What I’ve Learned While Making Cheese

As you would know from my Harmonious Belly Facebook page, I’ve embarked on a cheese making project. It’s one of those things I promised myself I’d explore in the new year, and I’m really glad I kept that promise. It, among all my recent projects, has been the most humbling.

I’ve made what can only be described as beginner’s mistakes. But I have developed a certain appreciation for the trips and falls I’ve made, and forgiven myself for them – it’s been a big learning experience.

Now, I’ve only attempted to make cheese twice now – a batch of ricotta and a ball of fresh mozzarella. Both are fresh cow’s milk cheeses, and both are what I originally considered to be beginner cheese making projects – in my mind, that meant “easy.” Perhaps for some people it is easy, but for me it wasn’t – in that I did not attain the desired result. The cheeses were certainly edible, but they didn’t take the form or texture that I desired.

So, here are some of the things I’ve learned so far during cheese making.

1. Make sure your dairy thermometer is properly calibrated.  This is crucial – specific temperatures are called for at different points in the mik heating process. I double check and recalibrate mine (if needed) each time I start the cheese making process. I do it by dipping it in the boiling water in which I sterilize my slotted spoon and butter muslin. I calibrate it to 212F.

2. Be aware that your cooking vessel for the milk may have cooler and warmer areas in it. I discovered that my stockpot – a cheap ass piece, to be honest – is cooler by the edges than in the center. How did I discover this? My milk started to boil in the center while it was still relatively placid on the edges where my thermometer was! It’s not good that the milk boiled (only for 30 seconds or so) and I believe helped contribute to a more rubbery texture in my ricotta. So, check the temperature in the hottest part of the pot.

3. Don’t knead the curds too much for fresh cheeses. This is my biggest mistake – both my ricotta and mozzarella came out with a firmer texture  than I wanted (a way firmer texture with the mozzarella) because I handled the curds too much and too roughly. The more you work the curds, the firmer the cheese will be. I want my mozzarella to be soft and My mozzarella was like a big cheese rock (it will work ok for grating). Being gentler is my goal for next time.

4. Rennet is magic. It really is. I was so impressed how it separated the curds and whey while making mozzarella. Mine is vegetable rennet and it is doing a fine job.

5. 30 minute mozzarella is not 30 minutes at first. The first times you make cheese it will take longer, so give yourself a generous few hours from start to finish. You’ll need to take time to sterilize certain tools, get used to the recipe, and complete new tasks during the project. I expect after I’ve done it for a half dozen times, I’ll have shaved off quite a bit of time during the process.

6. Raw milk is wonderful stuff to work with. Even though I handle the curds more than I should, the raw milk is a dream to work with.

I am sure I will learn more as I progress over the months. Once I get ricotta and mozzarella down, I will feel better moving on to chevre and cottage cheeses. I also need to get a mesophilic starter to facilitate making the chevre, which I am sure I can find at Brooklyn Kitchen.

I look forward to sharing further adventures – flops and successes – with you as I move through this project!