SC - cheesemaking

[Stefan li Rous]

Morgan said:

> And I don't think using lemon juice to curdle milk for cheese was done in
> period; they used rennet, or the lining of a cow's or calf's stomach.
> Lemons are hard to grow I the north, so it would simply have not been
> available.  Rennet is available today in pellets or powder.  Probably the
> lemon juice was suggested because people get really squeamish about animal
> bits.

Vinegar was available throughout the Middle Ages. Is there any evidence of
it being used to curdle milk in making cheese?

Another choice is to use herbs. And this was a period technique according to
Anne Wilson in "Food and Drink in Britain". I found it interesting that she
noted that the herbs did not work as well as rennet. This was the same
comment I heard from Mistress Clare who had done some cheese making using
herbs to curdle the milk, locally.

Stefan li Rous
stefan at texas.net
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