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Newbie from Texas! Hi!

Started by swt1899, February 05, 2011, 10:57:54 PM

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swt1899

Hello,
I'm from Texas.  My husband and I have been steadily moving towards a more self reliant way of life.  I make my own laundry and dishwashing soaps and house hold cleaners.  I also make my own breads, pastas, stews, jams, etc.  I also pressure can food for later use.  We are blessed that we get our meats and eggs from a family farm that was just started two years ago. 
Now I am venturing into a new project, cheese making.  I purchased a great book that has many great recipes and is easy to follow, but I am having trouble finding cheesemaking materials in my area.  I live near Houston and it is a bit modern for this project.  Everyone buys their food... hardly anyone makes anything anymore. 
If anyone out there is from the Houston area and has been able to find a place that sells rennet, starter, cheese wax and the other goodies, please let me know.  I was hoping not to have to go online to buy it... and pay shipping.   
Thanks so much!  I'm super excited to begin my cheesemaking.


Cheese Head

#1
Hi and welcome, nice Avatar picture, love bluebells! We are in Katy on west side of Houston.

Sadly for you and me I haven't found any supply store in Houston, I did find a bottle of rennet in the second Whole Foods store i went to in surprisingly the cheese section, I'd phone before you go.

That said online store are cheaper than physical stores, even with the shipping, our global listing of them is here, reviews of them in the Supply Store Reviews Board.

There's also a Wiki: Recommendations For New Cheese Makers article that should be of some use, you can make several fresh cheeses without rennet and several with it before you need to gets lots of other stuff. Also, you may want to read some of the threads on waxing, many find oiling or vacuum sealing pressed cheeses easier for aging.

(Updated to correct link)

swt1899

Thanks so much for your reply.  I will definitely check out the online stores.  We've gone to a one income family since having my son and I've learned how to make so many things.  We are saving a lot of money and it's healthier for us. I also know what's in it. 
Thanks again!  :-)

Cheese Head

Welcome, congrats on your son, we have one daughter left last fall for college and second next year so different stage of life.

FYI, milk, some store bought cultured buttermillk for your starter culture and a little rennet and you can make Ligt Cream Cheese, also called Neufchatel here in US.

Hear you on ingredients, see recent discussion on a manufactured yogurt ingredient called Natural Flavor.

swt1899

My son is actually 2... and he is a cheese lover.  Any kind.  He is also crazy about cooking food.  Loves to pull up a chair and stand in it while I cook.  Love Neufchatel cheese.  Great advice.  I think I'll start with the soft cheeses beacause they are easy starter cheeses... or so I've read. 
Thanks!

wharris

Welcome to the forum.
I'm not from Houston, (I'm from Cleveland Oh) but had the distinct pleasure of spending most of 2010 working in Houston Tx.  I was in the Galleria area.

You have some really good wine and cheese stores down there in Houston.
I thought the Central Market on Westheimer has a very nice cheese section.


swt1899

Central Market and Whole foods always have great cheese selections.  Spec's, which is a liquor store has one branch on the southside of town that has a giant cheese section.  My mother in law goes there often.  She's a cheese lover as well as a wine expert... I am spoiled!
We have wine bars where I live that make their own cheeses and they pair them with wines.  I am a frequent flyer there. lol.  The best one was a sheeps milk cheese that was coated with ground espresso.  They called it "slightly buzzed."