A couple cheese questions

[PotterWatch]

I made my first hard cheese today (monterey jack), and I'm hoping it will turn out decently. I want to make some mozzarella tomorrow but I am trying to figure out where to get citric acid as the recipe I am hoping to use calls for some.. Anyone have ideas on places I might be able to find it that aren't online? Also, the kit I bought came with calcium chloride but none of the recipes it came with ever mention using it. Can someone tell me what it is used for? Thanks!

 

[freemotion]

The calcium chloride is for use with ultra-pasteurized milk. The calcium molecules are so damaged that it won't make cheese....or strong bones. So you need to add calcium. I find this to be quite a frightening thought! The book I'm currently working with has calcium chloride in every single recipe, assuming that all the readers are using store-bought milk. So add it if you are, leave it out if you aren't.

As for citric acid, I haven't found a place to buy it other than online. You can call your local health food stores, pharmacy, and maybe even a beer and winemaking supply store, as they sometimes have a few cheesemaking items. Call, don't drive, as they probably won't have it.

The citric acid is to raise the acidity of the milk. Cheese was made for millenia without it, but usually the milk was soured by leaving it at room temp for a period of time. My mother would leave the milk in five gallon pails for DAYS before it was clabbered. But this is not an option with pasteurized milk, as the good bacteria that makes this practice safe has been destroyed by the heating of the milk. So the bad bacteria can proliferate, making this practice risky.

You might be able to get away without it by culturing it a bit longer, but how long....I don't know. You could test the pH with test strips, but again, I haven't explored this (yet! It is on my list, being a farm nerd!) so I can't guide you.

Either way, YAY!! on your first cheese! Do you have a goat or cow? Or are you learning in preparation for a future dairy critter?

 

[PotterWatch]

That was very helpful, thank you! I'm very glad I don't have to rely on store-bought milk! We had goats for a while and I loved getting that milk though I never attempted cheese. Right now I milk a cow twice a week at a local farm so I have plenty of fresh milk. I'll try calling about the citric acid today, maybe I'll get lucky!

 

[Javamama]

Potter- I got a bottle of citric acid last year in the canning supply section of the grocery. It is Mrs. Wages brand and was only a couple bucks.