[Cheese] Cheese Digest, Vol 5, Issue 13

[Linda Conroy]

The commercial milk that I have had success with is low heat pasteurized, most milk you buy in the store is ultra-pasteurized. I have bought Organic Valley brand whole milk in a gallon container. I have spoken with them and all of their gallons are low heat pasteuried which, as I understand it leaves the protein in tact so that it can coagulate-ultra pasteurization breaks down the protein. There are other brands, mostly organic that low heat pasteurize. They are often sold in the health food section of main stream grocery stores or local health food stores. Sometimes you can even ask your store to order it. Or you may have a local brand, which would work. Not sure where you live or what is available, but in Washington state and Wisconsin, both places where I teach home cheese making classes, there are a lot of stroes taht sell Organic Valley brand milk. 

I typically use raw milk and have always had success with raw milk. I prefer not to pasteurize, but another option is to get raw farm fresh milk and pasterize it yourself. Realmilk.com has a listing state by state of farmers who offer raw milk. 

Happy Cheese Making,
Linda
www.moonwiseherbs.com


 Send Cheese mailing list submissions to
> 	cheese at hbd.org
> 
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> 	http://hbd.org/mailman/listinfo/cheese
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> 	cheese-request at hbd.org
> 
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> 	cheese-owner at hbd.org
> 
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Cheese digest..."
> 
> 
> Today's Topics:
> 
>    1. No break (Brian)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 07:20:06 -0800
> From: "Brian" <mavityre at comcast.net>
> Subject: [Cheese] No break
> To: "The Cheese Makers' Digest" <cheese at hbd.org>
> Message-ID: <000801c61530$2bf9c300$0201a8c0 at YOURWX88VYRXO>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> 	reply-type=original
> 
> Hi Jim,
> Was making a batch of cheddar yesterday, milk was at a constant 86 degrees 
> for ripening and when I added the rennet.  After an hour no clean break.  I 
> took the pot and put it in the sink with the hottest water out of the tap, 
> finally had some sort of "break" after another hour, after which I was 
> trying to stir but didn't want to make the whole thing a liquid.  I ladeled 
> the whey off and dumped the whole curd mess into a cheesecloth lined 
> colander.  I then had to leave for 21/2 hours while the curd was in the 
> cheescloth colander, sitting in a bowl which was in the sink of hot water.
> When I came back I cheddared the curds and layed them in the kettle, 
> rotating them for about 40 minutes, salted and pressed.  It is very pungent. 
> More than any other cheese I have made.  Not bad, but strong.
> What is this thing going to turn out to be with the curds sitting there so 
> long?
> It seems that every batch I have made using store bought full fat milk is 
> having problems with making a curd.  My first two batches were made using 
> dry milk and the curd set up like it was supposed to.  Any words of wisdom 
> on how I can get the store bought milk to work better?  It's cheaper than 
> buying dry.
> Thanks
> 
> Brian
>  
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Cheese mailing list
> Cheese at hbd.org
> http://hbd.org/mailman/listinfo/cheese
> 
> 
> End of Cheese Digest, Vol 5, Issue 13
> *************************************