Cheese Making Supplies
An Overview Of Cheese Making Supplies
Depending on how elaborate you intend to get with your artisan adventures, most cheese making supplies can be found right in your very own kitchen. For those who are a bit more experienced and adventurous, there are specialty deli products and cheese making sites where more precise and professional items can be purchased. It is important to remember that the making of cheese is a scientific procedure, and though each step doesn’t have to be exact, the sterility of the tools and environment do. Cheese has to harbor good bacteria, meaning that the presence of bad bacteria will contaminate it. Though this cannot always be helped, as some contaminants are air born, but we have to broaden our chances at success by making sure that our supplies are immaculate.
The following description of cheese making supplies are what you may need for a standard, homemade rennet cheese recipe which yields one pound of cheese from one gallon of milk. Your pan must be stainless steel and very heavy at the bottom. The enzymes and cultures in the standing milk can draw at the materials around them, and stainless steel will withstand this sufficiently. A large whisk will also be needed, a fine sieve colander, a spoon, a long knife, a measuring cup, and a large bowl. Remember, these will all need to be completely sterilized immediately prior to use.
The whisk is for mixing in the active cultures and enzymes, when the milk is ready, and the spoon is for adding said items. The colander is for straining the curd out of the whey, and the measuring cup is for the controlled dissolving of a key ingredient. The knife is for cutting the curd once it has congealed, and the large bowl is for the curds once they have been strained.
Following the making of curd by use of the afore mentioned cheese making supplies, you will need to either purchase or fashion a cheese press, for the continued straining of excess whey. You will also have to have cheesecloth, though a better alternative may be available to this thin, often messy tool. Try using 10 solid white, 100% cotton handkerchiefs in place of the cheesecloth. These will need to be sterilized as well, and will be used for rewrapping the finished curd daily, until no moisture is detectible in the cloth. This can take up to two weeks, so have a good supply of them at your ready.
To fashion a cheese press, you can simply cut both ends off of a 4X5 inch can, and place the cloth wrapped curds inside of it. Place one of the cut off tops back into the can, on top of the curds, and find a heavy, clean rock or something of the lock to place on top of it.