Say Cheese! How To Make Cheese.

Say Cheese!

Written by Amy Queen-Edge.

 How To Make Cheese

We have raised goats for almost ten years now. At first, it was ONLY for our state’s agricultural exemption.  Reducing land taxes is always a plus, but we soon realized the additional benefits of having goats:  meat, milk and cheese.  When our goats are not in milk, we have neighbors we barter with to obtain the milk to make cheese or purchase milk from a local dairy.

Making cheese sounds like a daunting project to attempt, and many people turn up their nose at goat milk cheese, but do not despair!  Cow’s milk, especially if you can find local, raw milk it excellent for making cheese.  We normally make the soft cheeses of Ricotta, Mozzarella, Queso Blanco, Queso Fresco and a Velveeta style cheese (this is awesome in Mac ‘N Cheese!). If you are not fortunate enough to have a local dairy, regular whole milk will be just fine.

I love to make cheese!  My 5 year old son LOVES to eat it – by the spoonful.  It is so simple and easy, that I tell everyone they need to make their own.  I regularly teach cheesemaking at a local library, and have decided to share the very simple method of making Queso Blanco/Queso Fresco.  Historically, Queso Blanco (AKA “white cheese”) is made from Cow’s milk, and Queso Fresco is made with goat’s milk.  The process is the same for both.

**WARNING** before starting please make sure that all your pots and utensils are ULTRA clean. Wash with hot soapy water, rinse and let air dry. Please practice good hygiene in the making of cheese to prevent contamination and possible food-borne illnesses.

We purchase our milk from Miller’s Dairy in LaCoste, Texas.  Miller Farms is west of San Antonio. This is a family farm with Jersey and Jersey cross cows. The farm is licensed to sell Grade “A” Raw Milk to retail customers, and is available by the gallon.  We have been buying our milk from the Miller’s for years, and love their milk!  I love the fact that milk purchases are on the “honor” system.  It is rare to find that in today’s world, and it means a lot to me to have this type of trust and integrity within the community.

Let’s make cheese!

Pour 1 gallon of goat or cow milk into a stainless steel pot or enameled cast iron.  Do not use aluminum or straight cast iron.  The aluminum often doesn’t allow the cheese to separate, and the cast iron can give the milk an “off” taste.

Heat the milk on Medium-High.  Do not heat on HIGH as the milk will scorch on the bottom, and leave a nasty taste to your cheese.  While heating, constantly stir using a stainless steel spoon (I do use wooden spoons when making cheese for my family, but always use stainless when making cheese for others, as stainless can be sterilized).

Heat until the temperature of the milk reaches 180.  I use a dairy thermometer, but if you don’t have one, look for a ring of uniform bubbles to form where the milk touches the pot.  Once you see the bubbles and the milk begins to lightly steam, remove from the heat.

At this point, add ¼ cup of distilled white vinegar, Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, or lemon juice to the pot and slowly stir.  (Up to ¼ cup additional vinegar or lemon juice may be added to aid in separation of the milk curds).

As you stir, you will see the milk solids begin to separate from the whey.  Keep gently stirring.  Once the whey is a yellowish color, and the curds are clumping together, it is time to strain the whey from the curds.

Line a colander with ½ yard of cheesecloth or a clean dish towel (cheesecloth works best, but in a pinch I have used a dish towel). Make sure to place the colander over a large heat-resistant pot/bowl to save the whey to use in baking, or for the pigs/chickens.

Gather the ends of the cheesecloth together and twist into a ball (keeping the cheese inside the cheesecloth).  Hang from the faucet on the sink, or tied to a large utensil, and let the cheese hang, and allow the whey to drip into a pot for about an hour.

After about an hour, unwrap the cheese from the cloth, and place into a bowl.  The bowl should be large enough to allow room for stirring in spices, without spilling ingredients out of the bowl.

At this point, a variety of spices can be added to flavor the cheese.  It will all depend upon personal choice.  If serving Italian, use sea salt, garlic, olive oil and basil.  Stir completely to blend spices into cheese.  When making the cheese this day, I used Fine Pink Himalayan salt and Herbs de Provence (this is a blend of herbs that typically contain savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano and, sometimes lavender leaves).

The cheese can be served immediately with crackers, French bread, toasted baguettes, etc.  In addition, it can be placed in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to truly meld together, and for the cheese to harden.  To mold the cheese into a round shape, I use a small, plastic bowl.  Make sure to press the cheese firmly into the container, and let sit overnight.  After the cheese cools, invert the cheese onto a plate, and remove the bowl. Voila! That’s how to make cheese.