Amazing What a Gallon of Milk Can Yield

[lady_karelia]

I felt a bit down after taking Dorkboy to the airport. I mean, two weeks without him, then a w/end with him, then another two weeks without, and on and on it'll go... *sighs*

So, anyhow, the best way to distract me was to make some cheese. Fresh cultures arrived this week, and I bought a gallon of the liquid yesterday at the grocery store. Because, you know, people around TN haven't heard of cows or sheep or goats producing milk, oh no. They all know it comes from the grocery store.

The first task was to make a flavourful feta cheese, which now, about 10 hours later, is dripping whey at the rate of one drop every 20 minutes. It looks promising, even though it was one hell of a job to get the stuff to form curds. Sheesh. I can haz raw milk? Please? Pretty please?

Next task was to save the whey to make ricotta. I now have a small bowl of ricotta in my fridge, ready to be used for, oh, maybe a one-person meal of spinach and ricotta lassagne. Which is okay, me being the only one who eats it.

Next, I used the left-over whey to cook pasta in. It tasted fabulous.

I'm tempted to—no scrap that, I know I will—buy some non-homogenized milk. Last time, a couple of months ago, that was around 2.99 a pint. I dread to look at the price now. I think I'll just pick up a few pints and close my eyes when I get to the cash desk and hope I have enough $$ on me to pay for it. But I'll have good cheese! Yay!

Um, yeah, that's all. I should return to the writing of the project that must not be named. *snerk* In the meantime, feel free to ponder why on earth I love making my own cheese (from milk!) when I condemn about four out of five fanfics because they're cheesy. *snickers*

Comments

[ariadne1.livejournal.com]

*sneaky hand through screen* *steals ricotta*

You and Lenka can argue over the feta!

*snickers, running away*

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Ricotta is a byproduct. LOL

[persevero.livejournal.com]

This is one of those entries that sends me all over the Internet - first to read the entry on raw milk in Wikipedia - interesting (including the fact that there is such an entry). We can buy it (from TB- and brucellosis-tested herds) as 'green-top' milk here and it makes much better cottage cheese/paneer/yoghurt. Then, as I didn't realise one could make feta at home, to research commercially-available starter cultures. Can you buy raw sheep's or goats' milk? Perhaps they are under the Nanny State's radar (no pun intended, but a jolly appropriate one nevertheless).

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Some states allow the sale here, but ours doesn't. Which sux. I don't want someone with no clue tell me it's unhealthy. *snrk* I haven't found either ewes' or goats' milk for sale, but have started to ask around; hopefully someone will know of someone...

Feta is quite easy to make, and it's great fun to watch it from turning from milk into a proper cheese. :)

[sunnythirty3.livejournal.com]

how do you make ricotta?

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

You simply heat the whey to 200F, then drain it through a cheesecloth for a couple of hours, and you have ricotta. :)

[voxangelus.livejournal.com]

What?! I want to make my own cheese!!!!!

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Read here (http://www.fiascofarm.com); they have a wonderful section on both general cheesemaking and recipes with fairly detailed instructions.

[anijade.livejournal.com]

Are there recipes on making your own cheese?

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Loads, yes. I find this (http://www.fiascofarm.com/) the most comprehensive for small-scale cheesemaking, but if you do a google search, you'll find quite a lot. :)

[writermerrin.livejournal.com]

That sounds cool. One of my closest friends is a cow-milker, and all they ever have in their house is whole, raw, milk (except when she's pregnant, I guess). It must be cool to make your own ricotta.

And speaking of writing, after I got off the cueue last night, I wrote two pages! I've been waffling about the scene for weeks, and I finally just sat down and wrote it. It is way different than I thought it would be, but I like it.

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

The only milk I drink is raw. If it's not available, I don't drink milk.

Woohoo on the writing!!!

[closetravenclaw.livejournal.com]

Raw mile is so expensive. I think it was about $8/quart the last time I looked (I was afraid to look at the price of a gallon).

Making cheese and eating it seems a good way to spend the next two weeks. I need cold (well cooler) weather to bake and cook and such.

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

Ooooohhhhhh, California here I come! It's worth every cent I think. Soooooo much better and far more versatile than the processed stuff they sell as "milk." LOL

[notsosaintly.livejournal.com]

'Kay, that's it. I'm moving in.

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

*waits for your arrival*

Ari sneaked in and stole the ricotta, and the feta isn't quite ready yet, but I can make some quick queso blanco if you like.

[hogwarts-91.livejournal.com]

Lucius says you make some damn fine cheese. *points to icon*
Are you going to provide some cheese picspam?!

[lady-karelia.livejournal.com]

I didn't take any pics of the cheesemaking process, although I could do that when I make some again, which no doubt will be soon. But yeah, I'll take pics once it's nicely cubed in olive oil, herbs, and inside a pretty jar. :)