# Butter, Cheese, Dehydrator



## BCoburn

Good afternoon! This is my first post in Homesteading Today and I just love this forum and you folks. I have been reading for about two months now and have learned so much so thank you all for that!

A couple of weeks ago, someone (big thankyou!) posted that the Excalibur Food Dehydrator could be purchased from an online seller for $100 off with online coupon. I took advantage of that offer right away and received my beautiful dehydrator that I have been craving and lusting after for 10 years. I had NO IDEA that you could make cheese using the dehydrator. Well, I ordered a nice crock and needed some buttermilk to start a batch of cottage cheese. I have always wanted to make butter so I did. It is SO EASY and very delicious. Now, I have buttermilk to use for my cottage cheese. 

Right now, I am waiting for my (organic but grocery store purchased--hope that that will work--no access to fresh-from-the-cow) milk to warm to room temp, add my buttermilk and start my cottage cheese in the dehydrator today. 

This is so very exciting for me. I have been working on utilizing my property (I have a 30 acre farm) to the best of my ability. We are installing the wood stove soon (going off the propane gas tit!) and I have planted a huge garden/fruit trees/berry bushes this year. Will be canning until my eyeballs fall out--a first for me this year but really studying to do everything correctly. As the recession hit us very HARD, I am no longer allowed to be the spoiled modern woman who just could run to the store for any and everything. Now, I am DETERMINED to live as self-sustainably as possible so this is my year of learning for a lifetime of rewarding REAL living.

I thank you all for being out there and posting all of the information that you have--I discovered this forum looking for other folk's advice on wood burning for house heating and learned so much more besides. You all are my inspiration every day. 

I was wondering if anyone else has used their dehydrator for cottage cheese making and other hard and soft cheeses as well as your success with that. Also, any other uses for the dehydrator that y'all find handy. I would like to dry flowers as well but the book states that you use a dry silica box as well--well, I can dry flowers using that method without the dehydrator--do y'all just throw your flowers in there with any success without using the silica? That was one of my motivations for the dehydrator along with food preservation.

Thank you again and try making butter if you haven't--it is a very cool process to watch and so easy in a stand mixer using the whisk attachment. Took me about 15 minutes, a pint a heavy cream and a cold water rinse. I even added the salt.


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## whodunit

You can also make ghee with the butter. Just melt it slowly and then pour off the oil and leave the solids behind. Use ghee for frying, making popcorn, etc.


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## calliemoonbeam

Welcome to the boards! I don't come into the Dairy forum often, but saw your post (I'm not up to cheese yet, lol). 

Woo hoo on the dehydrator! I paid full price for mine a few years ago, you got a great deal! Two excellent books are "The Dehydrator Bible" and "Mary Bell's Complete Dehydator Cookbook". You might be able to get them at your library, that's where I first found them, but ended up buying my own copies. You know you can also make yogurt in the dehydrator, right? 

Here's a site that explains basically how I dry flowers in my Excalibur. How to Dry Flowers in a Dehydrator | Garden Guides

As for the rest, it sounds like you're off to a good start. One piece of advice...don't take on too much too soon. It's easy to get overwhelmed. Just pick a few things and master them, then move on to something else. A lot of people try to do too many things at once, get frustrated and give up altogether, but it's an ongoing learning experience. I just got started five years ago myself, and I'm almost 57, so it's never too late!

If you go down to the Preserving the Harvest forum you'll find lots of information on dehydrating (and canning), or do a search if you have a particular item in mind. There have been multiple discussions about different ways we all use our dehydrators in the past, the possibilities are endless. You're going to love it.


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## BCoburn

Thank you so much for the great replies and advice--it is appreciated and I will be following up on those things.

Yes, I do need to be careful about trying too many new things at once. This year, I am focused on the garden, canning, the dehydrator and possibly soap making. It is all so much fun.

The dehydrator is still working on the cottage cheese. I put the milk/buttermilk in yesterday at 3 pm and set it to the book-instructed 85 degrees. We are going on 18 hours soon in the dehydrator. The milk has turned a little yellowish and has some film on the top but is still liquidy. No sign of cheese/curds yet. Disappointed.

When do y'all think I should give it up and pour it down the drain? Maybe the buttermilk didn't work from the butter I made yesterday? I will try to find some rennet tablets or buy some yogurt at the store later today. Still would like some advice on when I should give up on the current batch or when I may expect it to do anything! Thank you all so much!!


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## Alice In TX/MO

I've used the dehydrator for making yogurt in volume because it will hold the temperature I need. Just set the jars of cultured milk in and set the temp.

Of course, I've also made yogurt by just setting the jars of cultured milk out on the screen porch in the summer in Texas. 

You need rennet to add to your milk to make cottage cheese. What recipe did you use?

Do NOT use the Junket tablets from the store.

Order rennet from cheesemaking - Online Store


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## Alice In TX/MO

Recipe for making cottage cheese:
Details for making Cottage Cheese


Here's a link to a TRULY awesome collection of recipes for making cheese. Excellent for the beginner:
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/cheese.html


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