to simmer or boil, begin to add a little of the vinegar or lemon juice. Stir.

Keep the flame on, and keep adding and stirring until the milk solids *completely* separate from the whey (yellow watery part). The amount of heat and acidity have to be in balance for this to work. Drain in cheesecloth. Use as you would cooked burger meat -- for instance, flavor it and stuff green peppers with it. Oh, you might want to flavor it while still in the milk state -- with salt, pepper and herbs.


Gouda Cheese Recipe

I N G R E D I E N T S
1 Gallon Fresh Milk
4 oz. Mesophilic Starter Culture
1/4 tab Rennet

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Warm the milk to 85 F (29.5 C).
..
Add 4 oz of mesophilic starter culture and mix thoroughly with a whisk, the culture must be uniform throughout the milk.
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Dissolve 1/4 tab rennet into 3-4 tablespoons COOL water. Hot water will DESTROY the rennet enzymes.
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Slowly pour the rennet into the milk stirring constantly with a whisk.
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Stir for at least 5 minutes.
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Allow the milk to set for 1-2 hours until a firm curd is set and a clean break can be obtained when the curd is cut.
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With a long knife, cut the curds into 1/2 inch cubes.
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Allow the curds to sit for 10 minutes to firm up.
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Slowly raise the temperature of the milk to 102 F (39 C). It should take as long as 45 minutes to reach this temperature. During this time, gently stir the curds every few minutes so they don’t mat together.
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Once the curds reach 102 F (39 C), allow the curds to settle, then carefully remove 3 cups of whey from the top surface.
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Replace the lost whey with 3 cups of 102 F (39 C) water.
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Cook the curds at 102 F (39 C) for another 45 minutes. Every 15 minutes remove 3 cups of whey and replace with 102 F (39 C) water.
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At the end of the process, you will have removed whey three times.
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Drain the whey by pouring through a cheesecloth lined colander.
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Carefully place the drained curds into your cheesecloth lined mold.
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Press the cheese at about 20 lbs. (9 kg) for 45 minutes.
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Remove the cheese from the press and flip it.
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Press the cheese at about 40 lbs. (18 kg) for 3 hours.
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Remove the cheese from the press, careful it is still very soft.
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Float the cheese in a COLD brine solution** for 3 hours. Be certain to flip the cheese over every 45 minutes or so to ensure even rind development.
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Pat dry the cheese, you will notice the outer surface has begun to harden.
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Place the cheese in your refrigerator to age for 25 days. You will need to flip the cheese over every day or it will dry unevenly.
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If too thick a rind begins to develop, place an overturned bowl on top of the cheese, or place it in a covered container. However, continue to turn the cheese daily and do not wrap it in plastic.
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Inspect daily for mold. Should mold develop on the cheese surface, simply remove it using a paper towel dipped in white vinegar.
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At the end of 25 days you can age it further by waxing it or you may use it immediately.
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If you wax the cheese, continue to flip the cheese every 3 days or so.
..
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** BRINE SOLUTION
Dissolve 1.5 cups of salt into one quart warm water.
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Cool the brine in your freezer, some salt will precipitate out.
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To use the solution, simply place it in a bowl and place your cheese into it.
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After you are done with the brine, you can store it in a container in your freezer.
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With each new cheese, you will need to add additional salt so that the solution is saturated.
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The solution is saturated with salt when no additional salt can be dissolved no matter how long you stir.

Answer 2

There are many recipes for making mozzarella stretching curd. However, the best one is always the easiest one. Here is the easiest recipe for making mozzarella cheese.

Things you would need:
1. Thermometer
2. Colander
3. Large spoon
4. Long knife
5. Rennet
6. Cool water
7.Citric acid
8. Milk

First, get a clean pot, and pour the cool milk into it. Meanwhile, take another bowl and mix the citric acid with cool water in it. Light up the stove and place the milk pot on it. Keep stirring the milk until the temperature reaches to 88 degrees. After that, take out the milk pot from the stove and let it rest in room temperature.

Take another pot and dilute the rennet tablet into ¼ cup of cool water. The rennet mixture has to be mixed with the milk now. Once the rennet mixture is added to the milk, it will begin to coagulate. When the milk becomes firm enough, cut it into small cubes of 1-inch sizes. Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes.
The pot that contains the curds has to be placed inside another pot that contains hot water. Place the bigger pot on the stove and increase the temperature. When the temperature reaches 108 degrees, allow it rest for about 35 minutes in the room temperature. Keep stirring the curds continuously. Get the colander now and allow the curd to drain in it for about 15 minutes. Once the curds have been properly drained, they have to be heat-treated for some time. The easiest way to heat-treat the curds is to place them in a microwave. Alternatively, you can place them in hot water.

If you are choosing the microwave method to heat-treat the curds, you have to place the curds in a microwave safe bowl first. The curds have to be sprinkled with cheese salt and then heated in the microwave for about 15 minutes. After the stipulated time, take the curds out of the microwave, and mix them well with the cheese salt. The mozzarella stretching curd is ready.

There are numerous methods for making mozzarella stretching curd. If you plan to make it with limited ingredients in a very short time, then the method described here is the most suiting one. But if you were looking for some advanced cheese making, you will have to check out some other recipes.

Answer 3

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