Well, Merry Holidays. I was getting things ready to bring to my mom's house while on winter break from Culinary School and left without the stockpot full of cheesemaking goodies.
This means my lipase and rennet are sitting inside a stockpot in my kitchen. I will be gone 2 weeks. I did turn the heat down to 50, but the building tends to stay around 55 even if everything is off.
Is it going to be junk when I get back in 10 days? I had planned to order some stuff before I came back anyway, but now not sure if I need to reorder these too..
Most bumming part is that I had planned to make cheese for gifts while I was here. No can do now! Ugh.
Bummer!
I can't give you a definite answer on that, but would suggest that you do a small test batch of cheese to see if you get expected results from both the lipase and the rennet.
Let us know what comes of this.
Will not be ruined, strength will likely decrease somewhere around 10-20%. When you get back, try to use up ASAP.
...well, that depends how hot your kitchen gets. I think lipase is less sensitive than rennet.
What culinary school teaches you cheesemaking??? I love it!
Where in the country are you? If you are in my neck of the woods, I would love to give you some lipase and rennet; I have plenty. I am in NYC.
You can probably get some junkets at Whole Foods or something like that if you want to make chevre. I assume you are making Mozzarella? (the lipase, the lipase). Maybe the Dairy connection, Leener's or New England Cheesemaking Supplies can deliver overnight to you?
I am a student at Le Cordon Bleu in Boston, but I didn't learn cheesemaking there. I am self-teaching. They do eventually do it at some point down the line, but it is a hobby of mine. I am way up in Maine now for the holidays.
I will make a small batch of mozzarella when I get back to see how it works out and let you guys know. Since the cheese plans fell through I am going to make a nice meal for my near and dears tonight. Chianti braised short ribs, portobella mushroom risotto, asparagus, and a dessert of cream puffs.
Hmmm.... on my way to Boston right now for a meeting. your meal plan sounds great!
Let me know when you are ready for that sous vide monster I am building here :)
I'd try it out now. If you need a tester... :-) I am still in the foundation courses, but we do eventually get to the sous vide, foams, gels, etc. I am looking forward to it. Very cool stuff going on with food.
The dinner went off without a hitch. Had some fromage blanc I had made with some stilton and green onions. Everyone liked that as the app on a nice crusty bread.
If ever you are in Boston and have time for a nice (cheap) meal, you should try the school's restaurant Technique. They have a 3 course lunch for $10 and a 5 course dinner for $15. The service is slow, and the servers are students, so they are in school to be chefs, not servers, but the food is very good. It is completely student run. This is the associates degree student's last stop before going out on externship.
Oh nice!
I'm in a chatty mood so here's a long one for you;
Yes, I just got back from Boston 30 minutes ago and I am now putting cheese in brine before I go to bed (I am working on an experimental new original - a cross between Tellagio and Tomme de Savioe but with a natural spiciness to it - if you can imagine that). I haven't been to Boston for possibly 6 years now but this is my 2nd time in the past month for totally different reasons.
I do this sometimes here in New York when visiting the French Culinary Institute's restaurant (I have a friend who works at the institute). Where in Boston is Le Cordon Bleu?
Today I had the pleasure of having the worst Chinese food in my entire life - period. MSG in iwas used like salt. (Most people can't recognize the taste and texture of it but I definitely did...) The rice was mush and the chicken was some defrosted leg meat of the worst quality - you can just tell. Utter yuckness! I run to Au Bon Pain to wipe it off my palates with a Cafe Americano but the person by the espresso machine (or as she called it "expresso") had no clue what it was. Wow, that was a bad part of town (ahh, MIT campus in Cambridge, sat what?). Your advice sure would have been helpful if I knew it!!!
Luckily I had a Ritters Sports bar for the bus and at home I had my nice home made Choucroute Alsacienne (Even the Sauerkraut was pickled at home!). I am good again now :)
Glad to hear the dinner went so well. Everything sounds so delicious! Fromage Blanc is incredibly versatile. I grew up in Israel and everyone have buckets of that in their refrigirator. It's just the normal thing to put on your bread at breakfast. You can use it as a base for dip, have it with smoked fish (many people mix it with sardines from a can), have it cold on top of a hot omelet, put it on bread with vegetables or with jam. We even mix it in Israeli Salad to make a "white" version (so essentially it becomes the base for the dressing) in Passover, we spread it lovingly on buttered Matzoh. But mostly - I LOVE the cheesecakes that are based on it. Unlike the heavy Philadelphia cream cheese based cheesecake, Fromage Blanc cheesecakes are light, fluffy and the cheese is only 0% to 9% fat as opposed to 33% fat minimum in cream cheese. Have you tried making any at home? It's as easy as making Chevre or Yogurt.
Reminds me that when I was in Paris in April my hotel had a breakfast buffet of local Ile De France farmstead foods. Some American tourist from Kentucky kept filling up her yogurt bowl with granola and "that other yogurt". She caught that I was speaking English and kept telling me how wonderful the yogurt was. I told her it was Fromage Blanc and she kept arguing with me... Luckily my French wingmen came to the rescue. But seriously, I don't understand how it never became a staple food here in America. It has everything Americans would expect to have in food.
For cold foams I have been using Soy Lecithin. Been playing with Sodium Alginate and other crazy compounds to do spheres, mock caviar and reversed engineered olives... very cool but I don't overdo it. I like real food. Molecular gastronomy is fascinating and exciting to make and eat but let's face it - it's usually highly processed. By the way, I have been using the Calcum Chloride from the cheese to make some incredible pickles. It keeps it as crunchy as fresh forever. Amazing.
Quote from: iratherfly on December 22, 2010, 08:28:21 AM
But mostly - I LOVE the cheesecakes that are based on it. Unlike the heavy Philadelphia cream cheese based cheesecake, Fromage Blanc cheesecakes are light, fluffy and the cheese is only 0% to 9% fat as opposed to 33% fat minimum in cream cheese. Have you tried making any at home? It's as easy as making Chevre or Yogurt.
Iratherfly, I would like to make a cheesecake like that. Should I just follow a typical cheesecake recipe using my home made cheese, or do I need to make any changes?
Dave in CT
The typical cream cheese based cheesecake recipe relies on the high density of cream cheese so it wouldn't work well. The texture of Fromage blanc is somewhat thicker than regular yogurt and thinner than Greek style (strained) yogurt or Labaneh. Your cake would come out too runny. Let me dig up a couple of recipes and post them here. (By the way, you usually bake them and get a brown edge to the cheese part of the cake, not leave them totally ivory/white like a NY cheesecake)
Thanks! I'd like to make one for Christmas eve when I have folks coming over.
Dave in CT
Quote from: iratherfly on December 22, 2010, 08:28:21 AM
Oh nice!
I'm in a chatty mood so here's a long one for you;
A long one and a good one.:)
Quote from: iratherfly on December 22, 2010, 08:28:21 AM
Glad to hear the dinner went so well. Everything sounds so delicious! Fromage Blanc is incredibly versatile. I grew up in Israel and everyone have buckets of that in their refrigirator.
What is it called in Hebrew? I thought you were talking about Labne but then you mentioned later that it wasn't.
Quote from: iratherfly on December 22, 2010, 08:28:21 AM
We even mix it in Israeli Salad to make a "white" version (so essentially it becomes the base for the dressing) in Passover, we spread it lovingly on buttered Matzoh.
I actually stopped eating Soured milk products for Pesah (Passover) because now that I make cheese I know it is Hametz. :) Not to worry though my Grandma had so many Passover recipes that I can never try as many as I want in the mere 7 days that the holiday lasts. :)
Quote from: iratherfly on December 22, 2010, 08:28:21 AM
But mostly - I LOVE the cheesecakes that are based on it. Unlike the heavy Philadelphia cream cheese based cheesecake, Fromage Blanc cheesecakes are light, fluffy and the cheese is only 0% to 9% fat as opposed to 33% fat minimum in cream cheese.
Could not agree more. I love and make my cheese cake with everything but Cream Cheese. :) I've used Ricotta, Tvorog, Farmer's Cheese, but not Fromage Blanc yet. Have never made Fromage Blanc. I think I know what I'm going to do with my next batch of milk. :)
Quote from: iratherfly on December 22, 2010, 08:28:21 AMFor cold foams I have been using Soy Lecithin. Been playing with Sodium Alginate and other crazy compounds to do spheres, mock caviar and reversed engineered olives... very cool but I don't overdo it. I like real food. Molecular gastronomy is fascinating and exciting to make and eat but let's face it - it's usually highly processed. By the way, I have been using the Calcum Chloride from the cheese to make some incredible pickles. It keeps it as crunchy as fresh forever. Amazing.
Hmmm we need a peek into your book collection on these techniques. :) Or are you going off the net info?
Technique is on the first floor of the Athenauem building. 215 First st, Cambridge, MA. The rest of the school is on the 3rd and 4th floors of the same building. The restaurant is only open for lunch and dinner M-F. But it is always an option for an inexpensive quality meal! The only thing I have had there I wouldn't get again is the duck confit pizza. They change the toppings seasonally and went with a cheddar this fall that just had no flavor. It was edible, but didn't sing to me.
I keep fromage blanc in a bucket in the fridge and use it just like you speak of. I find it incredibly versatile and so yummy. I had been using the DS culture from New England Cheesemaking Supply, but this last time made http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/homemade-fromage-blanc-recipe/index.html (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/homemade-fromage-blanc-recipe/index.html) this recipe. I liked it better than the DS culture. The instructions are similar to whole milk ricotta, but the end result is different. I made both so I could compare them..
I'd love your cheesecake recipes if you can find them!
Emeril's recipe seems more like the Slavic versions of fromage blanc, which is tvorog. Except tvorog usually has less fat.
QuoteWhat is it called in Hebrew? I thought you were talking about Labne but then you mentioned later that it wasn't.
Labaneh is nothing more than a yogurt that has been strained and soured a bit further. Fromage Blank in Hebrew is called Gvina Levana (which is a literal translation of Fromage Blanc from French to Hebrew - or in English "white cheese")
Here is what the 2 leading brands look like:
(http://www.tara.co.il/images/upload/products/1399825062009175158_fileUploaded.jpg) (http://www.macolet.net/images/ItemPics/104_large.jpg)
QuoteI actually stopped eating Soured milk products for Pesah (Passover) because now that I make cheese I know it is Hametz.
Actually no, cheese isn't Hametz! Hametz ("soured") doesn't refer to fermented or acidified products and on Passover you would see that pickles, cheese, vinegar etc. are all Passover-kosher. The soured concept comes from the biblical reference of the Israelites having to escape Egypt and in need of bread for the long journey but not having enough time to let the dough sour, -which makes it rise (AKA sourdough). That was before the days of store bought Active Dry Yeast; bread was made by fermenting dough over time). This is why in passover you eat Matzoh - an unlevened bread. Cheese is sold in all Kosher supermarket in Israel during passover. Fromage Blanc on Matzoh is the first thing I eat after getting a package of matzoh home every year.
QuoteHmmm we need a peek into your book collection on these techniques. :) Or are you going off the net info?
Books, internet, chefs and culinary professional friends. Mostly though; good old common sense and lots of practical real life experiments. You can send me a personal message any time to discuss!
Quote from: iratherfly on December 28, 2010, 07:36:55 AM
Fromage Blank in Hebrew is called Gvina Levana
Thank you for that. I'll be sure to give those a try next time I go. I find milk products taste really good in Israel.
Quote from: iratherfly on December 28, 2010, 07:36:55 AM
Actually no, cheese isn't Hametz! Hametz ("soured") doesn't refer to fermented or acidified products
Well here's what got me going in the opposite direction. The process of acidification is the very same as the process of souring. No? And the process of fermentation includes the process of acidification. Isn't the name for vinegar in Hebrew Hometz?
Quote from: iratherfly on December 28, 2010, 07:36:55 AM
and on Passover you would see that pickles, cheese, vinegar etc. are all Passover-kosher. .......
Cheese is sold in all Kosher supermarket in Israel during passover.
Yes of course, I'm intimately aware of this as someone who keeps a Kosher kitchen. :) However, Kosher certification is based on Rabbinical decrees, some of which are dated and may not be scientifically based. Granted I too may be misunderstanding the scientific aspects of souring and acidifying.
Quote from: iratherfly on December 28, 2010, 07:36:55 AM
The soured concept comes from the biblical reference of the Israelites having to escape Egypt and in need of bread for the long journey but not having enough time to let the dough sour, -which makes it rise (AKA sourdough).
Well Technically speaking it is the Natural Yeast that makes the dough rise. :) I believe Candida milleri is the natural yeast strain. It is the Lactobacillus that makes the sourdough sour.:) Although you probably already know all this.
Quote from: iratherfly on December 28, 2010, 07:36:55 AM
That was before the days of store bought Active Dry Yeast; bread was made by fermenting dough over time).
What do you mean was. :) I've been baking with my sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast for years. Even raised it myself. Not only does it produce a tastier bread, but it is actually healthier and makes the dough that is quite superior, more resilient and easier to handle to commercial yeast. Sorry I think the Baker side of me is breaking out. :)
Quote from: iratherfly on December 28, 2010, 07:36:55 AM
Fromage Blanc on Matzoh is the first thing I eat after getting a package of matzoh home every year.
Yum, that sounds great. Since I often bake Matza for Shabbat I'm going to have to try that.
John if my ramblings are hopelessly Off Topic let me know and I'll convert this post into a PM.
Rudy,
Just to make it clear about "hametz cheese", it isn't due to the fermentation or acidification, but due to the cows feed containing ingredients complying with Yoav's story. Therefore, about a couple of month before Passover, the cows' food in Israel is addapted to be Kosher for Passover.
Ah, KosherBaker, you kill me! sorry for taking so long to respond. Was sick and then behind on work for being sick.
The Hebrew verbal rout H-M-TZ (חמצ) is the word "sour". That could be anything from calling the taste of lemon CHAMUTZ (sour) to saying vinegar (literally "sour-er") to CHAMETZ (literally "which can become sour") etc. It doesn't revolve around a single topic, food or ingredient.
I too actually bake more bread than I make cheese. I don't like the sour taste and would love to grow my own yeast but for now I do a lot of those 18 hour no-knead recipes that use no more than a pinch of yeast to start it up. I posted some of them on other threads here. Never made my own bread yeast though! Show me how! I want to make pizza dough this way. Recently I have been using my cheese whey as the liquid in the bread and with all that butterfat and cheese yeast in it - the breads come out phenomenal!!! (not to mention the minerals and vitamins, like riboflavin and Calcium).
GOOD NEWS EVERYONE - I found the Fromage Blanc cake recipes! I will translate and post them here shortly. One is baked type and the other is unbaked cake. Alex, I am sure our dear wife has some cheesecake recipe that uses Fromage Blanc too.
By the way, looking into it, it seems to me that Quark is the German version of that very same cheese.
Quote from: iratherfly on January 08, 2011, 10:39:59 AM
Ah, KosherBaker, you kill me!
Sorry. :) >:D I was afraid I may be opening up the proverbial can of worms, but for some reason went ahead and did it.
Quote from: iratherfly on January 08, 2011, 10:39:59 AM
sorry for taking so long to respond. Was sick and then behind on work for being sick.
Tih'e Bari. Hope you're feeling better.
Quote from: iratherfly on January 08, 2011, 10:39:59 AM
Never made my own bread yeast though! Show me how!
I would love to. For you it will be so easy you will laugh when you are done. Should I do it over PM or post it to a forum like "The Lounge" or "Other Artisan Crafts" or ..?
Quote from: iratherfly on January 08, 2011, 10:39:59 AM
I want to make pizza dough this way.
It makes an amazing pizza dough. Very resilient and wonderful tasting.
Quote from: iratherfly on January 08, 2011, 10:39:59 AM
Recently I have been using my cheese whey as the liquid in the bread and with all that butterfat and cheese yeast in it - the breads come out phenomenal!!! (not to mention the minerals and vitamins, like riboflavin and Calcium).
Agree 100%. The only thing is that it shortens the dough a little bit, so as long as that's OK, then this is a great way to go. Also, the acid in the whey acts as a dough conditioner.
Yes! Please post in the 'Lounge' or 'Other Artisan Crafts' and share with everyone.
The pizza inspiration - there used to be a guy here in the East Village that made his own naturally risen dough for his Pizzeria. It was one of the best in the city (brick coal oven, amazing, super high quality cheese and San Marzano tomato sauce). He was well loved by food critiques but was nicknamed "the Pizza Nazi" by the locals. Lots of temper and every day if the dough ended he just closed shop, no matter what time of the day it was or if someone was waiting for their pizza... It was an 18 hour dough so he couldn't make more in the middle of the day. At last he decided to move to the west coast last year. Haha, I don't think any non New Yorker can take this attitude...
I did not know the whey makes my loaf shorter and didn't see such difference - care you explain? It's full of sugar, proteins, butterfat and other goodies, I would think it feeds the yeast quite a feast. My breads are mostly no-knead type that are so hydrated and fermented for so long - you are actually baking a pre-ferment.
Yes, please include all of us in your directions for making your own yeast! And thank you!
Okay, as promised, here are two easy basic recipes (out of many!) for Fromage Blanc cheesecakes. The first is no-baking and the second is no-dough. Easy easy easy.
No-Bake, Easy Fromage Blank Summer Cake
Ingrediants:
750g Fromage Blanc or Quark cheese
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 package instant vanilla pudding
1 package (400g) Petit Buerre (simple French biscuits. You can also use lady fingers, ginger snaps etc)
Instructions:
Put all ingredients except the biscuits in a mixing bowl. Combine with a mixer for a few minutes until you get one stable creamy mixture.
Arrange a bottom layer of the biscuits in a cake pan. Pour half the mixture on top of It and flatten evenly with a spatula. Arrange another layer of biscuits and pour the remaining mixture on it. You can now garnish with brittled chocolate or even put a layer of strawberries or some other berry or fruit sauce or confiture to your liking. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or until firmer. eat!
Easy Basic No-Dough Fromage Blanc Cheesecake
Ingrediants:
750 g of Fromage Blanc or Quark cheese (use 9% full fat if you can find it)
7 eggs, separated
½ cup sugar
1 package instant vanilla pudding
2 tablespoons corn starch
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipping cream and sugar for topping + any topping or garnish you want
Instructions:
Whip the egg whites with ½ cup sugar to a firm foam
Mix the yolks, Fromage Blanc, cornstarch, vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of the instant vanilla pudding to an even mix. (I like to also add some lemon zest here, it really offsets the sweetness and makes it feel lighter)
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter. Don't over mix; it needs to be fluffy.
Butter or oil a 10" round spring form and transfer the cake into it
Place ban in another shallow pan with water. Bake at 275F for 75 to 90 min. Cool
Use the remaining instant pudding from the package with heavy whipping cream (and sugar to your liking) to make a whipped cream cake icing. Spread it on the cake. Serve.
I have several other ones if you want them!
Quote from: MrsKK on January 09, 2011, 02:57:06 PM
Yes, please include all of us in your directions for making your own yeast! And thank you!
Quote from: iratherfly on January 09, 2011, 05:58:42 AM
Yes! Please post in the 'Lounge' or 'Other Artisan Crafts' and share with everyone.
OK. This will be fun. :) Unless John corrects me and points me to a more appropriate forum I'm going to put it into the "Other Artisan Crafts" forum as it has Bread listed as one of the subtopics.
Quote from: iratherfly on January 09, 2011, 05:58:42 AM
The pizza inspiration - there used to be a guy here in the East Village that made his own naturally risen dough for his Pizzeria. It was one of the best in the city (brick coal oven, amazing, super high quality cheese and San Marzano tomato sauce). He was well loved by food critiques but was nicknamed "the Pizza Nazi" by the locals. Lots of temper and every day if the dough ended he just closed shop, no matter what time of the day it was or if someone was waiting for their pizza... It was an 18 hour dough so he couldn't make more in the middle of the day. At last he decided to move to the west coast last year. Haha, I don't think any non New Yorker can take this attitude...
Ahhh the dilusions of grandeur. What a shame. :( I'm sad for him and his customers. Yeah here in Los Angeles this would not fly for even a day. No matter what he is serving.
Quote from: iratherfly on January 09, 2011, 05:58:42 AM
I did not know the whey makes my loaf shorter .......
Doh! I'm so sorry. Me and my baking lingo. When a baker says that something shortens the dough it means that something is added to the dough that makes the Gluten strands "Shorter". This is actually how "Shortening" got its name. :) The fat molecules coat the ends of Gluten strands and prevent them from bonding together into longer strands. Longer strands make the dough firmer and give it a greater lift in the oven, as well as give the product a firm chewy mouth feel, so it is good for breads. Shorter Gluten strands are good for cakes as you don't want a chewy cake, this is why cakes usually have some form of fat added to them because fats always act as a shortening. This is what I meant about the whey. That it too acts as a shortening on your dough so you just need to be aware of that and its effect on your bread. I think I'll go ahead and discuss the rest of this in the other thread once it is created. As I feel guilty for taking the thread off topic. :)
Rudy, too often these threads turn into a different subject after a page or two. don't worry about it. Also don't worry about where you post. If you are way off category john will move it but generally you will be ok.
As for shortening the bread - I don't think there is *that* much butterfat in it to really make a difference. I think there is more fat in the bowl I coat in oil to rise the dough. Is there a whey component that shortens it more than fat?
did you see the Fromage Blanc cake recipes I posted for you above?
Quote from: iratherfly on January 10, 2011, 06:19:06 AM
Is there a whey component that shortens it more than fat?
Yes there appears to be, however if you were to ask me what it is I couldn't tell you. :) Unfortunately there's real dearth of books on baking science even though it is a very deserving topic. Being one of the oldest fermentation disciplines in the world. :) I saw Shirley Corriher release Bakewise however, I haven't purchased it yet so don't know what's in it. Aside from that there's one other book being self published by the author. So most of my findings are observations from my experiments and tinkerings in the kitchen. :) I once tried to make a pasta from tomato sauce, basically blended up canned tomatoes. :) That also shortened the tough significantly to the point that it was difficult to roll out. Baking Soda is another ingredient that shortens the dough. Yeast on the other hand appears to have an opposite effect and actually assist the gluten development, as does the acid whether from Lemon or from Whey or ...
If I have time I'll try to put together a separate post on whatever little I know about the dough/bread chemistry. But at the moment I'm working hard on the sourdough post. :) I'm half way done. :)
Quote from: iratherfly on January 10, 2011, 06:19:06 AM
did you see the Fromage Blanc cake recipes I posted for you above?
Yup, for me and mainelycheese. Looking forward to trying those. Thanks.
Awesome; can't wait. Just baked 8 fresh pitas for breakfast. Looks like we are stranded in snow tomorrow anyway. Good night!
I finally got around to trying to make cheese with the lipase and rennet that was left out at room temp for 2 weeks, then returned to the fridge. Total failure on a 30 minute mozz. I ended up with very soft, very small, unstretchable curds.
Luckily I have fresh lipase and some stupid rennet tablets to get me by till I can get another order in.
Iratherfly, the Sous vide hack you posted looks awesome!
Thank you mainelycheese!
By the way, assuming this was liquid rennet and lipase powder, I assume your bad curd was the rennet. Lipase would just become weaker but lack of it won't affect your curd. Could also be the milk if it's not the same milk you used on your previous successes. Don't know when was the last time you made Mozz, but it's very pH dependent and milk pH changes during the season so your acidity might have been slightly off. Always use non-homogenized milk for Mozz for the best results. If it's pasteurized, always add some CalCl2 to get that firm curd.
don't toss our your rennet based on trying the 30 minute mozz, which is notorious for bad makes, mostly based on the type of milk used.
Give it another go with another small batch of cheese of another variety before you give up on it.
You can also test the rennet strength in a small batch of milk to see if it coagulates.
I did toss the rennet right away and then found out it was most likely NOT the culprit. I had been making cheese in Maine with raw milk, but had occasionally used store bought and it was OK. Well, not so much here. I had a couple of failed batches of Mozz here and also some really iffy fromage blanc...
Of course, the only farm I can find selling raw milk is on the other side of the city... so like 1.5 hour trip for me. :(
I will make the trek, but it will likely be a month or so before I can.
I think a good quality milk that is not homogenized and gently pasteurized will give you what you want. I get mine at Whole Foods (It's also organic, local and grass-fed which makes it even better; it's almost too good for Mozz ^-^ )
You don't have to go Raw. Just make sure the milk pasteurization wasn't HTST or UHT which is just too violent for the milk, it modifies the protein shape and kills everything in it, including coagulation related enzymes. If the package doesn't say anything, a good way to tell is to look at the expiration date. Milk from a store with decent product turnover will be quite fresh so the expiration date is usually 10-20 days away. If it's 25 or 35 days than this is obviously an overly pasteurized product. Surprisingly many of the national organic brands do that, in spite of their premium prices (Organic Valley, Horizon).
Also, use CalCl2 whenever dealing with milk that has been pasteurized. It will make up for the calcium loss of the pasteurization and give you back that firm curd you are looking for.