Cheese making.

[PredFan]

The whole shebang. Also the finished cheeses.

I'll get to work on it too. Lol.

 

[PredFan]

In less than a month now, I will finally be able to break into the first Parmesan cheese I made. It has to age a MINIMUM of 10 months. Can't wait!

 

[gallantwarrior]

In less than a month now, I will finally be able to break into the first Parmesan cheese I made. It has to age a MINIMUM of 10 months. Can't wait!

OH, BOY! Let me know how that worked out. I've had miserable luck getting my curds to set this year. I have a handle on the problem now and am making my fourth batch of mozzarella to finalize the results. Then I'll go back to feta until I have my brine tanks full again. After that, the cheddars. I waxed and put a dozen and a half new cheddars up to cure, cut and smoked some of the aged wheels from last year. This afternoon, I'll try my first batch of cheese curds, now that I've gotten a handle on firming up the curds properly. It's a problem common with goat milk and I have to use calcium chloride to help set the curds. Never found it to be a problem before but this year's been painful.

 

[PredFan]

I have to say that I made some blue cheese dressing out of one of my blues, man it was the best blue cheese dressing I've ever eaten. It was so good that I would just take a spoon and eat it out of the jar! It also seemed to get better and better tasting every day.

I made the mayonnaise that went into it as well. I always make my own mayo.

 

[gallantwarrior]

I have to say that I made some blue cheese dressing out of one of my blues, man it was the best blue cheese dressing I've ever eaten. It was so good that I would just take a spoon and eat it out of the jar! It also seemed to get better and better tasting every day.

I made the mayonnaise that went into it as well. I always make my own mayo.

I've been making my own mayo, too! It's so much better than store-bought. I can make enough for what I'm doing and more fresh when I need it. How do you make your blue cheese dressing?

 

[PredFan]

I have to say that I made some blue cheese dressing out of one of my blues, man it was the best blue cheese dressing I've ever eaten. It was so good that I would just take a spoon and eat it out of the jar! It also seemed to get better and better tasting every day.

I made the mayonnaise that went into it as well. I always make my own mayo.

I've been making my own mayo, too! It's so much better than store-bought. I can make enough for what I'm doing and more fresh when I need it. How do you make your blue cheese dressing?

Sour Cream
Mayonnaise
Garlic powder
Vinegar
Black pepper
Blue cheese

I also have this trick where I put 1/3 of the blue cheese in with everything else and mix it on a high speed blender. I like to have that cheese flavor in with the liquid ingredients, then I add the rest to also have the chunks of cheese.

I don't like my blue cheese dressing as tart as some people do so I have more mayo than called for. Yum.

 

[gallantwarrior]

I have to say that I made some blue cheese dressing out of one of my blues, man it was the best blue cheese dressing I've ever eaten. It was so good that I would just take a spoon and eat it out of the jar! It also seemed to get better and better tasting every day.

I made the mayonnaise that went into it as well. I always make my own mayo.

I've been making my own mayo, too! It's so much better than store-bought. I can make enough for what I'm doing and more fresh when I need it. How do you make your blue cheese dressing?

Sour Cream
Mayonnaise
Garlic powder
Vinegar
Black pepper
Blue cheese

I also have this trick where I put 1/3 of the blue cheese in with everything else and mix it on a high speed blender. I like to have that cheese flavor in with the liquid ingredients, then I add the rest to also have the chunks of cheese.

I don't like my blue cheese dressing as tart as some people do so I have more mayo than called for. Yum.

Dang! That's the same recipe I use, except I haven't considered blending some of the cheese in, I usually leave it all chunky.
Also: the calcium chloride has turned my bad summer around. Every batch I've made using it has turned out terrific. And the mozzarella melts beautifully. I didn't think I needed it, but it certainly does help make a much nicer curd.

 

[PredFan]

I've been making my own mayo, too! It's so much better than store-bought. I can make enough for what I'm doing and more fresh when I need it. How do you make your blue cheese dressing?

Sour Cream
Mayonnaise
Garlic powder
Vinegar
Black pepper
Blue cheese

I also have this trick where I put 1/3 of the blue cheese in with everything else and mix it on a high speed blender. I like to have that cheese flavor in with the liquid ingredients, then I add the rest to also have the chunks of cheese.

I don't like my blue cheese dressing as tart as some people do so I have more mayo than called for. Yum.

Dang! That's the same recipe I use, except I haven't considered blending some of the cheese in, I usually leave it all chunky.
Also: the calcium chloride has turned my bad summer around. Every batch I've made using it has turned out terrific. And the mozzarella melts beautifully. I didn't think I needed it, but it certainly does help make a much nicer curd.

Hmm...that is interesting. What was wrong that the CaCl fixed?

 

[gallantwarrior]

I've been making my own mayo, too! It's so much better than store-bought. I can make enough for what I'm doing and more fresh when I need it. How do you make your blue cheese dressing?

Sour Cream
Mayonnaise
Garlic powder
Vinegar
Black pepper
Blue cheese

I also have this trick where I put 1/3 of the blue cheese in with everything else and mix it on a high speed blender. I like to have that cheese flavor in with the liquid ingredients, then I add the rest to also have the chunks of cheese.

I don't like my blue cheese dressing as tart as some people do so I have more mayo than called for. Yum.

Dang! That's the same recipe I use, except I haven't considered blending some of the cheese in, I usually leave it all chunky.
Also: the calcium chloride has turned my bad summer around. Every batch I've made using it has turned out terrific. And the mozzarella melts beautifully. I didn't think I needed it, but it certainly does help make a much nicer curd.

Hmm...that is interesting. What was wrong that the CaCl fixed?

I'm not sure. My cheesemaking books suggest using CaCl when making cheese with goat's milk because the curds don't set as firmly as cow's milk. I'm guessing that the calcium component has something to do with the process. I've never made cheese using cow's milk, so I'm not sure how different the process would be. Until this year, I had no problems getting a good curd. I'm not sure what's different. I'm feeding the goats a different mineral mix than last year, that's the only real change. Hhhmmm, maybe I should change back to the old mineral supplement and see what happens?

 

[gallantwarrior]

I just found this article, it explains a lot about the CaCl2:
Calcium Chloride (CaCI2) | What Is It And When Should You Use It? | Curd-Nerd

 

[PredFan]

In 4 days, I will be able to cut into my Parmesan. I make it 10 months ago.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Yum! Let me know how it's turned out. I have three Swiss-style cheeses ripening now. They look OK, so far. I have another pot of cheddar on the stove right now, just about ready to put the curds into the mold.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Dude, you are starting off with some pretty challenging projects...respect!

 

[PredFan]

Dude, you are starting off with some pretty challenging projects...respect!

I guess I did that because no one told me I shouldn't . Lol.

 

[PredFan]

THE CHEESECAKE PROJECT

Ok so, I make the best cheesecake in the universe. However, I have gotten cheesecake in various places accross the US that admit is probably just as good. Well, I don't want to share the top. But how do I improve on perfection? Well, one way is to completely make it from scratch. I going to make a cheesecake with cream cheese that I made, with sour cream that made, and with a graham cracker crust made from graham crackers that I also made.

When I started, I learned right away that I cannot make cream cheese from the cream that I buy in the store. All of it is Ultra-pasteurized. Ultra pasteurized milk will not make curds. I ended up getting my cream directly from a local farmer and pasteurized it myself. Here is the resulting cream cheese:

 

[gallantwarrior]

THE CHEESECAKE PROJECT

Ok so, I make the best cheesecake in the universe. However, I have gotten cheesecake in various places accross the US that admit is probably just as good. Well, I don't want to share the top. But how do I improve on perfection? Well, one way is to completely make it from scratch. I going to make a cheesecake with cream cheese that I made, with sour cream that made, and with a graham cracker crust made from graham crackers that I also made.

When I started, I learned right away that I cannot make cream cheese from the cream that I buy in the store. All of it is Ultra-pasteurized. Ultra pasteurized milk will not make curds. I ended up getting my cream directly from a local farmer and pasteurized it myself. Here is the resulting cream cheese:

Yum! And you are right, no cheesecake on earth tastes as good as on made completely from scratch. I have no source for cream, and goat's milk is naturally homogenized, the cream doesn't rise to the top, like cow's milk. So, I've been making cheesecakes using chevre. Amazingly delicious and tangy without using the sour cream.

I've been thinking about you, and this thread, for several weeks now. I've been in production now and have several cheeses ready for waxing. Today, I'll be making my first mozzarella and will add some hot peppers to part of the batch for a bit of variety. Since this is my day off, and I'll be working on another all day project, I plan on making some gjetost using the whey from this morning's batch of cheese. My other project today is a Eastern Carolina BBQ pork butt.

Keep posting about your projects. Let us know how they turn out, and share some of your recipes.
Thanks, Lee.

 

[PredFan]

THE CHEESECAKE PROJECT

Ok so, I make the best cheesecake in the universe. However, I have gotten cheesecake in various places accross the US that admit is probably just as good. Well, I don't want to share the top. But how do I improve on perfection? Well, one way is to completely make it from scratch. I going to make a cheesecake with cream cheese that I made, with sour cream that made, and with a graham cracker crust made from graham crackers that I also made.

When I started, I learned right away that I cannot make cream cheese from the cream that I buy in the store. All of it is Ultra-pasteurized. Ultra pasteurized milk will not make curds. I ended up getting my cream directly from a local farmer and pasteurized it myself. Here is the resulting cream cheese:

Yum! And you are right, no cheesecake on earth tastes as good as on made completely from scratch. I have no source for cream, and goat's milk is naturally homogenized, the cream doesn't rise to the top, like cow's milk. So, I've been making cheesecakes using chevre. Amazingly delicious and tangy without using the sour cream.

I've been thinking about you, and this thread, for several weeks now. I've been in production now and have several cheeses ready for waxing. Today, I'll be making my first mozzarella and will add some hot peppers to part of the batch for a bit of variety. Since this is my day off, and I'll be working on another all day project, I plan on making some gjetost using the whey from this morning's batch of cheese. My other project today is a Eastern Carolina BBQ pork butt.

Keep posting about your projects. Let us know how they turn out, and share some of your recipes.
Thanks, Lee.

I'll be getting goats milk from the farmer next time I go over there. My family wants Goat Cheese ASAP.

My concerns for the cheesecake is whether or not my cream cheese has the correct fat and water percentages. The cream that the farmer gave me was very thick. I added one pint of it to a gallon of whole milk to try to get the light cream I needed. We'll see how it turns out I guess.

 

[gallantwarrior]

THE CHEESECAKE PROJECT

Ok so, I make the best cheesecake in the universe. However, I have gotten cheesecake in various places accross the US that admit is probably just as good. Well, I don't want to share the top. But how do I improve on perfection? Well, one way is to completely make it from scratch. I going to make a cheesecake with cream cheese that I made, with sour cream that made, and with a graham cracker crust made from graham crackers that I also made.

When I started, I learned right away that I cannot make cream cheese from the cream that I buy in the store. All of it is Ultra-pasteurized. Ultra pasteurized milk will not make curds. I ended up getting my cream directly from a local farmer and pasteurized it myself. Here is the resulting cream cheese:

Yum! And you are right, no cheesecake on earth tastes as good as on made completely from scratch. I have no source for cream, and goat's milk is naturally homogenized, the cream doesn't rise to the top, like cow's milk. So, I've been making cheesecakes using chevre. Amazingly delicious and tangy without using the sour cream.

I've been thinking about you, and this thread, for several weeks now. I've been in production now and have several cheeses ready for waxing. Today, I'll be making my first mozzarella and will add some hot peppers to part of the batch for a bit of variety. Since this is my day off, and I'll be working on another all day project, I plan on making some gjetost using the whey from this morning's batch of cheese. My other project today is a Eastern Carolina BBQ pork butt.

Keep posting about your projects. Let us know how they turn out, and share some of your recipes.
Thanks, Lee.

I'll be getting goats milk from the farmer next time I go over there. My family wants Goat Cheese ASAP.

My concerns for the cheesecake is whether or not my cream cheese has the correct fat and water percentages. The cream that the farmer gave me was very thick. I added one pint of it to a gallon of whole milk to try to get the light cream I needed. We'll see how it turns out I guess.

Good luck! I'll be looking forward to you're success.

 

[asaratis]

THE CHEESECAKE PROJECT

Ok so, I make the best cheesecake in the universe. However, I have gotten cheesecake in various places accross the US that admit is probably just as good. Well, I don't want to share the top. But how do I improve on perfection? Well, one way is to completely make it from scratch. I going to make a cheesecake with cream cheese that I made, with sour cream that made, and with a graham cracker crust made from graham crackers that I also made.

When I started, I learned right away that I cannot make cream cheese from the cream that I buy in the store. All of it is Ultra-pasteurized. Ultra pasteurized milk will not make curds. I ended up getting my cream directly from a local farmer and pasteurized it myself. Here is the resulting cream cheese:

I had a delicious piece of 'from scratch' cheesecake this weekend at a three day party. It was perfect! Tart and sweet go together quite well.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Gjetost is done and in the fridge cooling. From about 8 qts of whey, I got about a half pound of cheese. Basically, you boil whey until it reduces, and as it thickens, the lactose caramelizes. It's a salty-sweet, brownish spreadable cheese that goes well with fruit and crispy bread.