It is easy and fun to make cheese at home. When starting out, there are three basic components to think about, ingredients, equipment and the process. In this article you will learn about the ingredients used to make cheese at home. Most types of cheese only need two or three ingredients, milk, cultures and rennet. These simple ingredients will ripen the milk, form curds and whey and add flavor to the finished cheese.
Milk is the most important ingredient in cheese making. Finding good milk will help you create fantastic cheese. When getting milk, you always want it to be as fresh as possible. If you have access to farm fresh, try to get that days milk, and enjoy your bounty because you are one lucky cheese maker! When using store bought milk, wait to open the container until you're ready to start. Most importantly, if your milk tastes sour or “off”, do not use it; turning it into cheese will not make it taste better.
Making cheese causes the protein part of milk solids to coagulate and produce curd. At first the curd is a soft gel-like texture because it contains all the water along with the solids. As the curds are heated, and time passes, liquid (whey) is released, and the curds condense more and more until they become cheese. Time, temperature, a variety of friendly bacteria, and enzymes determine the flavor and texture of each type of cheese. Continue reading from New England Cheesemaking Supply Co
