# Your absolute easiest cheese for beginners?



## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

I've got about a gallon of whole cream I should really dispose of tomorrow. I am thinking I will probably do a cottage cheese and ricotta but I would love to hear some input. I have rennet, and yogurt starter on hand and thats it.


----------



## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

If that's what you have I'd think to make butter.....cream makes cream cheese ...not many other cheeses are you going to be able to do well with just cream alone.


----------



## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

suzyhomemaker09 said:


> If that's what you have I'd think to make butter.....cream makes cream cheese ...not many other cheeses are you going to be able to do well with just cream alone.


Well, it's the whole stuff straight out of the cow and not seperated. Dexter milk doesn't like to be seperated at all actually! lol. Actually I do have a little store bought cream cheese...is it possible to extract some culture out of a quantity of it?


----------



## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

Dusky Beauty said:


> Well, it's the whole stuff straight out of the cow and not seperated. Dexter milk doesn't like to be seperated at all actually! lol. Actually I do have a little store bought cream cheese...is it possible to extract some culture out of a quantity of it?


How odd..I don't have any issue separating my Dexter's milk.
As to extracting culture from store cream cheese I'd venture to say it'd be unlikely. 
Ideally you wouldn't want to try making cheese with any milk that is more than a couple of days old....When I fall behind on cheese making and end up with milk that has to be disposed of I tend to put it in a plastic bucket on my back porch to clabber and then feed it to my poultry. There is also the possibility of using it to make soap...taste doesn't alter it for that.


----------



## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

soap is a great idea... wonder where I should go to get some lye....


----------



## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

Dusky Beauty said:


> soap is a great idea... wonder where I should go to get some lye....


Unless you have an old fashioned Mom & Pop hardware store...finding something labeled as 100% lye can be difficult...
Lowes sells a product labeled as " Roebic"

http://www.lowes.com/pd_146450-331-...roebic&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=roebic&facetInfo=

It is just what you need.


----------



## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

Fabulous!!! I can give it a shot and I *think* i have a friend who wants to learn how to do it too.


----------



## omahacheeks (Oct 4, 2011)

Has anyone made mozzerella on their kitchen stove? I saw a Pinterest post but I wanted to sk the experts on homeasteadingtoday what their advice is. Oh, can you buy rennet at a grocery store? Thank you.


----------



## notbutanapron (Jun 30, 2011)

I made mozzerella on my kitchen stove. Nearly burnt my hands eight hundred times. You NEED thick gloves. OW. I get my rennet from homebrew shops.


----------



## omahacheeks (Oct 4, 2011)

notbutanapron said:


> I made mozzerella on my kitchen stove. Nearly burnt my hands eight hundred times. You NEED thick gloves. OW. I get my rennet from homebrew shops.


Thank you so much. I make homemade wine so I'll ask my fermenter supply guy if he sells rennet.....oh, and really thick gloves. Thanks again!


----------



## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

I also purchase rennet form my brew supply place if needed...Otherwise I order online

As fare as gloves...i have a thing cheapy pair of fleece gloves I wear inside a pair of standard yellow kitchen gloves for when I work my mozz

I use a giant double boiler type setup and culture mine rather than using the citric acid 30 minute type cheese.


----------



## Laverne (May 25, 2008)

You could just get some live yogurt culture from the store, and make yogurt, then put it in a clean boiled pillowcase and let it drain. Viola a cream cheese. Add a little salt. I've put chopped dried cherries and walnuts in it and my parents went crazy over that. 

Mix a cup of yogurt, well, with a cup of milk, add to your gallon. Have the milk heated to about 115 degrees. I wrap a heating pad around it on low, cover with towels to conserve heat. If it's thickened over night then drain. Or wait till it thickens later in the day. I don't pasturize and this will last about a week.


----------



## kvr28 (Feb 15, 2009)

easiest would be to brig the milk to slow boil, slowly stir in a half cup of vinegar, instant farm cheese

been making a ton lately

http://thehomesteadingboards.com/forum/general-homesteading-group2/food-production-and-preservation-forum7/i-made-some-toasted-sesame-paneer-thread2172/

I threw together a cheap cheese press the other day










it works pretty good


----------

