CreativeTwinsZoo's journal of self sufficancy

[Myhouseisazoo2]

I'm honestly slightly intimidated by cheese.making. can I use store bought milk (there's no place close by that I can buy raw milk from)

 

[Denim Deb]

We can't buy raw milk here. Wish we could.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/choosing-milk-cheese-making-raw-pasteurized

You can use pasteurized milk... I'm going to have to check out the recipe that Britesea used. But, Chevre is incredibly easy to make. I use the instructions on Fiasco Farm's website. You need to get a few supplies, but they are reasonable and last 4-EVER. Seriously the easiest thing in the world to do.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I made a very respectable grating cheese just using the recipe for hard cheese on a packet of Junket Rennet. It was amazingly easy. The hardest part is figuring out how you're going to press the cheese. Mine is a year old in the fridge and still fine. It has a very sharp flavor so I just need a small amount to add tons of flavour.

That is the beauty of a good flavored sharp cheese. It really helps with the weightloss program to be able to use less of a really good cheese to get the same or more flavor. That non-fat diet cheese they sell in the store is just like plastic to me, yuck!

 

[creativetwinszoo]

I love cheese, but I too am slightly intimidated by the thought of making it.
Plus I'm not entirely sure how to store it either °^°

 

[Britesea]

You can even make cheese from dried milk powder! I have to say I've never done it, but it's nice to know it's that forgiving.
Here is a VERY easy cheese for a beginner-
Mild-flavored Paneer is typically added to highly seasoned Indian dishes, but it can shine in a multitude of recipes. It does not melt when heated. Don’t use colored vinegar unless you want colored cheese. Yield: about 1 3⁄4 pounds.

Ingredients:

1 gallon milk (cow’s milk is traditional)
1/4 to 1/2 cup lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat milk. In a heavy-bottom, nonreactive pot, heat the milk over medium-low to 195 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir continuously to prevent scorching. (If you don’t have a thermometer, heat until it foams but before it boils.) Remove from heat and stir to cool for a couple of minutes (to about 190 degrees).

2. Acidify milk. Milk separates into curds and whey when it is acidified. The warmer the milk, the less acidic it will need to be to separate. When the milk has reached the proper temperature, remove the milk from the heat and add the lemon juice or vinegar. Stir the acid into the milk a little at a time, pausing after each addition to check for curd separation. When the curds pull away from the side of the pot and the whey around them is mostly clear, you’ve added enough acid. When curds have separated, leave the pot alone for 10 to 20 minutes.

3. Drain curds. Line a colander with damp cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl or in the sink. Ladle curds into the cloaked colander to drain for 30 minutes. After draining 30 minutes, sprinkle salt over curds and stir. (Note: If you refrigerate the cheese at this point, you’ll have queso blanco — break out the taco shells!)

4. Press cheese. Pull the cheesecloth ends together at the top, then twist and squeeze the cheese into a disk. Lay the flattened disk down and re-dress the cheese by layering the four corners of the cloth smoothly on top of the disk. (Keep the cheese completely encased in cloth.) Place the wrapped cheese on an upside-down plate that’s atop a rimmed baking sheet (to catch the whey). Cover the cheese with another upside-down plate. Set something heavy, such as a cast-iron pan, on top of the top plate to press the cheese.

After an hour, check to see whether whey still runs out when you push the cheese with your fingertips. If so, press it longer. If not, get out your cheese knife!

5. Store cheese. Cover and refrigerate for up to a week. The pressed cheese may also be frozen for up to 3 months.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Thanks for the encouragement to make cheese. about how much cheese do you get from a gallon of milk?

 

[creativetwinszoo]

Hmmm that sounds really yummy!! And easy!! I can't wait for payday- I want to try it super bad!!!
Thanks for the recipe a Britesea!

 

[Britesea]

You're welcome, @creativetwinszoo !
@wyoDreamer I usually get between a pint and a quart of soft cheese per gallon. My hard cheese made a little wheel about 4" diameter and 1 1/2" tall. Plus you get all the whey if you catch it in a bowl instead of letting it go down the drain. You can use it to make ricotta (but it takes several gallons), or jumpstart fermented foods like sauerkraut, or make fermented feeds for your animals, or even just give the straight whey to some animals- I know pigs love it.

 

[creativetwinszoo]

So today I tried attempt two on lip gloss and so far, I'm certain I've found one I'm pleased with

Here's a pic of batch 2 :3

The first one came out waaaaaaay to solid and waxy. The recipe I used had way to much wax in it, so I dumped 'em all back into the pan remelted it and put em in two little drinking glasses that were donated by a friend (they were just gonna donate the whole box elsewhere anyways)

Here's a pic of one of them, couldn't find whicks anywhere so I used a cut up oil lamp wick, seems to be doing the job excellent so far.
I also found my candle making pot! It was full of old candle wax from the end product of a bunch of little store bought candles from forevers ago so I decided to empty it out to make room for homemade candles again

Here's a pic of those, more oil whick cut down to shape before I make candles again I'm gonna test put a few ideas I found for making wicks at home.

Also Wednesday the Twinnie and I should be refinancing! so happy!!! That'll be a Lil extra opened up for fun crafting and homesteading :3
Hope everyone's doing well and having pleasant (or as pleasant as it can be) weather!