Learn About Ingredients for Cheese Making (2024)

Cream is the fat content from milk. There are a variety of creams available, including heavy or whipping cream, light cream and half and half. Some recipes call specifically for cream while others require milk. Due to the high fat content, cream will not work in all recipes so be sure to check your ingredient list before going to the store.

There are many types of non-dairy milk including, Soy, Almond, Coconut, Hemp... We have customers who use these milk alternatives in cheese making with great success. We have not experimented with these milks much ourselves though we hope to in the future, and will add to this section as our knowledge grows.

Cultures typically have a powder like consistency and come in a freeze dried form. They are usually packaged in tiny envelopes which fit easily in a freezer without taking up much room. Since cultures are freeze dried they should last for 2-3 years in a freezer, if not longer.

There are two basic culture categories, Mesophilic and Thermophilic. One major difference between the two is their temperature tolerance. Mesophilic requires low heat and dies off at higher temperatures while Thermophilic requires high heat and will not work properly until those temperatures are reached. Within the two categories there are different types of culture. Each cheese will need a particular type and quantity of culture, many times a combination of 2-4 cultures are used. Our custom culture packets are blended with just the right quantity of culture to make things easier for you.

Direct set cultures are added directly to your warmed milk. This is the easiest and most sanitary option. A few of our direct set cultures such as Chevre and Fromage Blanc also contain a small amount of rennet making the process of selecting ingredients even easier.

When using a reculturable culture you will need to create a mother culture before you begin the cheese making process. To prepare a mother culture, heat 1 quart of sterilized skim milk (72F for a Mesophilic Culture or 110F for a Thermophilic Culture) , add your culture packet, and mix well. Let your milk sit in a sterilized container with a sealed lid undisturbed for 6-8 hours. During this time the bacteria will multiply to create your mother culture. When done, the mother culture will be a thick gel-like consistency and can be used fresh or stored. To store a mother culture you can divide it into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen the cubes can be transferred into a sealed bag and stored in a freezer. You will then use these ice cubes as your starter culture.

Common types of cheese that use white mold powder are Camembert, Brie and Triple Cream. The addition of this mold will give these types of cheese their characteristic appearance, will help help inhibit the growth of undesirable molds, and also aids in the breakdown of lactic acid to help neutralize the acidity level of cheese and greatly influences its taste and structure. In addition it contributes to the ripening process, especially in regards to flavor.

Blue Molds are quite recognizable in a finished cheese The interior modeling and/or exterior surface growth of a blue cheese is caused by this mold. When used it will also help to prohibit the growth of undesirable molds and contributes to a cheeses piquant taste and creamy texture.

This bacterium is used frequently in a washed rind cheese such as Limburger or Munster, and will produce a yellow to orange rind. It also contributes to both texture and flavor.

Proprionic will produce the characteristic eyes (holes), aroma and flavor associated with Swiss, Gruyere and Emmenthal style cheese. The success of this culture will depend on a warm aging period after an initial short ripening time. Aging details should be included in recipes that call for this culture. When using Proprionic a mesophilic or thermophilic culture will also been needed to convert the lactose and produce acid.

This is the most traditional form of rennet and has been used for centuries. Animal rennet is derived from the lining of the fourth stomach of a calf, which contains both rennin and pepsin enzymes.

Vegetable rennet can be derived from many different organisms. A common source is Mucur Miehei. Other common sources include Fig, Thistle, Nettle, Butterwort, Knapweed, Mallow, Teasel and Yarrow.

This is our most popular form of rennet since it’s easy to measure and mixes into milk quickly. Liquid rennet should be stored in the refrigerator when not in use. Depending on the type of rennet, it will last anywhere from 4-12 months in the refrigerator. If you have older rennet in your fridge you may want to try it out before tossing it. Although rennet will drop in potency over time it shouldn’t go bad, you may just have to double or triple the amount you use.

Rennet In tablet form has the longest shelf life. For optimum storage you can keep it in your freezer where is will last for five or more years. When not stored in a freezer it should last about one year. When using tablets they will need to be crushed and dissolved in water before being added to milk for even dispersion in your milk.

Powdered rennet has a shelf life of about one year and stores best at 38-45F. This is a great form of rennet to use in hotter climates since it is easy to measure and is not as sensitive to temperature fluctuation as liquid rennet.

This is a weak form of rennet. Although it is possible to curdle milk with junket and to use it in some soft cheese making, it is not great to use when making hard-cheese. Cheese rennet tablets are at least four to five times stronger than junket rennet tablets.

If you or your family is accustomed to a yellow or orange hue to cheese you may want to add annatto to your ingredient list. When working with farm fresh milk, cheese will naturally have a warm yellow glow. When working with store bought milk, cheese will typically stay whiter, for this reason many families will add annatto to their store bought milk when making hard cheese. A fun thing to try with annatto is splitting your milk between two pots and coloring only one of the pots. When filling your mold alternate between the two curds and you will have a marbled cheese. Annatto coloring is a safe vegetable dye derived from the seeds of Bixa Orellana, a South American Shrub.

Salt can enhance the flavor of cheese. Some recipes call for it to be added to fresh curds, milled curds before pressing, used in a salt brine for after pressing, or even sprinkled or gently rubbed onto the surface of your cheese. Cheese salt has many important functions. It draws moisture from the curd, helps drain whey by causing curds to shrink, inhibits the growth of lactic bacteria toward the end of the cheese-making process, and acts as a preservative by suppressing the growth of undesirable bacteria.

Herbs and spices are a wonderful addition to many types of cheese. We have seen a wonderful variety of combinations that are both delicious and beautiful. Many of our customers have sent in photos of their favorites (link to customer page). You can make a wonderful presentation with fresh cheese by rolling the edges in herbs or you can mix the herbs throughout. Some of our favorites are herbs de provence, chives, pepper, parsley, thyme, garlic, dill, oregano, basil, sage… with this the sky is the limit. For a hard cheese we really enjoy dried pepper blends, caraway seeds and cumin. With hard cheese herbs are typically added to the curds when filling your molds with curd.

This is a salt solution used to restore balance to the calcium in milk which has been heat treated. Any milk that has been pasteurized and cold stored should have Calcium Chloride added. Since the calcium originally in milk can become soluble and won’t be able to form a firm curd, the result can be a weak curd formation in store bought milk. We also suggest using calcium chloride when using goats’ milk since it tends to produce a weaker curd. One exception to the use of calcium chloride is with any cheese that needs to be stretched, as in Mozzarella and Provolone. Since the addition can interfere with the final stretching phase.

Two common acids when making soft cheese are Citric Acid and Tartaric Acid. Both are naturally derived and aid in the process of acid development in cheese making. Citric Acid is commonly used when making both Ricotta and thirty minute Mozzarella, while Tartaric Acid can be used when making Mascarpone.

Lipase is a natural enzyme, and can be added to many types of Italian cheese to help elevate their flavor. Some cheese tends to be mild in taste and the addition of lipase will help give it more complexity. We carry both a mild calf lipase to use in cheese such as Mozzarella, Feta and Parmesan, as well as a sharp lamb lipase to use in cheese such as Romano and Provolone. Lipase is a cold stored powder and keeps best in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Otherwise known as activated charcoal, ash is a food grade charcoal. When applied to the rind of a soft cheese it will help neutralize acid levels and quicken the drying time. Neutralizing acid levels can help improve proper mold growth on your cheese. This is most commonly used on soft ripened goat cheese. If you are seeing inconsistent or very little mold growth on your cheese you may want to try applying ash the next time.