Making Cheese, Butter & Yogurt

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Nancy W. Ringer and Carey L. Boucher
Cover design by Carol J. Jessop (Black Trout Design)
Illustrations by Elayne Sears
Text production by Jennifer Jepson Smith

© 2003 by Ricki Carroll

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Printed in the United States by Excelsior

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Carroll, Ricki.

Making cheese, butter, & yogurt / by Ricki Carroll.
      p. cm. — (A Storey country wisdom bulletin; A-283)
ISBN 978-1-58017-879-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Cheese. 2. Cheese—Varieties. 3. Butter. 4. Yogurt. I. Title.
II. Series.

SF271.C39 2003
637—dc21

2003012691

CONTENTS

The Ingredients

The Equipment

Cleaning and Caring for Your Equipment

The Basic Techniques

Recipes for Soft Cheeses

Queso Blanco

Fromage Blanc

Whole-Milk Ricotta

Feta

Recipes for Hard Cheeses

Traditional Cheddar

Gouda

Monterey Jack

Recipes for Italian Cheeses

30-Minute Mozzarella

Parmesan

Recipes for Other Dairy Products

Sour Cream

Butter

Yogurt

Resources

CHEESE is one of the earliest foods made that is still consumed by people. It dates back to at least 9000 B.C.E. Cheese making was important to the ancient Greeks, whose deity Aristaios was considered the giver of cheese. Homer sang of cheese in the Odyssey. And Greek Olympic athletes trained on a diet consisting mostly of cheese. Both yogurt and butter date back to at least 2000 B.C.E. and were historically regarded as “foods of the gods.”

The arts of making cheese, butter, and yogurt have been refined, but not substantially changed, over the centuries. The recipes in this bulletin help keep alive the pleasures of these processes, encouraging a holistic approach and a connection with the environment. Remember, cleanliness is of the utmost importance when dealing with milk, so follow these instructions carefully. Start with the soft cheeses (pages 21–23) and 30-Minute Mozzarella (page 28) and advance to the rest later — they will take more time and patience. Most of all, have fun.

The Ingredients

Most cheese-making ingredients can be purchased from cheese-making supply houses. You can buy milk, of course, at the grocery store. In the right hands, these ingredients can be turned into gastronomic delights.

Milk

Milk is a complicated substance. About seven-eighths of it is water. The rest is made up of proteins, minerals, milk sugar (lactose), milk fat (butterfat), vitamins, and trace elements. Collectively, these components are called milk solids. When we make cheese, we cause the protein part of the milk solids, called casein, to coagulate (curdle) and produce curd. At first, the curd is a soft, solid gel, because it contains all the water along with the solids. But as it is heated, and as time passes, the curd releases liquid (whey), condensing more and more until it becomes cheese. Most of the milk fat remains in the curd. Time, temperature, and a variety of friendly bacteria determine the flavor and texture of each type of cheese.

When making the cheeses in this bulletin, you can use whatever milk is available in your area. Store-bought milk will work fine, and you can even use dried milk powder for making any of the soft cheeses, as well as butter and yogurt. But no matter what type of milk you use, it must be of the highest quality. Always use the freshest milk possible. If it comes from the supermarket, do not open the container until you are ready to start making cheese.