Making Cheese: Awesome or Amish?

Maybe this never happens to anyone else, but do you ever learn a new word and all of a sudden it is everywhere? On TV, in the book you just finished, overheard in a conversation… This happens to me all the time. When it does, I am shocked that my brain has the ability to completely turn off my hearing when it comes to words I don’t know – is it because I learned a word it is suddenly, magically everywhere?   No, I just didn’t pay attention to it before. Selective hearing at its finest.

This is a little how I felt when I learned people made their own cheese. Did you know people do this all the time? I had no idea. Then, all of a sudden, I meet people who do it, I finished a book where the author made homemade mozzarella, and get an email about a DIY cheese group. I felt it was a sign that I should try it. Pretty bloody local.

I wasn’t exactly sure where to start, but decided the DIY cheese group might be an interesting meeting to attend. I roped in my sister, Allison, who was very easily convinced. (She thinks she is going to save millions of dollars.) It was held at a wonderful cheese shop in town, Foster and Dobbs. The group meets once a month or so and a member demonstrates making a cheese.

We showed up early and decided to have a taste of cheese and a glass of wine while we waited.

After about fifteen minutes of building excitement and cheese enjoyment, we wondered why we were the only ones there. Hmmm… Is it possible we both read the date wrong?

Apparently, it is.

Fast forward 24 hours later. We take our seats and the situation looks a lot more promising.

The presentation on Farmhouse Cheddar – a quick cheddar that only needs to sit for 1 month after it is made – begins and we are very glad we showed up to the meeting. A lot of questions get asked and answered that I never thought to ask. Actually, I was so out of my element I didn’t know half of what the people were talking about. No matter, the deliciousness of cheese can drive learning and I was soon convinced that I could make my own cheese. I bought this packet from New England Cheese Making Supply Company that contained everything I needed to make Mozzarella and Ricotta (this costs, in case you are wondering $25 – and makes 30 batches of cheese, all you add is milk). Everyone who makes it kept saying, “Oh, this is not complicated. Believe me, it is easy, you can do it.” And then they would talk about proteins denaturing, the use of rennet in tablet or liquid form, or how to build a press that will apply 50 lbs of pressure. Sure, easy!

But, don’t worry, my friends. Allison, our friend, Erica, (who comments on this here blog, but has never been mentioned officially. Hope you get the most out of your fame!) put our heads together and made two cheeses. Haloumi and Mozzarella. We actually made cheese. And giggled a lot.

Follow up post with details of the first meeting of our cheese club: Curds and Whey. Believe to A-Cheese.