Hello to all the cheesers out there!
I'm new to cheese making, but I have already given it a try... evidence of which lays with pride and joy resting inside the veggie drawer of my fridge. I am fixing to wax it next week, but I couldn't help but give it a little pinch... so far so good. No mold, no crumbling, no bitter taste.
My first one was a Gouda, from a recipe I found online.
I didn't want to try the beginners citric acid or vinegar cheeses. I wanted to go all the way!
I'll sit around here on the cheese forum, picking up hints and cues from the more "advanced" members.
For what I've seen so far, it's a very useful and fun place to visit.
A)
Welcome Quesa! Yes this is a wonderful and pleasent place to join others in the quest for the perfect cheese. Great people here to help and answer questions as they arise.
Welcome Quesa in Florida!
You can days reading and learing form all the people here!
Welcome to the forum Quesa. The information on this forum is far more diverse and detailed than in the books. If we can only print and carry around...
I also never tried those vinegar and lemon cheeses. My first one was a Feta and second was halloumi. If I am going to waste 8 litres of good milk, it should be for a higher purpose but luckily everything turned out to be beautiful.
Happy Cheesemaking.
Thanks Debi, John, and Gurkan.
Cheese making had interested me in the past, but my problem in starting was finding raw milk in the area. The state prohibits the sale of raw milk for human consumption, and afraid of getting in trouble with the law retailers have stayed from selling it. Goat milk is another story, expensive and also hard to find.
Store bought milk can be used, I heard, by adding calcium chloride. But, I think that God intended the cheese process to happen al naturale, not al homogenated. But, I'm never saying "never."
I searched everywhere online, and in September someone from Florala advertised online about bringing raw milk (for pet consumption) to Valparaiso twice per month.
I don't know if this guy still goes to VP, but I tried to catch him a few times, but never found him.
In Pensacola there are no Whole Foods stores, the nearest is about six hours away and the local farmers markets don't carry the milk.
So I had just about given up. Then one day recently I happened to walk into a small food store in town, called "Ever Man", looking for honey... and found raw milk!
Boing! Time to get cheesy.
They also have the goat's milk, but one quart cost the same as a gallon of raw cow's milk... $5.99.
So, for anyone in my area looking for raw milk, they have it there in Ever Man's, on Garden street... don't remember the building number but it's a green and brown building on the right (if going East.)
Anyway, this is it for now. Sorry for the long blabby post. Just too excited.
:)
Quesa, congrats, I've never used raw milk, only store bought past & homogenized whole cow's milk. Also I don't believe US Whole Foods grocery chain carries raw milk, at least not here in Houston, Texas.
Some of the dairy people here can advise better, but my understanding is that unless you really really know the source of the raw milk, you should only use pasteurized milk especially if you are going to make fresh/young cheeses.
FYI in it's a few posts theads, but locations of Raw Milk in USA are in this thread (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1339.0.html).
I'm checking the link, thank you John.
When I was trying to find sources of raw milk online someone mentioned that Whole Foods may carry it. Then I found out that they MAY sell pasteurized un-homogenized. But, I still to find out if they do. :-\
I'm like you, it queezes my stomach just thinking of eating contaminated milk, so I plan on aging over 60 days, just in case. ;)
Also, be wary of "Organic Milk", because it's a slow seller, sometime it's Ultra Pasteurized to get longer shelf life, and as UP it's poorer for cheese making.
Good morning Quesa and welcome to the forum.
Thank you Tea.
I am exploring the site, and I have just noticed that I have one cheese and others have a lot of cheeses. I guess I'll have to earn any future cheeses.
:)
Hello Quesa. I live about 2 hours from you just north of Florala. Welcome to the forum.
Thanks FarmerJD.
I'm glad to have found this forum.
Happy Holidays!