Can you help with recipes for home made cheese?

Question

I tried my hand at making mozzarella cheese this afternoon and liked it a lot. It had a very fresh flavor. So when I started researching all the different types of cheese recipes, I found they were all very simular. But how does a mozzarella recipe make cheddar? And why do most all the recipes disagree about the temperatures? Some say 100F, others 98, and still others 108. Its confusing.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Cheddar Cheese is one of the most popular types of Cheese on the market. It's a hard cheese and usually made of cow's milk, but often also made from goat's milk. For those who like a softer type cheese it's best to go with goat's milk. This process will take 3 months so if you're looking for quick results you might want to try your hand at Homemade Cottage Cheese!

Ingredients (for 1 pound of cheddar)

Full Cream Milk (1 gallon)
Liquid or DVI dry starter (1 teaspoon)
Rennet (1/2 teaspoon)
Salt (10g)
This makes approximately 0.5kg (1lb) of Cheddar. The final weight will vary depending on the type of milk. For a larger quantity, adjust the ingredients accordingly. It should be pointed out that it is far more economical to make a larger quantity than the one stated here because it takes just as long to make a small cheese as a larger one.

Recipe
Heat milk to 66C and keep at that temperature for 30 minutes. Afterwards, cool down to 21C. This is pasteurise the milk and destroy harmful bacteria.
Stir in the starter and then cover it and keep in warm for 1 hour. This allows the mixture to acidify.
Heat up mixture to 28C (if using goat milk) or 30C if you are using cow's milk.
Mix the 1/2 teaspoon of Rennet with 2 teaspoons of freshly boiled, but now cooled water and stir. Then add the water/Rennet mixture to the milk. Cover the pot and leave warm.
Touch the curd with your finger. It should be firm and not leave any milk stain on your finger when it is ready to be cut.
Cut the curd from the top to the bottom and then at right angles to form squares. Loosen the curd from the walls of the pot or pan. Stir gently for a few minutes
For the next 30 to 40 minutes, slowly increase the temperature of the curd to 38C.
Give the whey a circular stir so that it whirls around. This will cause the curds to sink to the bottom and collect at one point. Turn the heat off and leave the pot or pan until all movement has stopped in the liquid
Using a ladle, remove as much of the liquid whey as possible. Then place a cloth over a stainless steel pot or bucket and tip in the curds. Make the cloth into a bundle by taking one corner around to the three others. Place cloth bundle on a tray at an angle so the whey will drain out. Leave for 15 minutes as it drains.
Untie the cloth and the curds will have formed into a mass. Cut the curds into four slice and place one over the other and then cover again with the cloth. After 15 minutes place the outer slices on the inside of the stack and vice versa. Repeat several times.
Cut the curds into small marble-sized pieces. You can use your hands to do this
Add 10g of salt on the curds and roll the curds gently over the salt without breaking them.
Line up some cheesecloth around the mould and add the curds into full. Then fold the corner of the cloth over
Add a wooden "follower" on top of the full mould and apply even pressure. This compacts the curds and extracts any remaining liquid whey. For the first hour just use a little pressure so that the fats aren't drained away with the whey. After that, apply more pressure and leave for at least 24 hours.
Remove the cheese from the mould, replace the cheesecloth with a fresh one and put it back in the mould upside down and press again for another 24 hours.
Remove the cheese from the press and dip into hot water for one minute. This will smooth and consolidate the surface. Place somewhere were they temperature is around 19-22C and leave for 24-48 hours until you see the rind form.
Now the cheese must be sealed while it matures. You can do this with bandages but it's usually easier to buy some cheese wax and use that. To use the wax you first melt it into a pan and then coat it cheese thoroughly or you can use a brush.
Put cheese in a dry and cool place and turn daily for the first 3 weeks. Then ever other day for the next 2 months.
After around 3 months the cheese is ready to eat! Actually, you can eat it the first day but you will find that it tastes very bland and aging is what gives it the unique taste we so desire

http://www.howtomakecheese.co.za/cheddar…

RICOTTA CHEESE
Materials:
1 and a Half gallon pot
1 gallon whole milk
1/4 cup of vinegar
colaner
Fine cotton cloth

Directions:
The easiest cheese fo all to make is a ricotta. Take one gallon of whole milk and heat to 200 degrees F. If you don't have the thermometer, just wait until the first few bubbles that indicate boiling (212F) is starting. The stir in 1/4 cup of vinegar. Stir briskly to mix and then remove from heat. Cover and let sit 15 minutes or so. A thick curd should have risen from the milk. It will float to the top. Line a colander with a piece of well washed old sheeting or other fine cotton yard goods. Pour the "ricotta in process" into the colander saving the whey --the clearish left over liquid. If the whey is still cloudy return it to the cook pot and add another 1/4 cup of vinegar. Stir briskly to mix and then remove from heat. Cover and let sit 15 minutes or so. A thick curd should have risen from the milk. It will float to the top. Line a colander with a piece of well washed old sheeting or other fine cotton yard goods. Pour the "ricotta in process" into the colander saving the whey --the clearish left over liquid. If the whey is still cloudy return it to the cook pot and add another 1/4 cup of vinegar. Heat to 200 degrees and wait for more curd to form. Let site 15 minute covered and pour this into the colander.

You now have ricotta cheese at half the price! Use in any recipe that calls for ricotta or cottage cheese.

What could be easier!

YOGURT

A slightly harder cheese to make is home made yogurt. You have to add active cultures and wait overnight, but this is still easy!

Materials:
1 gallon skim milk
Cup of yogurt with ACTIVE CULTURES
several serilized jars

Sterile mixing spoon and jars by immersing them in boiling water.

Bring milk to 110 degrees F and add the cup of yogurt WITH ACTIVE CULTURES. Please read the label amd make sure this is active yogurt. It will say on the label. Mix well with sterilized stirring spoon. Pour into sterilized jars anc cap loosely. Hold at 100-110 degrees over night. Stoves with pilot lights hold this temperature. Other people put the jars in a warm water bath removed from heat and cover overnight.

But remember 100-110 Degrees are the magic numbers. Over 110 and the yogurt culture dies. Under this and it "sleeps." By morning you should have nice yogurt for breakfast!

SOFT FARM CHEESE

Materials:
home made yogurt
colander
fine straining cloth

Directions:
Take the home made yogurt and pour into cloth lined colander. Let the water like stuff (whey) drain out. Now you have a nice soft cheese to use in any recipe that calls for cream cheese --at half the price and half the calories!

FARM CHEESE

Materials:
Home made ricotta
colander
fine straining cloth

Directions:
Pour the ricootta into the colander as in recipe above. While still hot pull up the sides of the cloth and wring until the cheese is a firm ball. Press it between two tipped plates to let any further whey drip off. You now have nice feta like cheese for salads, and tacos, etc.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art2…

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

very helpfull! :)

Answer 2

Different temperatures grow different types of molds and bacteria. It's the different mold and bacterias that make up the different types of cheese and flavors, and also how old the cheese is.