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Gjetost

08.16.2018 by thriftyhomesteader // 7 Comments

Gjetost (pronounced yay-toast) translates from Norwegian as “goat cheese,” but it is more like fudge or caramel than cheese in both flavor and the process for making it. It is not ripened. It is simply whey that has been boiled and reduced to about 20 percent of its original volume, which makes it incredibly rich. My first attempt to make gjetost was an icky failure. I wound … [Read more...]

Categories // cheese, home dairy, recipes

How to start making cheese

07.20.2017 by thriftyhomesteader // 18 Comments

making cheese

If you've read books, articles, and blog posts and watched videos about making cheese, but you still haven't done it, here's an idea -- buy a cheesemaking kit! Sometimes the prospect of buying the equipment and ingredients can seem just daunting enough to stop you in your tracks. That's the cool thing about the cheesemaking kits from New England Cheesemaking. They provide … [Read more...]

Categories // cheese

Natural Cheesemaking book review

12.08.2016 by thriftyhomesteader // 32 Comments

cheesemaking without commercial starter

Have you been looking for a book on natural cheesemaking? Do you want to learn to make cheese without commercial starters, microbial rennet, or freeze-dried fungal spores? Ready to ditch the pH meter, plastic cheese form, and sanitizing solution? Want to say good bye to stainless steel vats and learn to make cheese like our ancestors? Then you need to check out The Art of … [Read more...]

Categories // cheese, home dairy, reviews

Starting a Farmstead Creamery

11.21.2016 by thriftyhomesteader // 8 Comments

When I started making cheese in 2002, my friends immediately started asking if they could buy it. When I called my state department of agriculture to learn the requirements, I was quickly overwhelmed and gave up on the idea as soon as the woman on the phone mentioned $15,000 as the starting price for a pasteurizer. Because I was only milking one goat at the time, there was no … [Read more...]

Categories // books, cheese, home business, reviews, Uncategorized

Cheesemaking for beginners

10.10.2016 by Admin // 1 Comment

Quick show of hands, who here has ever made their own cheese before? No? Never fear, cheesemaking is much easier than you think! If you think about the distinctions between cow, goat, and sheep milk, and you look at all the different types of cultures and equipment for soft and hard cheeses, as well as other fermented dairy products, it may seem … [Read more...]

Categories // cheese

6 reasons homesteaders need a kitchen scale

10.26.2015 by thriftyhomesteader // 3 Comments

When I started reading about how to make soap, I noticed that everyone said I needed to have a digital kitchen scale. Why do I need a scale to make soap when people have been making soap for thousands of years? Eventually I learned that when people made soap historically, they used whatever oil was available locally, which usually meant lard or tallow in the U.S., coconut or … [Read more...]

Categories // canning, cheese, eggs, food, home dairy, homesteading, soap making, Uncategorized

5 reasons to milk test your does (or cows)

05.14.2014 by thriftyhomesteader // 4 Comments

I admit that we started milk testing because my daughters wanted our does to have those fancy stars and letters after their names like *M in ADGA and *D in AGS. However, after getting started, we discovered there are many reasons to be on milk test beyond bragging rights. Now in our seventh year of milk testing, I can't imagine managing our herd without it. Why? Basically, it … [Read more...]

Categories // cattle, cheese, goats, Uncategorized

Cheese Recipe: Queso Blanco

04.25.2014 by thriftyhomesteader // 15 Comments

This is a great cheese for beginners to try because it requires no special equipment or ingredients. It is a traditional Mexican cheese, and it does not melt, because it contains no rennet. We like to cube it, lightly brown it in oil, and serve it on  pasta dishes with marinara sauce. You can also use it in Indian recipes that call for panir, and some people use it in … [Read more...]

Categories // cheese, goats, recipes

Cheese Recipe: Ricotta

04.04.2014 by thriftyhomesteader // Leave a Comment

Most ricotta recipes call for using whey and have a very low yield. I discovered this variation one day when I was in the middle of making queso blanco and a goat went into labor. I had just added the vinegar when I was called out to the barn. A few hours later, I came back into the kitchen and realized I had completely forgotten about my queso blanco, which had cooled to room … [Read more...]

Categories // cheese, Uncategorized

Cheese Recipe: Easy Mozzarella

04.02.2014 by thriftyhomesteader // 16 Comments

A few years ago when my husband realized I was intent on making cheese with goat, sheep, and cow milk, he asked if I was going to get buffalo someday because their milk is used for real mozzarella. It is an intriguing idea, but I think I’ll stick with my smaller dairy animals. A mesophilic culture is used to produce really flavorful mozzarella. It takes a few hours to make, but … [Read more...]

Categories // cheese, Uncategorized

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