SQWIBS Urban Garden Adventure 2020

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Originally Posted by taboule

Looks very nice. I'd be interested to learn how you make that dream cheese, if you have a few minutes.
Thanks

Sure.
If you do this make sure to use cotton for the cheese, I made the mistake of using nylon, and had a problem with the cheese not drying enough the 2nd hang, well at least that's what I think the problem was.




Dream Cheese







This is my first time ever making cheese.




This can be made with Whole Milk yogurt, Clabbered milk or Kefir. If you use store bought yogurt be sure to use ONLY plain yogurt that has no thickening agents (such as pectin, gelatin or any gums) just Milk and Live cultures only as it will not properly drain and preferably Whole Milk.

• Clean and sanitize nut milk bag (Use a Cotton T): Boil a pot of water, turn off heat and submerge bags for 10 minutes.
  
• Pour the yogurt: Place colander in a bowl, place Nut Milk Bag (Use a Cotton T) in colander, pour yogurt into the bag, I used 64 oz. of yogurt per bag.
  
• Hang the yogurt: Zip the draw strings shut and hang the nut milk bags (Use a Cotton T) over a bowl to catch the whey.
  
  
• Wait. Let the cheese drain for 24 hours.
• Salting the cheese: Open the nut milk bag (Use a Cotton T) and scrape out the cheese into a non-metallic mixing bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart of original volume. I used 2 quarts per bag so will be adding 2 teaspoons of salt.
• Wait again for 24 hours: Salt will draw even more moisture out of the cheese. Hanging the cheese again is essential for preservation, as it allows that moisture to drain.
• Form your cheese: Roll tightly into meatball or egg shaped balls
  
• Add dried herbs: Time to season, I used a simple Chive, Oregano, Basil and Thyme mix. Roll balls in Italian herb mix and set aside for twenty minute.
• Store and age your Dream Cheese: Pour enough olive oil in a jar to cover your dream cheese by at least a half an inch of oil. Very carefully with a spoon add your dream cheese balls. If you store in the refrigerator the olive oil will solidify and you need to bring the jar up to room temperature to remove the cheese balls. This can also be stored in a root cellar or similar that is a bit cooler. Cheese is best to age at least 30 days.

Here is where it got off track a bit, After the 2nd hang of 24 hours the cheese was still a cream cheese consistency, I believe it was because of using a nylon bag, my only recourse was to grab an old cotton T-shirt, boil it in water, dry thoroughly and moisten with a little whey and hang the cheese another 24 hours in the cotton T.
Well it worked out pretty well. I think the second hanging is fairly dry and the cotton absorbs the excess moisture as opposed to a nylon.

• Not as dry as I would have liked it but it does break as you pull it apart.