Homemade Farmhouse Cheddar I

[scottgeiger88]

the book says to do hard cheeses in a water bath, not on the stove top cause it wont heat the milk evenly. have you notice any problems doing it on the stove?

[TNGun]

@scottgeiger88 nope, you know I just followed the directions in the ricki carroll book the best I could with the camera running - if she is answering your questions she is the expert...

[scottgeiger88]

@TNGun i see in her book she has symbols of a kettle on the stove and a kettle in the water bath. on page 104 farmhouse cheddar she has it in a water bath. i was just wondering so i do mess it up lol but if you have had no problems on the stove top. i guess both ways are good then thanks for the info keep up the good work

[jjagroop66]

If you don't have calcium chloride you can use alum or rock salt for substitutes. The purpose of calcium chloride in store-bought milk is to firm up the curds. Alum is used to crisp up pickles and rock salt is used in ice-cream machines. My cheddar came out perfect using alum in place of calcium chloride.

[TNGun]

@jjagroop66 Thanks for the info - Never would have thought about that - I wonder if thats why they sometimes use Alum to make tofu?

[TNGun]

@scottgeiger88 The Calcium Chloride helps firm the curds up (especially store bought milk), the starter is a bacteria that ferments the cheese to give its taste.

[TruthBeTold2K]

No whey? Whey!

[kentuckyprepper1792]

Whey cool!

[jjagroop66]

David, can you make liverwurst (braunschweiger)? If so we need a recipe. I understand liverwurst may be canned for longer storage.

[TNGun]

@jjagroop66 I haven't tried it, nor do I have a recipe - but I will think about it and once I get some time I may since I do make some sausage on occasion, but its normally polish or summer sausage.

[DJKJSeph]

Is the Calcium Chloride a sub for Citric Acid?

[TNGun]

@DJKJSeph Sorry it took so long for a response... No not really. Calcium Chloride helps firm the curds up (especially store bought milk) - Citric Acid is used to make ricotta and mozzarella soft curd cheeses. They sort of do similar things - but differently...

[DJKJSeph]

@TNGun Thanks TNGun for the clarification.

[lycheesack]

Thanks looking at our videos and blog, maybe I can save money!

[UniqueMan]

so american!......



[TNGun]

@UniqueMan Thanks

[jesgot14]

90 degree C or F?

[TNGun]

@jesgot14 F

[davamlenz]

Well I too use organic milk because we live on a dairy farm and it comes right out of the bulk tank.....soo do I still need the calcium cloride??

[TNGun]

@davamlenz If it has been pasteurized the chloride helps. If it is raw milk you don't need it, but you can get in legal trouble for playing with raw milk unless you age it...

[TNGun]

rennet, and you can buy it at the grocery store near the gelatin - its normally sold in a white box branded junket... I had heard walmart quit selling it, but I found it at kroger and my local small grocery.

[rexenne]

@TNGun And if all else fails for a local source, search the net for online sources. I bought mine from Dairy Connection (.com) which just happens to be in the same city, & zip code, as I am. Now THAT's local. LOL!!

[bret354]

what is renick and where do u get it?

[strawalker]

Great video, did you add a starter culture I didn't see you do that

[atticus9799]

You say "store bought" milk. Now if I use organic milk, will I still need to use the calcium chloride? I make my own yogurt and only use organic milk.

[Supermassively]

@atticus9799 Why would you waste your money on that crap?