The Home Dairy | Chickens in the Road

Jan
16

In my kitchen today–

Yogurt in the crock pot:

I made it with half light cream, half milk, so this is going to be some rich yogurt!

A quart jar half full of heavy cream, set out to ripen for butter-making this evening:

Another gouda in the brine:

And cookies in the oven, but that’s non-dairy-related.

Next up, I’m going to make some granola because this post made me want some yogurt and granola really bad.

For the cheesemakers out there, here’s another money-saving cheesemaking tip. I’m making smaller brines now. It saves on salt! I use a bowl that’s just big enough for the cheese to sit in comfortably. A smaller bath for the brine means I have to use less salt for the brine. The cheese is only going to absorb so much salt anyway, so I don’t like to waste the two pounds of salt needed to make a gallon-size brine. I also don’t have room to store the brine (and am perhaps too lazy), so I make smaller brines and make a fresh brine each time. Also, use kosher salt! You don’t have to use labeled cheese salt for cheeses and brines. Any non-iodized salt will do. It’s best to use a coarse salt so it doesn’t dissolve too quickly. Kosher salt is good.

Where I don’t pinch pennies in cheesemaking, by the way, is on the cheesecloth. I used to use reusable cheesecloth and wash it. I’ve stopped doing that and have switched to disposable cheesecloth. No matter how careful I am at washing and drying cheesecloth, I get lint. And lint gets on my cheese. And I don’t like picking lint off my hard cheese rinds. So, no more reusable cheesecloth. I use a fresh piece of disposable cheesecloth each time. (It’s also a timesaver, I’ve got to say, and I’m pretty busy, so taking “washing cheesecloth” off my list is a good thing.) Disposable cheesecloth is quite a bit cheaper, by the way, so it’s not too bad. (If you order bulk, which I do, it’s $3.95 per 5 yard package vs $5.95 per 2 yard package of reusable.) I’m all about making the best cheese I can. I’m not into lint.

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14 Responses
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1-16
1:18
pm

UMMMY! I made 2 batches of Yogurt last week!! YUMMY!!

Tanya Miller

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1-16
1:31
pm

Do you use all the cheese and yogurt that you’ll be making or do you plan on selling some?

Nancy K.

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1-16
1:55
pm

Can you sell your cheese?

lilac wolf

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1-16
1:59
pm

Nancy, I just make it for us. I give some to friends and family, that’s it. I’m not interested in selling it.

Suzanne McMinn

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1-16
2:01
pm

lilac wolf, I’m sure there are all kinds of regulations, which is one of the reasons I’m not interested in that. Plus, I just do it for fun and for us. Selling it would turn it into a job and I don’t want to do that. I have plenty of jobs already, LOL. Cheese is for fun and to take care of our own needs and to share with friends and family.

Suzanne McMinn

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1-16
3:39
pm

Think I’m gonna have to try that crockpot yogurt idea out. I make mine in my yogurt maker but the problem is that the container that I have to use with it is hard to clean and it drives me insane! I agree that the disposable cheesecloth is way better. Too much hassle to use the reusable stuff.

Pam M.

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1-16
7:35
pm

MORE excellent ideas – YOU are my FAV Suzanne!

Gem

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1-16
8:02
pm

Wonderful. I really want to try making yogurt. Everyday for breakfast I eat vanilla yogurt with berries and a small handful of granola. Delish.

Valerie

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1-16
8:12
pm

BP and you go together so well!

Yvonne

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1-17
12:20
am

Yes! I love the idea of making yogurt in the crock. Next time I make it I’m going to try it that way. I was using a 1/2 gal jar in the oven w/a 100 watt lightbulb (a desk lamp to be exact) in the oven to keep the temp. up. I like the idea of using the heat retained in the ceramic.

Questions: Have you been making it in the crock for awhile or is this new to you? If you’ve been doing it for awhile, are your results consistent?

Thanks!

Leah's Mom

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1-17
12:30
am

I love me some dairy with a wicked, WICKED passion. Maybe, if I’m really really good, I’ll get to go to your kitchen when I die! I won’t haunt you!! You’ll just… occasionally have the sense of someone coveting your cheese, out in the cave.
(Actually, if I ever get my schtuff together for one of your farm weekends, maybe I’ll get to see it before then )

Nic, SD

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1-17
8:17
am

Leah’s Mom, I’ve been doing it since last year. It works!

Suzanne McMinn

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1-17
9:00
am

You should try Ina Garten’s Dried Cherry Coconut Granola recipe – easy as pie. Has almonds, dried cherries, coconut, oatmeal, some honey, some cinnamon, some oil, I had a pinch of salt and is perfectly wonderful. I made tons for Christmas presents – and got nothing but good reviews and requests for MORE!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cherry-almond-and-cinnamon-granola-recipe/index.html

mrkittysmom

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1-18
10:34
am

Another thing I’ve been wanting to try to make.

Ramona

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