tedrogers Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Hi all, I love cheese, and I've made my own hard cheeses in my kitchen, with varying degrees of success. I just wondered if there are other home cheese maker's in Warrington? Would be good to exchange tips. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey Bennett Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Watching with interest. I'm not in Warrington any more but am an aspiring cheese maker! I have a friend down here with goats so once they're milking properly again I'm going to get some milk from him and have a go at goat's cheese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedrogers Posted June 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Goats is supposed be nice. You'll have to pasturise it to be safe. But it should be nice full fat stuff that is great for cheese. Buy proper rennet though and mesophyllic starter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey Bennett Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 At the moment I know nothing, I've bought a book and browsed Lakeland's 'cheesemaking' section but that's about it! What have you made? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demelzadoe Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Not convinced that pasturization is a necessity. Definitely not a necessity for home or neighbour use. Another governmental or banker Rothchild control maybe? Just asking. We pay approximately twentyfive pound for a kilo of goats cheese. Can't get goat's butter, unheard of. I bought goats cheese for next to nothing in Warrington and goats butter for a quarter of the price of regular butter over here. Soooo into self preservation. Any 'know how to do' welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey Bennett Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 I hope it's not necessary. We already get raw milk from a farm nearby, I make yoghurt out of it. There are dire warnings all over the internet about the dangers of raw milk, especially in yoghurt making but we're fine. It's delicious and healthy, full of pro-biotics and good cholesterol. Where are you demelzadoe? If you can get hold of goat's milk I imagine butter would be easy to make. We've made butter with the kids (human variety) before just as a bit of fun, basically old cream in a jar and shake it. That's it! We're quite into self preservation (I hope you mean in the food sense!) too, my pantry's lined with bottled fruit, jams, pickles, salted beans etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Making hard cheese is fairly easy. all I have to do is leave normal cheese uncovered overnight and the next day you need a hammer and chisel to cut it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 this the 21st century.... they sell cheese in ASDA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadako Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 ...and where's the fun in that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedrogers Posted June 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Quite. It's a hobby, like gardening. You can buy flowers and herbs but it's more interesting to grow them. I read all the same warnings about using raw milk. I just like to play it safe with anything I would put in my mouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted June 1, 2013 Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Welcome to the forum Ted - I am quite partial to cheese - especially feta with olives and a glass of rouge! But I don't think I will be investing in a goat any time soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedrogers Posted June 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2013 Thanks Gary. Feta is hard to make! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demelzadoe Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 Where are you demelzadoe? If you can get hold of goat's milk I imagine butter would be easy to make. We've made butter with the kids (human variety) before just as a bit of fun, basically old cream in a jar and shake it. That's it! I'm in Queensland Tracy. We do get goat's milk so I'm going to have a go. I would prefer fresh from the farm rather than the messed about with stuff, but we don't have any goat farmers close by. By the way, how long do you have to shake it for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey Bennett Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 How long? Flippin' ages! It goes like over whipped cream, then you have to take the solids out and squish them together. If you want it to keep you have to get as much liquid out as possible and salt it but as we only did a little bit we used it up straight away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted June 2, 2013 Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 this the 21st century.... they sell cheese in ASDA they sell gazebos too, but I wouldn't waste my time trying to make one of those either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horace Posted June 3, 2013 Report Share Posted June 3, 2013 Anyone who buys supermarket cheese doesn't know what REAL cheese is about! That of course is the trouble with the 21st century - we are forgetting what real food is about generally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted June 4, 2013 Report Share Posted June 4, 2013 "Blessed are the Cheesemakers" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted June 4, 2013 Report Share Posted June 4, 2013 I love cheese.... .......so in layman's terms (please) what is the simplest way for a complete novice like me to try and make some. If I happen to be successful in following the instructions (which based on my culinery skills is doubtful) how long will it last and be edible for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey Bennett Posted June 5, 2013 Report Share Posted June 5, 2013 I love cheese.... .......so in layman's terms (please) what is the simplest way for a complete novice like me to try and make some. If I happen to be successful in following the instructions (which based on my culinery skills is doubtful) how long will it last and be edible for? My experience to date involves watching Hugh FW make goat's cheese. I believe soft cheeses are easy to make but haven't tried it yet. If you Google there are lots of self sufficient forums discussing cheesemaking. Lakeland are also now selling cheese making equipment, rennet etc. "Blessed are the Cheesemakers" To drag this back to my family history (as is my wont) I'm descended from the Nixons who were probably one of the first families in Cheshire to make Cheshire Cheese on a commercial basis. I expect I'll be a natural Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted June 5, 2013 Report Share Posted June 5, 2013 There are plenty of websites that have instructions for cheese making but it is not a quick process, especially if you want a stronger flavoured cheddar type cheese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedrogers Posted June 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2013 Evil Sid is right. My first hard cheese took 3 months, 9 litres of 4% fat milk. It was amasingly tasty thought and a lot of fun caring for it....watching out for mould etc. Google is really helpful, but basically you need milk and a mesophyllic starter culture to get the milk to ripen, then proper rennet to get it to separate the curds from the whey. Then you pour away the whey (wahey!), salt the curds, press and mould it, and dry / mature over time. Temperature regulation is critical at all stages of cheese making. The effort is well worth it though, for cheese you can say you made yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted June 8, 2013 Report Share Posted June 8, 2013 Mmmm... maybe you could just make me some as I'd definitely mess that especially if it requires a lot of looking after and temperature regulation is critical. I struggle enough cooking things in the oven without burning them and that regulates it's own temperature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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