# When the curd won't.



## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

/facepalm. 

I tried making ricotta today, with a borrowed thermometer to make sure I added the lemon juice at the perfect temp (since my toddler destroyed mine...)
AND IT DIDN'T curd at all! Ugh. 
:flame:
Any ideas or suggestions as to what I can do with the now acidic cooked milk?


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Got pigs or chickens?


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Best to only use fresh whey... like only and hour and add some milk to get more... fail if I wasn't t more than and hour... I am new... just not mandated post here and my limited knowledge... might be better than nothing...or the two of us just get better learning from each other.


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

So my friend facebook messaged me, she did the same thing last night, no curd. I wonder if our super hot weather is to blame or something.


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## CircleStarRanch (Dec 24, 2010)

Dusky Beauty said:


> ... I wonder if our super hot weather is to blame or something.


Unless you are trying to make cheese outdoors, the heat outside shouldn't affect you. I have been making other kinds of cheese all during this heatwave. I have never had good luck trying to make ricotta. I suspect it has to do with the amount of fat left in the whey, but I don't know for sure. My wife uses my cottage cheese as an equal substitute.

If you get it to curd properly, please post how you did it!

-Dutch


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

CircleStarRanch said:


> Unless you are trying to make cheese outdoors, the heat outside shouldn't affect you. I have been making other kinds of cheese all during this heatwave. I have never had good luck trying to make ricotta. I suspect it has to do with the amount of fat left in the whey, but I don't know for sure. My wife uses my cottage cheese as an equal substitute.
> 
> If you get it to curd properly, please post how you did it!
> 
> -Dutch


I finally just went with a cottage type ricotta recipe using the whole milk. I have plenty of milk to waste and other stuff I can do with whey. 

I also figured out my problem was probably rooted in trying to double a recipe.... you can't double a cheese recipe. My friend made the same mistake! LOL 

I also passed to her the recipe I used that worked. :goodjob:

..Now I'm seeing if I can set any curds for a feta recipe, though I'm not entirely counting on it. That would be amazing though, since I have everything else I need for spanakopita. (Thats greek spinach and feta cheese pie)

At least my clabbered milk cream cheese and gjetost turned out pretty well!


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## CircleStarRanch (Dec 24, 2010)

Dusky Beauty said:


> ... you can't double a cheese recipe. ...


According to Ricki Carroll, author of "Home Cheese Making" you can. The only recipe I have tried to double is her 30-Minute Mozzarella. It works fine (my kitchen diva wife grates and freezes it so she can make pizza at the drop of a hat). 

If you are fairly new to cheese making I heartily endorse this book. Actually it's the only cheese recipe book I use any more - from Fromage Blanc to Parmesan. I make about 10 different cheeses.

-Dutch


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

Good news! My old milk feta set up!


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

CircleStarRanch said:


> If you are fairly new to cheese making I heartily endorse this book. Actually it's the only cheese recipe book I use any more


Plus one.

Also, if you go to the website sometimes you can get package deals that include the cheese kits and the book for a pretty good discount. 

The kits include a thermometer :wink:


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