Merry Christmas, everyone.

I will post a reply to this thread later with results, but here's what
we're trying differently this time for our first forays into home cheese
making:

We're using unhomogenized, organic milk from grass-fed cows, purchased
at Whole Foods. I shook it up first to try to get the cream to mix back
with the milk somewhat before pouring it into the bowl and heating it.

We looked at I'm Back's recipe and are basically following that, which
means heating the milk + salt by itself and then adding acid only once
it's out of the microwave. The initial results look better to me - a
big enough curd to catch in the dish towel and, I hope, more cheese as a
result.

We went to about 170 degrees on the milk this time, more or less the
same as last time. We like the microwave method and we're going to try
to stick with that. 14 minutes this time around, starting with cold
milk straight from the 'fridge.

We stuck with distilled white vinegar - we figure the acid shouldn't
make much difference to the results.

We're draining through a single thickness of dish towel instead of 4
thicknesses of cheese cloth.

We're saving the whey and will try to repeat the process with the whey
and get real ricotta or whatever the second batch of cheese is.

Both times, we used a double recipe, so a half-gallon of milk.

It's been draining for about 30 minutes now. Will report again later
in the day.

-S-

Steve Freides wrote:
> Merry Christmas, everyone.
>
> I will post a reply to this thread later with results, but here's what
> we're trying differently this time for our first forays into home
> cheese making:

-snip-

The initial batch, paneer, yielded more than last time, probably a
combination of the better milk and the tea towel instead of cheesecloth.
It tastes about the same, which is very good - moist, creamy, rich. I'm
considering adding more salt next time.

For the ricotta-from-whey, we didn't add more salt - we heated the
liquid, probably about half what we started with in terms of volume, for
6 minutes in the microwave, removed it to the counter, added vinegar,
and let it sit for the same 5 minutes as the first batch. It came out
quite dry and firm, not intially but after it sat in the 'fridge for a
few hours. The paneer really didn't change consistency after sitting in
the 'fridge but the ricotta did.

I rinsed out the tea towel thoroughly in the sink after the second batch
and then will wash it with the regular laundry. Making both batches one
after the other had the added advantage of not needing to wash
everything twice.

A good Christmas Day experiment that we will definitely repeat.

-S-

On Dec 25, 12:58*pm, "Steve Freides" > wrote:
> Steve Freides wrote:
> > Merry Christmas, everyone.
>
> > I will post a reply to this thread later with results, but here's what
> > we're trying differently this time for our first forays into home
> > cheese making:
>
> -snip-
>
> The initial batch, paneer, yielded more than last time, probably a
> combination of the better milk and the tea towel instead of cheesecloth.
> It tastes about the same, which is very good - moist, creamy, rich. *I'm
> considering adding more salt next time.
>
> For the ricotta-from-whey, we didn't add more salt - we heated the
> liquid, probably about half what we started with in terms of volume, for
> 6 minutes in the microwave, removed it to the counter, added vinegar,
> and let it sit for the same 5 minutes as the first batch. *It came out
> quite dry and firm, not intially but after it sat in the 'fridge for a
> few hours. *The paneer really didn't change consistency after sitting in
> the 'fridge but the ricotta did.
>
> I rinsed out the tea towel thoroughly in the sink after the second batch
> and then will wash it with the regular laundry. *Making both batches one
> after the other had the added advantage of not needing to wash
> everything twice.
>
> A good Christmas Day experiment that we will definitely repeat.
>
> -S-

Yay !!! Congratulations. And your cheese is without additives, gums,
chemicals, etc.

Nicely done.

Steve Freides wrote:

> We stuck with distilled white vinegar - we figure the acid shouldn't
> make much difference to the results.

Huh? The acid makes a *big* difference.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger > wrote:

>Steve Freides wrote:
>
>> We stuck with distilled white vinegar - we figure the acid shouldn't
>> make much difference to the results.
>
>Huh? The acid makes a *big* difference.

Certainly acids that can vaporize away (acetic acid) work differently
than acids that cannot (citric acid).

Lately, I have taken to using some of each. I do not know if this
is scientific, but it seems to work.

Steve

"Steve Freides" > wrote in message
...
> Steve Freides wrote:
>> Merry Christmas, everyone.
>>
>> I will post a reply to this thread later with results, but here's what
>> we're trying differently this time for our first forays into home
>> cheese making:
>
> -snip-
>
> The initial batch, paneer, yielded more than last time, probably a
> combination of the better milk and the tea towel instead of cheesecloth.
> It tastes about the same, which is very good - moist, creamy, rich. I'm
> considering adding more salt next time.
>
> For the ricotta-from-whey, we didn't add more salt - we heated the liquid,
> probably about half what we started with in terms of volume, for 6 minutes
> in the microwave, removed it to the counter, added vinegar, and let it sit
> for the same 5 minutes as the first batch. It came out quite dry and
> firm, not intially but after it sat in the 'fridge for a few hours. The
> paneer really didn't change consistency after sitting in the 'fridge but
> the ricotta did.
>
> I rinsed out the tea towel thoroughly in the sink after the second batch
> and then will wash it with the regular laundry. Making both batches one
> after the other had the added advantage of not needing to wash everything
> twice.
>
> A good Christmas Day experiment that we will definitely repeat.

Seems you are enjoying yourself Well done)
--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Steve Freides wrote:
>
>> We stuck with distilled white vinegar - we figure the acid shouldn't
>> make much difference to the results.
>
> Huh? The acid makes a *big* difference.
>
> Bob

Care to elaborate on the effects (taste?) of different acids? I figured
that, since my favorite commercial ricotta (really paneer), organic
everything from VT, uses vinegar, that this is what I'd do, too. We are
using distilled white vinegar.

-S-

Ophelia wrote:

>> A good Christmas Day experiment that we will definitely repeat.
>
> Seems you are enjoying yourself Well done)
> --

Thank you both!

-S-

Steve Freides wrote:

>>> We stuck with distilled white vinegar - we figure the acid shouldn't
>>> make much difference to the results.
>>
>> Huh? The acid makes a *big* difference.
>
> Care to elaborate on the effects (taste?) of different acids? I figured
> that, since my favorite commercial ricotta (really paneer), organic
> everything from VT, uses vinegar, that this is what I'd do, too. We are
> using distilled white vinegar.

Using lemon juice rather than white vinegar will give a more fragrant
cheese. Using lactic acid (from buttermilk or yogurt) will give a
different tangy flavor. Using tartaric acid from cream of tartar or
verjus will give it a flavor I liken to cottage cheese.

They're all good, but the difference is easy to discern.

Bob

On Wed, 26 Dec 2012 13:18:34 -0800, Bob Terwilliger
> wrote:

> Steve Freides wrote:
>
> >>> We stuck with distilled white vinegar - we figure the acid shouldn't
> >>> make much difference to the results.
> >>
> >> Huh? The acid makes a *big* difference.
> >
> > Care to elaborate on the effects (taste?) of different acids? I figured
> > that, since my favorite commercial ricotta (really paneer), organic
> > everything from VT, uses vinegar, that this is what I'd do, too. We are
> > using distilled white vinegar.
>
> Using lemon juice rather than white vinegar will give a more fragrant
> cheese. Using lactic acid (from buttermilk or yogurt) will give a
> different tangy flavor. Using tartaric acid from cream of tartar or
> verjus will give it a flavor I liken to cottage cheese.
>
> They're all good, but the difference is easy to discern.
>
I'm thinking I like those differences, especially lemon and
buttermilk.


--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.