Any Cheesemakers here?

[Livinthedream]

Hubby and I have discovered they joys of chemistry in the kitchen lol (or alchemy even)

It started with my quest to make a true greek thick style yogurt, which was remarkably easy. Used the easy-yo and then drained the whey off and beat the yogurt cheese with a tablespoon of honey. YUM

Then this evening, I made butter, also remarkably easy, thanks to my kitchen aid

And now, I am eagerly awaiting my cheddar and fetta kit to arrive from cheeselinks. It should be here friday.

Any other cheesemakers around?

[Astrid]

Not yet, we are planning on being. I think DH wants to get in a kit. In the past we have made a soft style of cheese using yoghurt as a base (can't think of the name at the moment).

[Livinthedream]

OOOhhh, you should definatly go to Cheeselinks
I can wait for my stuff to arrive.

[Cranky Kitten]

Ooooh, that site looks amazing! Going to have to have a trawl through it as both DH and I *love* cheese and I like cooking as well

[Lolpigs]

I just bought a kit thank you! I've been looking for a place to get started making my own cheese.

Fabulous!

[Pholi]

I love cheese-making!

DP and I have been making cheese together for almost as long as we've known each other - which is only about 2 years. On about our 3rd date he invited me over to make lemon cheese according to the instructions of one of his mates, and we just keep adding to the repertoire since. We make caerphilly, havarti, and camembert (white and blue), as well as cream cheese, yoghurt and sour cream, ricotta, mozzarella and lemon cheese. I haven't bought yoghurt or cream cheese for a year or more now. Our family have come to expect a selection of home-made dairy at every get-together, and our friends would be disappointed if a camembert wasn't brought as a hostess gift at dinners.

It's fun, it's creative, and I get a huge mount of satisfaction watching the process that turns simple milk into any one of a dozen different flavoured and textured types of cheese. I do wish I had access to farm-direct raw milk, though.

Cheeselinks is a great site... we've bought from them several times.

Lolpigs, feel free to ask me if you have any questions - I can't guarantee that I can help, but I can try.

Livinthedream, have you used your kit yet?

[Lisa]

I make ricotta cheese & am planning to attempt a home made mozzarella.


Sent from my iPhone, so I apologise if it makes no sense.

[Pholi]

Alexis, I also make icecream - without an icecream maker, it doesn't need churning. I won't pretend that it's healthy, but it is delicious and really, really easy, andyou can make it any flavour you fancy. I'll find my recipe if you'd like it?

[Lolpigs]

Alexis, I also make icecream - without an icecream maker, it doesn't need churning. I won't pretend that it's healthy, but it is delicious and really, really easy, andyou can make it any flavour you fancy. I'll find my recipe if you'd like it?

Yes please!

[littlelara]

I'd be interested too.

[Pholi]

OK, here it is... sorry about the delay.

ICECREAM

4 eggs, separated
125g castor sugar
300ml cream, whipped
flavouring, eg., vanilla, fruit, liqueur

Beat egg-whites until thick and white ('soft peak'). Slowly add sugar one spoonful at a time while beating. Stop beating. Lightly fold in whipped cream, followed by beaten egg yolks. Add the flavouring. Freeze, then eat. Makes about 1½ litres.

Remember that the trick to beating eggwhites is to have perfectly clean and perfectly dry bowl and beaters, and no contamination whatsoever from egg yolk. I always use large or exra-large eggs. Or random eggs from my sister's chooks, which then makes it what she calls 'home-laid icecream.'

You will need three bowls for the three different beaten things. I use my ancient sunbeam beaters for the egg whites, then clean the beaters and do the egg yolks in the small bowl, til they're pale, and do the cream by hand, then fold them all together in the biggest bowl.

There are three things that make this unchurned icecream soft and creamy instead of icy: lots of air in it (which comes from the whipped cream and the beaten eggwhites,) lots of fat it it (from the cream,) and lots of sugar. Like I said, it's not really healthy - it's a treat. But if you try to cut down the sugar or fat, it's just not going to be as good.

I eyeball the volume flavouring added, I'm afraid, no measurements, but it's hard to go wrong.

I sometimes add mushed/pureed berries, you can just swirl it through or mix it thoroughly; I've done pistachios, ground with a dash of green colouring; coconut using a few tablespoons of coconut cream and dessicated coconut, though DP doesn't like to texture of the solid bits. It's amazing wih real vanilla, and if you use vanilla sugar as well as vanilla bean, it's even better.

DPs favourite has a toffee sauce (cream, brown sugar and butter, I think) mixed through it. I've also experimented with chocolate sauces, choc chips, drinking chocolate, and they were all pretty good, according to those who like chocolate icecream (not my favourite.) I haven't tried white chocolate yet.

The other thing you can do to keep icecream from being icy is using alcohol as a flavouring. I often make rum 'n' raisin, for example, but if you add too much rum, it gets sloppy. Two or three shots is usually ok. It's awesome with Baileys or Kahlua, whiskey... I'm going to try using the cherries in port that I bottled a few weeks ago, and I'm pretty sure that's going be be good too.

Regardless of the flavouring, it's best if you eat it within a few weeks of making it. The flavours are just as good, but the texture deteriorates a little, and becomes slightly grainier, icier. It doesn't make it bad, just not quite as good.

Let me know how it goes if you try it, and what flavours you added.