I have always wanted to learn to make cheese! After all, cheese is simply a way of preserving milk and preserving food is a cherished hobby of mine. I started out taking a few short classes on soft cheeses like cream cheese, mozzarella, and mascarpone. Although I definately haven’t mastered the soft cheeses yet I was still ready to move on to the hard stuff. Here are a few pictures from my advanced cheese class.
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The separation of curds and whey.
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Heather putting the curds into the press.
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After pressing for about 24 hours this is what our Cheddar looks like. It is amazing to see the transformation from the curds to the block of cheese.
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Susan, from the Iron Gate Inn, is waxing a different Cheddar that Heather brought from home. Our cheddar needed to dry for a few days before it would be ready to wax. After waxing, the cheese is ready to sit in a cheese cave for at least 60 days.
My husband said he would support this whole cheese making thing if I would learn to make pepper Jack, it should be similar to a Cheddar. I guess it is time to buy a cow!?!
