Author Topic: Finding equipment  (Read 5293 times)

Zoey

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Finding equipment
« on: August 26, 2009, 12:36:37 PM »

Hi all!

Since there were no topics in here (section Finland), I decided to list some of my observations. It seems there are no good places to buy cheese equipment, other than by mail order from abroad. So here's what I've been able to find in Finland:

 - Forms for finnish "home cheese", which is a fresh cheese with a textured profile, are available at the marketplace Kauppatori in Helsinki  - there's some carpenter selling them. At least has been until now, but you never know when those marketplace sellers change...

 - I've used round forms creatively: The steaming part of a steam pan, with holes in it, makes a nice pan for about 1kg cheeses (10l batch). The steaming part (top-part) of a juicing pan called mehumaija, makes a great form for bigger cheeses, although I haven't got containers big enough to handle such batches.

 - liquid rennet and wax are available at drug stores - at least good ones. You should ask around.

 - fresh milk cannot be sold in Finland legally other than directly from the farms. So if you have a farm nearby, it may be possible to go buy milk, usually by bringing your own container. otherwise, you'll have to settle for pasteurized milk from the stores.

 - Ternimaito - don't know what this is in english - the milk produced in the first few days after calving, can be found frozen in well-equipped grocery stores. This is unpasteurized, but of course very different from normal fresh milk. It curdles easily and does not need rennet. I don't know whether you can make aged cheese from this, made very delicious fresh cheese though.

All comments welcome! Let's bring together our findings!

pamaples

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Re: Finding equipment
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2009, 03:41:01 PM »
Thank you very much for your second bulleted item Zoey. It caused me to remember that I have a glass steaming pan with straight sides and many holes on the bottom. My next pressed cheese will be tried out there. I can even sterilize it! (My previous press was a bamboo steamer with a stainless steel screen cut to fit and layed on top of the slats in the bottom.)

Pam

riha

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Re: Finding equipment
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2009, 12:40:32 AM »
Well, seeing that Finland seems to be doubling it's representation on this forum once every month, we better get some decent information here quick. We'll rule this place in no time :)

Very good tips Zoey. Especially the mold part. I am about to give up with those and just order some online. Can you get some cheese wax from a pharmacy? They told me they only have candle wax.

I will add a few.

Thermometer/hydrometer (digital). You can buy one relatively cheap from Clas Ohlson. The wireless model and the model and the model with an external sensor only go to 95% (returned them both). Also, the external sensor is only for the temperature.

Liquid rennet. I have bought some from K-market (Kamppi, Helsinki). Several grocery stores have told me they used to have some, but not anymore.

Citric acid. Pharmacy or Melkko home brew suppile store.

Cheese cloth. Eurokangas. (Any other?) They have two strengths.

Small scale. Ostox.fi sells these scales that have 0.01g precision. One is on the shopping list.

Stuff that can't be found (by me, at least): molds, lipase, calcium chloride (does Finnish milk need this stuff?), cultures & molds, tiny measuring spoons (Chez Marius sells a set, smallest is 1/4tsp). Tips welcome.

Do you use self-made cultures or buy ready cultures?

pamaples

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Re: Finding equipment
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2009, 03:08:49 PM »
Hi Reha,

I don't know how rural you live, but as for cheese cloth, if you have a local fabric store try some dress-weight cotton gauze. It is inexpensive and holds up beautifully with repeated washings and boilings. I don't even sew the edges. Here is the vegetable rennet source for mail order that I use. It is the Amish hardware store in my home town in the Eastern US:
http://www.lehmans.com/store/dyna/dynaUEL2NZ?page_number=3 The cost is USD $6.95 for 10 tablets (1/4 tablet will set 2 gal of milk). Shipping can't be too much even overseas; the stuff doesn't weigh anything. Two packages might even ship for the cost of one. Maybe a couple of you can get together and save on shipping.

Pam