SC - making cheese

[Ron and Laurene Wells]

Hello,
    Sorry for picking up a thread that has probably died out by now!  I'm 
posting this publicly and sending a copy in private to the person who 
posted this message also (though I kind of wonder if this is a quote and 
not a direct post, as there are two different names signed at the 
bottom!!!).  How do you find milk that has not been processed?  The Oregon 
(I thought it was National???) Dairy Asociation has made it illegal to sell 
milk to individuals for human consumption.  And I don't know anyone with a 
cow.  Do you just call up the local dairies until you find one who will 
sell you some raw milk?  That seems kind of awkward to me.
- -Laurene

At 01:33 PM 7/27/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 00:01:15 -0400
>From: "Bethany Public Library" <betpulib at ptdprolog.net>
>Subject: RE: SC - My anti modern cheese thing was: toys for tot feast
>
>I'm sure I don't know why making cheese is a big scary thing to most SCAdian
>cooks.
>
>Making your own cheese is easy, relatively effortless, cheaper than
>storebought, immensely more flavorful, and is impressive as hell when
>presented pressed into shape and strewn with whole fresh herbs or a decent
>sauce at the feast table.
>
>The farmer cheeses referred to in this thread are different in different
>areas of the country. In some places it's near cottage cheese, in others
>it's hard and semi-aged. I think what we all SEEM to mean is
>what I know as farmer cheese:  Crumbly or creamy, pressed (or semi-pressed)
>white curds or bricks, that are sold fresh. In other words, green cheese.
>Green cheese is nothing more than fresh pressed (sometimes unpressed) curds.
>It isn't actually green (the color). It's green (unripe). Thus the
>moon-is-made-of-green-cheese story. It looks like a cake of pressed, uncured
>cheese, complete with pits and craters.
>
>I've done this sort of thing easily for feasts, and so can you. Curds and
>whey, Green Cheese, farmer cheese, etc., they all start out the same way.
>Any cheese but cream and ricotta-styles are made up of Whole Milk and salt,
>with a smidgen of rennet to make it curdle. Personally I amp up the cream
>(and thus milkfat and flavor)content by a pint per gallon.  You get rich
>veins of high-milkfat running through your curds. Also personally, I use
>unprocessed milk (that's a discussion for another time---but I pay half the
>price of store-bought and the flavor is much better). Another personal
>foible: I add some buttermilk, sour cream or yoghurt for flavor and to speed
>along the process of curdling. The active cultures make for a better
>finished product if aging the cheese, as well.
>
>Here's what you do: Dissolve the rennet tablets in water according to
>package directions. I use 2 Junket rennet tablets in 1/4 cup warm water per
>each gallon of Whole milk plus additives (1/4 cup buttermilk, pint of heavy
>cream). If the rennet is weak or old you will have to use more. You will
>also have to use more if the milk is very new or if the cheese gods aren't
>blessing your kitchen that day. Don't go overboard, however, because too
>much rennet when not needed will make a rubbery curd.
>
>Rennet is easily obtained from any cheese-supply source, in tablet or liquid
>form, but you can also buy it at grocery stores. It's what's used to make
>the dessert called Junket, which is nothing more than an elemental form of
>cheese.
>
>While dissolving the tablets (which can take up to 20 minutes), gently warm
>the milk to blood temperature. Add your cream and cultured
>buttermilk/yoghurt/sourcream if so inclined. When the
>tablets are dissolved in the water, pour this gently into the milk, stir to
>mix well, and then do not stir again. If you are a culture user, the culture
>would be added about now, for cultured hard cheese. Not necessary for the
>soft fresh cheeses.  Hold it all at blood-temperature (I end up turning the
>heat off and on to do this, or wrapping the Pot in towels. Be patient.
>Sometimes it's a long long wait to get a curd. The curd can look two ways
>when set: obviously a separation of curd and whey, OR, it may be softer-set.
>
>If you are looking at the pot, it's been an hour, and it doesn't look set,
>don't be dismayed. Sometimes the pot will LOOK like it's not set even when
>it has. Jiggle it, and see how the surface reacts (is it solid or liquid?).
>If this doesn't help, stick in a spoon and see if it's solid. Don't be
>afraid to add more rennet at this time if needed. If somewhat set, heat the
>pot a few degrees higher (not a lot!), and this will help set the curd. The
>curd should never be really hard at this stage. Slightly solidified is more
>like it.
>
>Once you know the curd has set, run a big spoon through the mass a couple of
>times. You want something workable but also want to keep the curds as whole
>as possible. You do not want a puree!
>Line a colander with cheesecloth, linen, or a clean smooth-weave cloth. Put
>it in the sink or elevate over a large bowl. Pour the mass slowly into the
>colander. It will drain like crazy. The curd will slowly become firmer as it
>drains.
>
>At this point I tie the ends of the cloth together knap-sack style, and let
>the mass dangle from the faucet and continue to drip. When the dripping
>slows way down, you can either use the cheese as is (mixed with 1 tsp.. or
>more per gallon of milk used, of salt).
>
>If you want to press it into a cheese shape, this is easily done. I use soup
>cans or larger cans for lack of professional equipment. Cut off the tops and
>bottoms of the cans, and clean them very well. Use one of the circles you
>cut from the cans. Throw the other away.
>
>Place the can on the top of a screen or a fine cakerack. Line the can with
>another piece of scalded wet linen, cheesecloth or whathaveyou. Smooth it to
>the sides to minimize wrinkles, and let the ends hang out over the can. Put
>about 1 cup the curds into this improvised cheese mold---for a soup can
>sized mold (sometimes called a vate in period)---and sprinkle in salt (use 1
>tbsp. salt per gallon of milk used--note that this is different fromt he 1
>tsp. for curds---some of the salt is drained away in pressed cheese).
>Overlap the hanging ends of cloth, and place the circle cut from the can on
>top (this is a follower).  Any one pound of weight you can put on top of
>this will do: Another can, clean stones, etc. Let it press until the
>dripping is mostly finished. If you desire harder green cheese or want to
>you cure the cheese, you can add more weight at this time, but for most
>purposes this will be enough weight.  Unmold carefully, transfer to a plate
>if serving as is. If curing your cheese, choose "cakes" of cheese that are
>relatively smooth on the surface and have no deep cracks.  Allow to stay on
>a non-reactive surface in a cool atmosphere, turning occasionally each day,
>until a rind has formed (your cake rack, lined with cheesecloth, linen etc.
>would be good). You may rub the surface with salt or vinegar to keep it from
>molding. This will take from 1-2 days to a week. At this point you may seal
>the surface with cheesewax (usually red) or beeswax.
>
>Aged cheese should be stored in a cool dry place, and turned every so often
>to ensure even moisture distribution. Sample whenever you wish, but I'd wait
>several months at the least. When testing cheese, patience is a virtue.
>
>Viola, cheese. There are various recipes for cheese out there in period.
>It's quite rewarding to attempt to make them. Someone should ask Adamantius
>about his slip-coat cheese sometime. It would be a very rewarding discussion
>for all of us <hint>.
>
>Cheers
>
>Aoife
>
>Jana penned:
>OOH  soft herby cheeses to spread on bread.  Fresh hot out of the oven, (Ok
>so I'll wait 10 maybe 15 minutes before slicing the bread).  This sounds
>like heaven to me.  I await recipes with knife in hand.
>
>Jana