# Looking for a cheese recipe...



## marusempai (Sep 16, 2007)

My husband keeps pestering me to make cheese "for sandwiches," by which he means something that will melt (as opposed to the paneer and yogurt cheese that I have been making). Best I can figure, that means I have to find some rennet... but anyway, does this look like an ok recipe to start with? I am scared to death to age a cheese at this point, so mozarella is appealing to me, but I don't want to get in over my head. Anybody have a favorite easy cheese that melts? It doesn't have to be special, it just has to melt.


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## BlueHeronFarm (Feb 9, 2007)

Yeah-- that will work-- but in her photos it does not look like she stretched the cheese nearly enough. It should be very smooth and shiny - no lumps. 

The same basic recipe can be found at cheesemaking.com - look at her photos for a better idea of what the finished product should look like. This is easy to make and melts beautifully.


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## Julia (Jan 29, 2003)

BlueHeronFarm said:


> This is easy to make and melts beautifully.


It doesn't have much flavor, though.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Here is a recipe that I have been making for years. It is the closest thing that I have found to Velveeta. This is one you can make without a cheese press.I let my milk really clabber well. I used live-culture plain yogurt to culture my fresh warm milk. 

1 1/2 gallons clabbered milk 
4 TBSP. butter 
3/4 teasp. baking soda 
2/3 cup soured cream 
1 1/2 teasp. salt 
1/2 teasp. cheese coloring (if desired) 
Heat clabbered milk for 30 minutes at a temperature of 110 - 115 degrees farenheit. Strain and squeeze curd until fairly dry. Place curd in mixing bowl and stir in soft butter and soda until well mixed. Let stand covered for 2 1/2 hours. Put on stove in double boiler, adding soured cream, salt and cheese coloring. Cook until it looks like melted cheese. It will take a little while for the curds to melt into the cream. Stir constantly during this process. Turn into a buttered mold. I use a rectangle plastic container. Chill until set and slice to serve. 
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. 

The live culture yogurt clabbers the milk. I strain my fresh milk and stir in the yogurt. My oven has a bread proofing setting that I use in cold weather to keep the milk at the right temp. In warm weather just cover the container and let set until the milk clabbers. It usually takes about 12 hours. This is a good Velveeta substitute. I use it to make maccaroni and cheese, with salsa to make a hot dip, and we love it on crackers.


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## marusempai (Sep 16, 2007)

Not much flavor is ok... I just need something to start with, and like I said, aging cheese scares me right now. It is irrational, but I think I need to build up to it.

linn, how do you tell if your milk is clabbered enough? Should it thicken? Separate? Change colors?  I have never been _entirely_ clear on what clabbered milk means, so I am a little confused. :help:


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

The milk should have the texture of baked custard and cleanly break over your finger when it is inserted in the curd. Here is a link that demonstrates what I mean.

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Pasta_Filata/Pasta_Filata.html

You don't have to cut the curd as in regular cheese making, just stir as it heats.


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## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

Never made cheese. How do you clabber milk?


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

To make clabbered milk, I innoculate my fresh warm milk with live culture yogurt.


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## marusempai (Sep 16, 2007)

linn, I am very confused now, I'm sorry. The link you gave talks about adding rennet to get the clean break, after you put the culture in for fifteen minutes to acidify the milk. You said you just add the yogurt culture and keep it warm for twelve hours, wouldn't that just make yogurt? I'm clearly missing something.

I've run into a problem with the mozarella tho... the recipe calls for citric acid powder, and I can't find it anywhere! Is there some conversion I could use to substitute lemon juice?


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

The only thing I wanted you to pay attention to at that link was the picture of the clean break. Don't worry about the rest of it.








As soon as the milk has set to the clean break stage, you start heating it. As you heat it and stir, the clabbered milk will form soft curds. The longer it heats, the more solid the curd. 
I use yogurt to clabber my milk instead of buttermilk because I like the flavor of the cheese better. Yes it will be yogurt that has a solid set; but you can still make cheese out of it. Old timers always made cottage cheese from clabbered milk by heating it and stirring until the curd reached the desired stage. Hope this helps. 

I don't think substituting lemon juice for citric acid would work with mozarella.


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## BlueHeronFarm (Feb 9, 2007)

marusempai said:


> l've run into a problem with the mozarella tho... the recipe calls for citric acid powder, and I can't find it anywhere! Is there some conversion I could use to substitute lemon juice?


 Sometimes you can find this in the canning aisle of the supermarket. It may be labeled with a brand name, but look at the actual ingredients on some of the acidifiers.

I order it from cheesemaking.com


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

my dh loves linns recipe


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Thanks, jerzeygurl


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## marusempai (Sep 16, 2007)

Oh! Now I understand, sorry linn and thanks for being patient with a noob.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Just glad to share my limited knowledge!


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## SHELBY (Mar 9, 2003)

linn, How much yogurt culture to you add to the milk? Could you use a DS thermo. culture instead of the yogurt? 

My kids go through velveeta like crazy, if I could figure this out then you would be saving us quite a bit of money.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Depending on the strength of your yogurt, add 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of live culture yogurt per gallon of fresh milk. You can even use live culture buttermilk. I just like the flavor of yorgurt cheese better. Direct set thermo culture would work if you have some on hand; but I find a small container of yogurt is cheaper. Just make sure the yogurt has live culture in it. Hope this helps.


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## SHELBY (Mar 9, 2003)

thanks linn,


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

Ok I was playing with this as I like a nice melty cheese sometimes.
My question is how long does it take to drain out?..mine is still drippy after almost 24 hours of hanging in a cloth.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I sometimes hurry it up by twisting the curds up in a clean dish towel and squeezing them as dry as I can. I usually line a big colander with cheese cloth and drain my curds in that. They seem to drain faster that way; and I can press down on them with a wooden spoon to help the process along.


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## SHELBY (Mar 9, 2003)

linn,

Question, before I try this, 

When you melt it with the cream, What are we looking for here? a smooth melted mass as in liquidy like, or a little frimer texture to it, 

Just melt until it all comes together, Cause I am thinking that it may want to seperate a bit, from the cream and the cheese, 

I am probably way of base, but could you explain, please


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I use a double boiler to melt the curds into the cream. Yes, you just have to heat and stir until it all comes together. It will be a fairly thick mass; but the curds should melt into the cream. You have to constantly stir it. After it is melted and blended together it will not separate. It will almost be the thickness of hot cornmeal mush; but a little more liquid than mush. If you have ever made mush, you know that it gets pretty thick as the cornmeal absorbs the boiling water. There may be a few grainy bits of curd in your cheese if the curd is firm; but that won't hurt the cheese. Hope this makes sense.


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## JR05 (Jan 1, 2005)

If your husband wants a sliced cheese then just make a fresh farmers cheese. 1 gallon of milk ,heat up to 200* add to it 1/4 cp of vineger,let set for 10 minutes then drain in cheese cloth lined colander for about 20 min. Put back in pan and mix in any seasonings you would like, we like salt (1 TBL.) hot peppers (diced) or some Mrs. Dash (any flavor) about 3 TBL.Mix well. Put in a Large coffee can with the bottom cut out(cheese cloth lined) put a saucer over top and put a heavy can of vegs or fruit on top and press for 24 hours. Or if you have a press use that.Must be hot when you put into the press process so it sets up good. Slices nicely and melts good too. Will keep in frig about 2 weeks if it lasts that long.

jr05


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Wow, I wish my milk cow wasn't dry. I can't wait to try this. What a good idea for a simple press. I don't have a coffee can. Will a large tomato can work as well?


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## JR05 (Jan 1, 2005)

Anything that you can take bottom out of. Several small cans will give a smaller slice for sandwiches! On the bottom I use one of those wicker trays for paper plates you get at $$ stores. Then put the whole thing on a cake rack and then in a large cake pan to catch the way. They are great for letting the way drain.

jr05


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## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

Would this freeze, and apple cider vinegar, right??


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## JR05 (Jan 1, 2005)

Yes to both but regular vinegar works too.

jr05


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

linn said:


> Here is a recipe that I have been making for years. It is the closest thing that I have found to Velveeta. This is one you can make without a cheese press.I let my milk really clabber well. I used live-culture plain yogurt to culture my fresh warm milk.
> 
> 1 1/2 gallons clabbered milk
> 4 TBSP. butter
> ...


i printed this long ago, but never tried it yet, cuz I want to clear something up. you say you clabber with yogurt, how are you doing this? basicly making yogurt then turing it into cheese with the next steps? could you please clearify how you are getting that first step, the clabbered milk? thanks! my hubs is wanting something like this and we have tons of milk right now!


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I use about 1 cup live culture yogurt added to 1 1/2 gallons of milk. Whisk the yogurt and a cup of milk together first and then whisk that mixture into the rest of the milk and yes I guess you would say it turns into yogurt. I let the milk set until you get a clean break and then you follow the instructions in the recipe. Be careful not to cook the curds too long or your cheese will be grainy when you melt the curds. Here is a link that demonstrates what a clean break looks like.

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser...ta_Filata.html


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## eclipchic (Oct 24, 2010)

A similar recipe to linn's
http://chickensintheroad.com/cooking/homemade-velveeta/

I love making this stuff. Its like magic how it actually reminds me of velveeta- although its been so long since I've had velveeta I'm not sure exactly how it compares. Oh and I leave out the cream, I find its too soupy with it for me


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