Cheese Making Debut
January 3, 2010admin No Comments »We didn’t have much time left. It was reaching daybreak and we had three more gallons of milk to find in order to make enough cheese to survive another day. The problem was, in order to obtain a gallon of milk we had to climb a mountain in the middle of a treacherous blizzard. Just as my sister and I were summoning the strength to climb the third peak, an alarm started to go off next to our camp. The alarm was a horrible piercing noise that grew louder and louder, I found myself drifting, the mountain grew dim, I couldn’t see my sister so I opened my eyes wider to find my bedroom ceiling looking back at me.
It was 5:00am and Josh had already left to start morning chores. I jumped out of bed. Today was my cheese making debut. I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks. My job was to collect exactly 5 gallons of milk from our Jerseys (hence my anxiety filled dream). I drank my coffee and headed straight for the barn. I wanted to make it in time to fetch milk from my favorite cow, Jodi Girl.
Josh winked at me when I walked through the barn doors. “Perfect timing,” he said with a grin. As I filled up my bucket with farm fresh Jersey milk, I daydreamed of all the wonderfully succulent cheeses I would make. My good friend Debbie invited me over to give me my first lesson. She’s one of the most talented people I know, so I was confident I was in good hands.
Today’s agenda: Soft cheeses – Mozzarella, Ricotta, and Fromage Blanc. Hard cheese – Monterey Jack. We mostly stuck to soft cheeses for the instant gratification factor. I couldn’t wait three months to try my first batch of cheese. I had to know whether or not I was in fact going to be a famous cheesemaker someday. Today was my first initial step in that journey and would give me some idea how long it was going to take 
My mom and sister showed up for support, and we all got to work quickly. I was surprised that with each cheese, the process was quite similar. We’d heat the milk up to a certain temperature, add the starter (citric acid solution, salt, etc.) stir, separate the whey, drain the cheese in muslin (cheese cloth), or knead it, add cheese salt and let it chill. This is, of course, a very quick summary of the process. I can’t deny that while I’m writing this, I’m getting hungry and all I want to do is go eat the fruits of our labor.
I will say one of the coolest parts of making cheese was actually seeing the reactions within the milk. It was like high school chemistry class but actually fun.
The mozzarella took about 30 minutes, so I got to try it right away. It literally melted in my mouth, the flavor trumped anything I’ve ever bought in a grocery store. Making the mozzarella balls was the most challenging part. I quickly gave up trying to make them perfect after about ten minutes, and started to make animals shapes and braids, thinking maybe it would give them a bit more character.
The process has only just begun for my Monterey Jack. Over the next few days it will have to dry, then I’ll add oil to it and leave it alone for three to four months. As for the Fromage Blanc, it’s draining in muslin as we speak. Later tonight I’ll add some homemade pesto to it and refrigerate it overnight. I’ll be in touch soon to let you know how it comes out, if you’ve actually read this far and are wondering.
Overall, what a great day. Thanks to Debbie for a perfect first lesson, and helping me take my first step into the world of cheese making. Oh, and for Jodi Girl for her wonderful, rich-in-butterfat milk.
Join the discussion