Cheese is addicting. There’s no arguing about that. Whether on a pizza, in a quesadilla, or as-is on top of a cracker, cheese is a staple food in many people’s diets.
It is hard to contest the popularity of cheese when 13.25 billion pounds of cheese were sold in 2020.
Have you ever considered making cheese?
Homemade cheese is easier than most people think. It’s not time-consuming at all and once you have the right ingredients and equipment, you’ll have fun making it.
You must start with the basics, however. What kind of milk do you use to make homemade cheese?
When it comes to making delicious homemade cheese, find out how to choose the most important ingredient, milk!
What Is the Best Milk for Making Cheese?
There are many controversies regarding raw milk vs pasteurized milk when making your own cheese. Here we will go over the different types of milk to choose for cheese making.
Raw Milk
This is milk that is directly from the animal source. It has not been treated in any way and has natural bacteria.
Pasteurized Milk
This is a raw milk that has been heat-treated to 172 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 seconds. This is done to kill the milk’s bacteria.
This milk is what comprises most of the milk available in supermarkets. It has been heated to 212 degrees Fahrenheit and kills any bacteria in the milk, including beneficial bacteria.
Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) Sterilization Milk
This milk has been treated to 280 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also free of all bacteria.
Best Milk for Cheese Making
Any skimmed milk is essentially useless for making cheese because it lacks all the fat content that is needed for the cheesy taste. UHT milk will also not curdle into cheese because it is too treated.
Pasteurized milk is ideal for making cheese at home if it has a fat content of 3.25% or higher. This is usually whole milk.
Raw milk will also make delicious homemade cheese. The bacteria and enzymes in raw milk are highly beneficial to the cheese making process. These enzymes contribute to the taste of milk and should be added for a rich flavor.
It is also extremely important to make sure that the milk you are using came from a healthy animal to prevent getting sick.
Improperly handled milk can contain Salmonella and other seriously harmful pathogens.
You can also use goat’s milk to make equally delicious cheese. Goat’s milk produces softer curds than cow’s milk and will be whiter in color because it does not have carotene.
Cheese making is a fun endeavor that you can do with the whole family. You can even purchase cheese making kits to help kick start the process.
Making Homemade Cheese
Now that you know the correct type of milk and where to get milk for making cheese, you never have to buy store-bought, processed cheese again. You will love making homemade cheese from the comfort of your residence.
Feel free to contact us with any more cheese making or dairy questions.
