How to Make Cheese

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If you feel making cheese is a difficult task, then your opinion will change once you read how to make cheese. It is a simple, quick method, and can be made by anyone who loves trying out new recipes. The art of making cheese has been carried out for the last 5,000 years and has developed rapidly since then.

Making cheese at home is as easy as baking pie. There aren't too many ingredients involved. In fact, cheese can be made from ingredients and equipment that are easily found in any functioning kitchen. Having said that, let us have a look at the recipe on how to make cheese in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Making Cheese At Home

Ingredients Whole milk, 1.25 gallons Non-iodized salt, 4 teaspoons Liquid rennet, 3 drops Buttermilk, 2 cups

Method Warm the milk in a stainless steel pot till the temperature reads 80º F. Add buttermilk to the milk and stir for about a minute and half. Then, add the diluted rennet solution (3 drops of rennet with one-third cup of water) to the milk-buttermilk mixture.

After stirring well, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Allow the milk to set at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. After this, the texture of the milk will change and it will resemble thick, soft cheese.

Take another pot and cover the rim opening with cheese cloth. Pour the cheese mixture through the cheese cloth. Leave it to drain for six to eight hours. In this time, most of the water will be drained and the cheese will become fairly thick.

After the cheese water has drained, add salt to it. If you want to add any flavors, you can do so now. Your cheese is now ready to be eaten.

Making Cottage Cheese

Ingredients Milk, 2 cups Vinegar or lemon juice, 4 teaspoons Salt to taste

Method Pour the milk into a saucepan and slowly bring it to a boil. Once the milk starts to bubble, turn the burner off and add the vinegar. When you add vinegar to milk, it separates into curd and whey. Stir well and let it settle for 45 minutes to an hour.

Strain the curd and whey through a cheese cloth. This step will separate the curd from the whey. Press the cheese into the cloth, so that there are no remnants of liquid left behind. Add salt to the cheese and then press again to remove any extra moisture. Put the cheese into a mold and refrigerate it for about an hour and half before you eat it.

Making Cheese Dip

Ingredients Ground beef, 1 pound Salsa, 1 can Cheddar cheese, 1 block

Method Cut the cheese into chunks of about one inch in size. In a pot, brown the beef, and while you are doing that, use a spoon to break it up into little pieces. Remove the pot from the stove and drain the released grease; too much of it will ruin the consistency of the cheese dip.

Place the pot on the stove again on medium heat and add salsa to it. Stir well, making sure the salsa and meat have blended, thoroughly.

Now, add the cheese chunks and keep stirring the mixture, continuously. Cheddar cheese melts quickly, hence you will have to make sure it does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Once the cheese and meat mixture have blended well, remove the pan from the stove.

Making Cheese Sauce

Ingredients Cheddar cheese (grated), 115 grams Milk, 600 ml Plain flour, 40 grams Butter, 40 grams Salt and pepper, to taste

Method In a saucepan heat the milk, flour, and butter, on a medium to low flame. Constantly keep stirring the ingredients, until the mixture simmers.

On a low flame, continue to stir the mixture for 5 minutes, till you see a smooth and thick sauce form. Add the grated cheese to the pan, make sure the sauce does not stick to the bottom. Then add the salt and pepper to the mixture and mix thoroughly. Plate the cheese sauce and it is ready to be savored with breadsticks or meat chunks.