First Try at Hard Cheese

Ever since I read Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" years ago, I have been making her 30 minute mozzarella.  Fresh mozzarella is divine, and so expensive to buy.  Yet it was so easy to make that it inspired me to learn to make creme fraiche and mascarpone as well.  We use them just like cream cheese, and add them to sauces and desserts.

To make cheese, you need either raw milk or pasteurized LOCAL milk.  If the milk is transported from too far away, it is usually shipped in really really cold refrigeration trucks, and this can alter the natural enzymes in the milk, even more than the pasteurization.  I have had good luck with milk from the local dairy, Alpenrose.  (Note: ultra pasteurized milk usually will not work.)

I have really wanted to branch out and make some hard cheese.  What has been holding me back has been trying to find an affordable source of local raw milk.  Let's just say that I have now found a friend of a friend with a cow and I have a source of local milk!

So I have made my first crack at a hard farmer style cheese, called caerphilly (care-fill-y).  Named after the town of its origin in Southern Wales.  Suzanne McKinn of Chickens in the Road explains the process really well and clearly, so I will provide her link here.  This cheese was fairly easy to make, although the process did take a few hours in total. But it was intermittent...it really only took a few minutes at a time - then it was time to go do something else while letting it sit - then come back and do another step that takes a few minutes.

Here is my "clean break".  Was so exciting that this happened so easily with this fresh milk!  I have had to throw out a couple gallons of mozzarella before because the milk just did not work - most likely because it was over-pasteurized or too cold during transit.

Curds and whey:

When I heated the pot of curds back up to 90 degrees, it did not take 30 minutes.  However, it did not seem to make a difference to the cheese, we will see how it turns out.  I discovered during this process that my cheap thermometer was really cheap and is already not working...so from that point on in the process the temp was a crap shoot.  Shhhhhh.....

Since this is my first hard cheese, I am not ready to invest in a cheese press, so I made do.

DIY cheese press = pot with colander holding "cheese mold" made of plastic to-go container with bottom cut out.  Press made from jar of marshmallow creme (for making fudge at the holiday's - NO, I do not just eat it out of the jar - that would be gross) that happened to fit inside the to-go container perfectly and lots of books.  I stood on the scale adding books until I came to the correct pressure that was called for in the recipe.

Note the books are leaning on the upper cabinets and the back wall.

Close up of cheese press:

Caerphilly after brining for 24 hours, drying on a DIY "cheese mat".

For my first try I am not as concerned about the shape, however this experience has made me want to buy some cheese molds.

Since I just learned that I won the gift card giveaway on Chickens in the Road, I just may go and buy some!

Caerphilly wrapped in cabbage to age for a few weeks in my basement/cheese cave:

Ideally, it wants to be stored at about 55 degrees.  I think my basement may be warmer than that, so I am already trying to find a better solution in the garage.

I won't leave you hanging on the mascarpone and creme fraiche!
They can both be made with cheese cultures you can purchase (there are lots of recipes online) but the following recipes are so easy and do not require any special ingredients:


Creme Fraiche
1 cup heavy whipping cream (or regular cream or half and half)
2 Tblsp. buttermilk


Combine the 1 cup whipping cream with 2 tablespoons buttermilk in a glass jar. Cover and let stand at room temperature (about 70 degrees F.) for 12 hours, or until thickened. Transfer to sealed a container of your choice and keep in the refrigerator. Lasts about 10 days.

Mascarpone
1 cup heavy whipping cream (or regular cream or half and half)
2 Tblsp. lemon juice


Combine the 1 cup whipping cream with 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a glass jar. Cover and let stand at room temperature (about 70 degrees F.) for 12 hours, or until thickened. Transfer to sealed a container of your choice and keep in the refrigerator. Lasts about 10 days.


I have had great success with these recipes, enjoy!