Author Archives: Homesteader's Supply

Q&A: What is early cheese blowing?

Gail asked  My cheddar cheese looked just fine while I was making it. But later, when it came out of the Ultimate Cheese Press, it looked like a sponge with lots of holes throughout. Why did this happen? And is this cheese safe to eat?

Early Cheese Blowing

Example of early cheese blowing

Jerri’s answer  This is called early cheese blowing. There are two reasons why it can happen.

One possible cause is coliform bacteria contamination. These pathogens can infect milk when sanitary conditions get compromised during milking or milk processing. You don’t want to risk getting sick, so THROW OUT THE CHEESE!

The second possibility is yeast contamination, which is most likely to happen when you’re baking fresh breads and making cheese in the kitchen at the same time. Again, I recommend you THROW OUT THE CHEESE!

The latter situation is easier to remedy. If you’re baking yeast breads while making cheese, add your lactic culture to the milk when it’s still cold, just prior to the first heating to start making cheese. This way, the lactic cheese culture will grow faster during the initial heating of the milk. If any yeast does get into the milk, it won’t be able to grow and ruin your cheese.

Q&A: Why won’t my mozzarella cheese stretch?

A customer asked Help! My mozzarella cheese won’t stretch!

Stretching Mozzarella Cheese

Stretching mozzarella

Jerri’s answer Acidity is the key for the stretch in mozzarella. Not enough or too much acid will result in hard curd floating or disintegrating in the water. The pH of your slab needs to be between 5.0 and 5.2 for it to stretch well when kneaded in hot water.

And the ripening of your slab is very dependent upon the weather. It can over-ripen in hot weather, or under-ripen in colder weather. One trick to standardize your mozzarella making year round is to ripen your slabs in the refrigerator for 16 hours.

Would you like to try making mozzarella the old fashioned way at home? Our REAL Italian Mozzarella Kit makes cheese with authentic Old World flavor. The mesophilic and thermophilic cheese cultures we use to make our mozzarella are imported directly from Italy.

Mozzarella Cheese Making Kit

Q&A: Cheddar cheese came out dry and brittle. Why?

A customer asked:  I followed the recipe perfectly, but my cheddar cheese came out dry, and it has a brittle texture. What did I do wrong?

Cheese Culture Sampler Kit

Cheese Culture Sampler Kit

Jerri’s answer:  There are three possibilities:

  1. You might have inadvertently added too much starter culture. Excess starter culture can lower the pH below the desired level. This higher acidity can dry out your cheese. Remember, always use the correct dose of starter culture. Don’t think that if a little is good, then more is better. This is not true for cheesemaking!
  2. The cooking time directions weren’t followed properly. If the recipe says to raise the temperature 1 degree every 5 to 7 minutes, don’t try to speed up the process so you can finish sooner. Always follow your recipe exactly as written.
  3. Stirring too vigorously during the early stages of cheesemaking (before the curds are properly formed) causes too much whey to be released. This results in a curd that’s drier than normal. So, take your time, be gentle, listen to calming music… Do whatever it takes to allow yourself to relax and enjoy the cheesemaking process. And always follow the recipe directions exactly.

 

Pails: What Does “Made in U.S.A.” Really Mean?

pails

There’s a big difference between our American-made stainless steel milking pails and others that just claim to be made in U.S.A.!

When a product is marked “Made in U.S.A.”, you’d think it was made in the United States from start to finish, right? But that’s not necessarily the case! Some manufacturers apply the “Made in U.S.A.” label to products that were made offshore, but in an American-owned factory. Others source their parts from other countries, assemble them in the United States, and then claim the product is American made. And all of these practices are perfectly legal! Continue reading →

4 Fun & Easy Slushie Recipes

slushie

 

When it’s hot outside, there’s no better way to cool down than with an ice cold slushie. If you ever went to the beach or an amusement park as a kid and got a snow cone at the refreshment stand on a sweltering summer’s day, these will bring back some happy memories.

Unlike back in the old days, most commercial slushies now are made with syrups full of GMO high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavorings, and chemical food coloring. If that’s been holding you back from enjoying one of your favorite treats, then wait no more! Continue reading →

The Whole TRUTH About Natural Sun Protection

natural sun protection

In summertime, especially, we’re constantly being cautioned to protect ourselves from the sun before going outdoors. Doctor’s offices, magazine ads, and product labels now carry frightening warnings about the link between sun exposure and increased risk of skin cancers. A few decades ago, people thought of sunscreen as something you used to prevent getting sunburned when you went swimming.  We’d buy a fresh bottle at the beginning of the summer and keep it in our beach bag. Today, chemical sunscreen ingredients are finding their way into more and more everyday products, from lip balm to hair conditioner. But do we really need so much sun protection, and should we be worried about all those chemicals? The answer is a bit complicated, but two things are for sure. The cosmetic skin care industry wants us to believe all UV exposure is harmful. And, they don’t want us to know there are natural ways to protect ourselves from the sun’s dangerous rays. Continue reading →