Ah, cheese. We slice it, melt it, and grate it—but can we make it? Can we just whip up a batch or a wheel or a wedge at home?
The simple answer is “yes.” Homemade cheese is possible; however, the cheese making process involves a somewhat complex set of steps and some ingredients that are not likely stocked in most home kitchens. Some cheese making supplies, however, are common household items, including; a pot, colander, bowls, knife or whisk, measuring cups, and thermometer. The basic recipe for cheese includes just four ingredients but, in the process, be ready with a pinch of patience, a dash of determination, and a heaping scoop of adventure. Cheese making after all is a curious mix of art, science, and craft that involves some trial and error.
The following steps for how to make cheese at home is just a general description and not to be followed to the letter.
- Cheese is generally made with four ingredients; milk, starter culture, rennet, and salt. How the ingredients are brought together, handled, and aged results in the wide variety of cheeses people know [and love].
- Heating milk slowly is necessary to produce the desired temperature for lactic acid bacteria to thrive. Whole or 2% milk are usually best for cheese making.
- Either vinegar or citric acid, or lemon juice can be added to the milk to sour it. This process is used to make cheeses like cottage, ricotta and mascarpone. Adding cultures, or living bacteria, to the warmed milk is another way to break down lactose into lactic acid. The purpose of “acidifying” the milk is to force the milk to curdle and split, ultimately creating the curd.
- Enter the enzymes. The addition of rennet, an ingredient best to purchase from a cheese supplier, will cause the fluid milk to coagulate, turning milk from a liquid into a solid. Rennet is the enzyme that causes the milk proteins to link together. Again, temperature is important. The warm milk will activate the rennet and form a gel.
- Separating, shaping, salting, and aging are the final stages in the cheese making process- and, depending on the type of cheese you are making, these stages may vary. The gel can now be cut using a kitchen knife or whisk into smaller cubes or pieces to remove the whey. As whey is separated and curds are pressed, moisture is removed. Additional heat and kneading will release more of the liquid. Salt is added in the final steps for flavor and acts as a preservative. The cheese may be aged in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment or enjoyed right away. The duration of aging affects the flavor and texture.
Recipe for Homemade Cheese
When ready to try out your cheese making skills, check out our recipe for Homemade Ricotta Cheese, a good beginner cheese that requires less steps and very simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!
The art of cheesemaking is simply turning a white milk canvas into a mouthwatering masterpiece. Because milk is about 90% water, about 10 pounds (1.25 gallons) of milk is needed to make one pound of cheese. The cheesemaker orchestrates a series of chemical reactions [true to science] separating the water from milk, coagulating proteins, and concentrating proteins and fats. All cheese goes through the basic steps of coagulation, curding, shaping, salting, and aging; however, variations at each stage craft the wide variety of savory and delicious flavors and textures.
FAQs
The simple answer is “yes.” Homemade cheese is possible; however, the cheese making process involves a somewhat complex set of steps and some ingredients that are not likely stocked in most home kitchens.
Can I make my own cheese at home? ›
Making cheese at home is incredibly easy and requires only a few ingredients and no specialized equipment, just a sauce pan, colander, and some cheese cloth. Turns out, subtle variations on a pretty basic theme produce all kinds of wonderful homemade cheeses.
What ingredients go into making cheese? ›
To sum up, cheese is made with four basic cheese ingredients: milk, starter culture, coagulant, and salt. How these ingredients are combined determines how strong or mild the flavor will be.
Is it cheaper to make your own cheese? ›
Depending on the type of cheese you prefer, making your own cheese is less expensive than purchasing it from your local supermarket because you don't have to factor in the manufacturing, packaging, marketing, and freight costs.
What is the most difficult cheese to make? ›
While there is no one type of difficult cheese to make, the hardest cheeses to make are romano, gorgonzola, burrata, parmesan, provolone, etc. The reason being is because they require a longer aging period to ensure they reach their desired texture and require a specific type of culture.
Why is raw cheese illegal? ›
Unpasteurized milk, cheese and other dairy products may contain harmful pathogens and are not safe to eat, drink, or use in making foods. It is a violation of federal law enforced by the Food and Drug Administration to sell raw milk packaged for consumer use across state lines (interstate commerce).
What can legally be called cheese? ›
Well, it turns out that pasteurized cheese product is in fact more “product” than “cheese.” Legal cheese is made from heating milk, culturing it with enzymes and bacteria, separating out the curds and the whey and then salting and forming the curds into wheel or block.
What kind of milk do you use to make cheese? ›
Jess: Most cheeses, with a few specific exceptions, are made with whole milk. This can mean pasteurized milk from the grocery store, or raw milk fresh off the farm. The only milk that should not be used for cheesemaking is ULTRAPASTEURIZED milk.
What are the four 4 basic ingredients for cheese production? ›
The four key ingredients in cheese are milk, starter culture, rennet, and salt. Milk: This is the base ingredient for cheese. The type of milk you choose can greatly influence the final product. While cow's milk is the most commonly used, goat, sheep, and even buffalo milk are also used in various cheeses.
What are the basics of cheese making? ›
There are six important steps in cheesemaking: acidification, coagulation, separating curds and whey, salting, shaping, and ripening. While the recipes for all cheeses vary, these steps outline the basic process of turning milk into cheese and are also used to make cheese at home.
How long will the cheese last? For some cheese, especially hard cheeses, they can last more than a year, if you can keep from eating them. Fresh cheeses like Ricotta and Mozzarella can last a week or two in your refrigerator.
How much cheese will a gallon of milk make? ›
Cheese Yield From One Gallon
The yield of cheese from one gallon of milk is approximately one pound for the hard cheese and two pounds for the soft cheese. The amount of butterfat in the milk will affect this. Sheep milk for example, is 9% butterfat, so the yield will be much higher than Goat or Cow milk.
Is it worth making homemade cheese? ›
When you choose to start making your own cheese from home, you can yield more batches that will last you longer. For example, one block of cheese from the store can last 2-4 weeks versus homemade cheese can last you up to 6 weeks sometimes and up to 2-4 months if stored properly in the freezer.
What is the most disliked cheese in the world? ›
Casu martzu (Sardinian: [ˈkazu ˈmaɾtsu]; lit. 'rotten/putrid cheese'), sometimes spelled casu marzu, and also called casu modde, casu cundídu and casu fràzigu in Sardinian, is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live insect larvae (maggots).
What is the easiest type of cheese to make at home? ›
Feta is another excellent choice for the beginning cheesemaker. It incorporates all of the processes used in making 'hard cheeses', while taking less time to make and requiring less equipment.
Is it safe to make your own cheese? ›
Making dairy products like ice cream, yogurt, butter, and cheese at home can be fun and rewarding. Proper preparation and sanitation will make delicious dairy products that are safe for the whole family to enjoy.
Can milk turn into cheese on its own? ›
Milk doesn't turn into delicious cheese on its own. Another important ingredient in cheese is a coagulant, which helps the milk turn into curds. The coagulant may be a type of acid or, more commonly, rennet. Rennet is an enzyme complex that is genetically engineered through microbial bioprocessing.
Is homemade cheese any good? ›
Homemade cheeses will tend to be more nutritious and more flavorful than store-bought alternatives. Cheese companies may substitute skim or low-fat milk for cheeses that are best made with whole milk (which is just about them) to provide a less calorie-dense cheese.
