Author Topic: Hello from New Mexico  (Read 2557 times)

Frank

  • Guest
Hello from New Mexico
« on: July 29, 2008, 03:52:14 AM »
Hello to all.

We're Frank and Sheila Calabretta from Raton, NM. 

Raton is in the NE corner of the state and 8 miles from the Colorado border on I-25.

We're half way between Denver, CO and Albuquerque, NM. 

We are both retired.  I'm a former Marketing exc.and now a Chriatian fiction writer and Sheila was an RN.  I have a web site if anyone is interested in seeing our handsome faces.....
www.frank-calabretta.com

We just started making cheese a few weeks ago.  First Mootz was just OK. (the 30 minuite recipe)  Our first goat milk Feta was good.  We had two jars of feta in olive oil and herbs but recent visiting relatives took it all.  More to come. 

We're in the process of setting up a cheese cave using an old refrigerator and will be ordering some misc equipment also.

We have a source for one gallon of raw goat's milk a week. 

Raton is situated at 6,700 feet elevation and the elevation seems to effect the amount of rennet that is needed to make the milk curd.  We seem to have to use more.  Any imput would be appreciated.

We have lots of questions so hopefully you'll all put up with us as we hope to transform ourselves from newbies to pros....like you!!!!!

God bless all.

Frank

Tea

  • Guest
Re: Hello from New Mexico
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2008, 04:51:11 AM »
Gods peace and welcome to your too.  Great to see new faces here.  Hope you can join in lots, and post what you are currently making.
I don't know about us being pros, no doubt there are a few, but most of us, myself included are fairly new to this ourselves and forever learning from our mistakes.  Strange thing is we're having so much fun along the way.

Cheese Head

  • Guest
Re: Hello from New Mexico
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2008, 11:03:17 AM »
Morning Frank and welcome to this forum, nice introduction.

Great to hear your success with cheese and with book writing, nice website! Looking for forward to your input and ideas as I'm like Tea and learning lots and having fun. Have fun with building your cheese cave, the one I've set up is using an old freezer and so far here in Houston in summer I'm having the opposite problem to most people, too much humidity!

I'm not sure that elevation would change the rennet's action, could be milk in your area is different to others. When I used liquid vegetarian rennet I needed about 25% extra with store bought pasteurized cow's milk, with the powdered CHR Hansen rennet I use about 50-75% extra over recipe or manufacturers directions. Are you using Calcium Chloride on your store bought pasteurized cow's milk? Which from what I have read, it is even more critical when using goat's milk. Also, I've found that as rennet is such concentrated stuff, I need to ensure maximum dilution, which means initially stirring in 1/2 cup water, then trickle into the milk while stirring with a whisk, otherwise poor set. Just my 2 cents.

reg

  • Guest
Re: Hello from New Mexico
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2008, 10:54:46 AM »
good morning and welcome Frank. looking forward to reading and seeing (photos please) about your exploits in cheese making. like the rest here i'm fairly new to the hobby also

reg

Farmer Gab

  • Guest
Re: Hello from New Mexico
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2008, 08:44:40 PM »
Hi!  I am new here too and have been making moz addictively for a while now.  We live at 7,000 ft and I have had to cut back on the rennet because it was making the curds too firm = rubbery in the end.  Today, I made PERFECT moz this way....

Oh, I use my goats' unpasteurized milk....

Tea

  • Guest
Re: Hello from New Mexico
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2008, 08:50:59 PM »
HI Gab, I am going to have another attempt at moz today, so wish me luck.  The last attempt didn't work out at all.
Here's hoping.

DaggerDoggie

  • Guest
Re: Hello from New Mexico
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2008, 10:26:30 PM »
Welcome to the website and welcome to cheesemaking.