Newbie from the Philippines

[monet]

Hi everyone! A really newbie newbie here from Manila, Philippines.

I have always loved baking as a hobby and use a lot of cream cheese. I love soft cheeses, but they can be hard to find or are very expensive here in Manila, so I thought why not try and make some?

Havent tried anything yet coz I'm just starting to do some reading on the basics.

I hope to learn a lot from you guys.
 

[Sailor Con Queso]

Welcome to the forum.

Most soft cheeses are relatively easy and don't require very much equipment or investment. You also don't need to worry as much about cool temperatures for long term aging.

What kind of milk do you have available? Non-homogenized milk will give you the best results. Here in the states, raw milk cheese MUST be aged for at least 60 days to eliminate the possibility of harmful bacteria. You can always pasturize milk yourself.

[Alex]

Hello and wellcome Monet,

Soft cheeses are easy to make, don't hesitate to ask here, there are lots of helpfull people to answer you.
BTW, if you can get raw milk, it would be the best, but you HAVE TO pasteutize it, not big deal.

[Cheese Head]

Hello monet and welcome to the forum, there a couple members here already from Philippines .

Also, a few of us put together a short sticky post for those new to cheese making.

Have fun!

[DeejayDebi]

Welcome aboard Monet - this is the place to learn and share.

[cmharris6002]

Welcome to the forum Monet. Cheese making is not very complicated once you get used to the terminology. There are lots of nice people here to help.

Christy

[monet]

Hello!

Sailor con queso: We have that, plus i think UHT milk, fresh and raw water buffalo and goat's milk, which you can get from the provinces. 

Alex: Yes, we have raw milk... have to read on pasteurization... I'm really a newbie in cheesemaking. 

John and DeejayDebi: Thanks for the welcome! Salamat!

Christy:  Yes, I'm still learning the terminologies. Any book you can recommend for beginers like me? 

[Sailor Con Queso]

WOW. I would love to get my hands on some water buffalo milk. Mozzarella was traditionally made from WB milk. Go for it. Fresh milk is the way to go.

[Alex]

Monet,

Pasteurizing is very simple:
Heat the milk to 70-72 deg C, take care not to scorch it by stirring, cool instantly (as fast as you can) in a cool bath to the temperature called by the recipe as the starting one.