Monday, January 30, 2012

Cheese Challenge

Another Year Without Groceries has set up a cheese challenge for 2012, making home made cheese.

I'm not sure why, with all of the odd ball old fashioned stuff I do, why oh why, are cheese and soap making such difficult concepts for me.  It's like everybody's doing it, and I can't wrap my head around it.  Like it's just some difficult foreign process that requires more prep and and consideration than I'm willing to devote to it.

Well, that needs to change.

So, here I go, following her blog.  Sounds simple enough.  Is it too simple?  Is that the problem?  Am I just not willing to believe that something so good could be so simple?

I'm perusing a couple of books and a kit from amazon.   I've downloaded the complete book of cheese for kindle (free, public domain).

The January challenge- Nothing but Curdled Milk
Paneer
Ricotta
Yogurt Cheese
Buttermilk Cheese
Queso Blanco

I did the Queso Blanco, cause it seemed the easiest.  I don't have a cheese press, so I just squeezed the excess whey out through the cheesecloth as best I could.
It actually turned out quite solid, which surprised me.  On it's own, with crackers, I found it quite salty.  I used about half of it to make a batch of cheese buns.  They tasted great, but you couldn't see the cheese in them like a cheddar cheese bun.  It just kind of melted into the dough, but there was still a faint cheesey flavour to them.
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8 comments:

  1. kymberJanuary 30, 2012 at 11:55 AM

    Wendy - cheese is going to be my next big attempt. i have to say, i am glad that you are doing it first. i will be following along and learning. your Queso Blanco looks really great!

    your friend,
    kymber

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    1. WendyJanuary 30, 2012 at 12:22 PM

      Thanks, kymber! It really was almost too easy. Yogourt is harder than this cheese was. Funny, the things that intimidate us, eh?

      Delete
  2. Practical ParsimonyJanuary 30, 2012 at 2:15 PM

    Wendy,
    Making cheese has been on my mind lots, lately. It is hard for me to wrap my head around the concept that you can dress a bear or cow and are intimidated by cheese...lol.

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    1. WendyJanuary 31, 2012 at 5:35 AM

      The thing is, I know people who butcher. It's pretty common practice. I don't know anyone who makes cheese, so it's like a foreign concept to me.

      Delete
    2. Practical ParsimonyFebruary 1, 2012 at 12:58 AM

      I do understand. But, from my vantage point, I scratch my head. I have things in my life like that, too.

      Delete
    3. WendyFebruary 1, 2012 at 2:18 PM

      True. We all do, don't we?

      Delete
  3. herdogJanuary 31, 2012 at 11:33 AM

    Well Girl, you've got more Mtn.Oysters than I do. I'm still trying to get my nerve up to make tamalies to can them. Funny how sometimes the harder the thing is the easier it is to do it. Good luck on your cheese. Now off to make my tamalies. BTW I think your cheese would be good in the tamalies but I'm not going there!

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    Replies
    1. WendyFebruary 1, 2012 at 2:17 PM

      lol. Thank you. I agree. Sometimes you just look things over and think it through and do what needs doing. Good luck with the tamalies!

      Delete

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