Much of this weekend has been dedicated to making cheese (caws in Welsh): a hard cheddar-style, a soft curd and ricotta.
Curd cheese is easy – simply warm the milk, add the culture, leave it in a warm place for about 12 hours and then drain it through muslin until it reaches the required consistency (24 hours, perhaps), cutting and mixing from time to time to release the whey. After that it just needs a little salt and it’s ready to eat. Mine is currently still draining, but we will be able to taste it tomorrow.
If you want to have a go at making cheese, then curd cheese is an ideal starting point – you don’t need any special equipment – just a big saucepan, a square of cloth and a broom handle to hang it on! I buy my cheese cultures from Moorlands Cheesemaking Ltd.
Hard cheese is much more involved and, because it needs to mature, you don’t know how successful it has been for several months. To warm milk, you add a microbial culture and then rennet. The curds have to be cut and gently heated to draw the moisture out, before several repetitions of draining and cutting. Finally the dry curds are salted before going into a mould and being put into the cheese press. The pressure is gradually increased, and pressing continues for a total of about 48 hours. After a short period for the surface to dry once the cheese it out of the press and removed from the mould, I wax my cheese, although you can wrap it in cloth to mature. Waxing it saves having to wash the surface periodically, and means you don’t have to be quite so careful about the humidity of the place that it’s stored.
As a result of making both types of cheese, you are left with lots of whey, but it needn’t go to waste. Heating the whey to just below boiling makes more protein appear, and this can be strained off – this is how ricotta is made:
Then there’s quite a lot of liquid whey stillleft. This can be frozen for later use in cooking – it makes lovely waffles and pancakes and you can use it instead of stock in soups. I also mix it with oats for the chickens (they love it) and apparently you can wash your hair with it (I’ve never tried, as I’d rather eat it).
I really love the apparent magic of making cheese and I do encourage you to have a go if you are interested and can get hold of non-homogenised milk… even more so if you can buy milk direct from the farm like I can. And it you are in Ceredigion, they’d be delighted to see you at Penlan y Môr… do mention that I sent you!
The Snail of Happiness 
Ann Owen
/ October 9, 2016In Belgium I used to buy washing up liquid that claimed it was made mostly of whey!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 9, 2016I wonder how they made it exactly
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wscottling
/ October 9, 2016I’ve made yogurt and ricotta before but never tried hard cheese. I had so much whey left that I had no idea what to do with… I had no chicken to give mash too, and one can only make so many pancakes… I ended up throwing most of the whey out.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 9, 2016We have friends who keep pigs, so if we ever get too much, it can go to them… so far, I’ve managed to make use of all of it.
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katechiconi
/ October 9, 2016Do you pre-treat the milk with lactase for the curd cheese, or do you find the culture takes care of enough of the lactose that it doesn’t affect you?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 9, 2016I didn’t pre-treat. I’ve never used this particular culture before, so it’s a bit of an experiment. I always treat the whey with lactase though.
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MrsCraft
/ October 9, 2016This looks really interesting. We went to the Wensleydale cheese factory a couple of weeks ago but they they weren’t making cheese that day so we didn’t get to see the process, other than looking around the museum to see how it was traditionally made. I hope the hard cheese turns out well. 😊
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 10, 2016I’d like to visit a working cheese factory… what a shame you didn’t get to see Wensleydale actually being made.
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MrsCraft
/ October 11, 2016I know, it was a bit gutting. More time for cheese tasting though!
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Born To Organize
/ October 10, 2016Wow! You make cheese. I am so impressed.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 10, 2016I am quite convinced that I can do almost any country skill that I set my mind to – except basket making – I may be deluded, but I’m happy.
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Born To Organize
/ October 10, 2016I’m sure you can too. I don’t think you’re one bit deluded. I’m happy that your happy and I love your confidence.
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anne54
/ October 10, 2016I continue to be overawed by all the things you do, Ms Snail! I hope your cheese is tasty.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 10, 2016It honestly isn’t difficult – you just have to be careful and keep your hands and utensils clean. Other than that, you do need patience!
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Nice piece of work
/ October 10, 2016you make it sound so easy – heh! Certainly looks great 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 10, 2016really, it’s just time-consuming…. but fun.
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davidprosser
/ October 10, 2016I can see Jon’s going to love this batch.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 10, 2016I just have to persuade him to leave it alone for a few months!
xxx hugs xxx
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