How To Make Cheese

Cheese is a great and nutritious food that has been consumed by people for thousands of years. However, as 2022 moves into 2023, and inflation keeps rising the price of groceries, it can be quite expensive as a regular staple.

Making your own at home with a few simple ingredients is a great way to become more self-sufficient and save some money in the process.

It’s also a great family bonding and learning activity as well.

1. Understand the basics of cheese making – It’s important to understand the basics before you begin, including what kind of milk you should use, and how to add the necessary culture and rennet.

2. Get the necessary equipment – You’ll need a few pieces of special equipment for cheese making, such as a thermometer, strainer or cheesecloth, colander and a large pot that won’t be used for anything else.

3. Prepare the milk – Before you start the process, you will need to choose what kind of milk you want to use. It is recommended to use whole pasteurised milk rather than ultra-pasteurized because the cream has more substance and flavour.

4. Add culture and rennet – Once the milk is ready, add in a starter culture and rennet according to your recipe’s instructions. The combination of these two ingredients will cause the milk to form curds which will later become your cheese.

5. Cut the curd – Then use a long knife to cut into the curd evenly in both directions so that it resembles small cubes, then allow it to sit undisturbed while the whey separates from the curd completely.

6. Cook and stir – Next gently heat up the curds while stirring them until they reach their desired consistency; this normally takes about 10-15 minutes and helps further separate out excess whey from your cheese curds.

Here is a great and simple recipe for Farmer cheese requiring only 4 ingredients

7. Drain off excess whey – Use either a strainer or colander to separate out any excess whey from your cheese curds before transferring them onto wax paper or another draining surface so they can cool down slightly.

8. Shape your cheese – Once cooled down some, shape your cheese by hand into whatever type of shape you desire; this could include cheddar block shapes or even rolled logs if you prefer!

9. Salt your cheese – To give extra flavor to your homemade cheeses, sprinkle on some salt before covering them tightly with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out too quickly as they age over time.

10 Age your cheese– Finally put your cheeses in an ageing room where temperatures stay between 55-60°F (12-15°C); depending on what kind of cheese you’re making this could take anywhere from a few weeks up to several months in order for it to fully ripen.

Making cheese at home is a great way to save some money and become a little bit more self-sufficient in the process.

Give it a try!