Making Cheese

This is my first attempt at making cheese, and I think I’m hooked.  My friend Brennan gave me a little cheese making kit as a gift.  Turns out making cheese is pretty simple!

• 1 half-gallon whole milk, not ultra pasteurized
• 1 t. citric acid (find it in the health food/vitamin section)
• salt
• fresh or dry herbs

Heat the milk slowly up to 185 degrees until it’s foamy and steaming, but not boiling.

    

Add the citric acid and stir until curds form- about one minute.  Set a fine mesh sieve in the sink and pour the curds into it- the whey is the liquid that will pour down the drain.  Now you know what Miss Muffit was eating.  Let the curds drain in the sieve for about an hour.

    

Pour the curds into a bowl and add your seasonings.  After salting it, I divided mine up into three bowls.  One I left plain, one I added one minced basil leaf, and to the third I added a pinch of dried Herbes de Provence.  Mix the curds gently with your fingertips to incorporate the herbs.  Place the seasoned curds into a flat-bottomed paper coffee filter and twist the filter at the top to create a little package.  Let the package rest on a paper towel and weight it with a plate for another half an hour or so.  The cheese will firm up even more in the fridge and take on the consistency of a semi-soft cheese similar to mozzarella.

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