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How to Select Milk for Cheese Making
Cheese can be made from any dairy animal milk. Fresh raw milk from cows or goats, and store bought whole milk. One rule of thumb regardless of the source of your milk is, the fresher the better. When purchasing milk from the store be sure to check the freshness dates.
Using Store Bought Milk
Don't be afraid to ask your grocer for milk from their latest delivery. If you explain what you are using it for they should be very helpful. Milk should always be kept refrigerated until ready for use.
Store bought milk is homogenized, which means that the cream particles (butter fat) have been mechanically broken up into microscopic particles. This is done to prevent the cream from separating from the milk. Homogenizing and pasteurizing also alters the milk protein. Unless the cheese maker compensates for this the milk will not make a satisfactory curd.
To compensate for the processing of store bought milk we add calcium chloride prior to adding rennet to the milk mixture. The addition of calcium chloride will help restore the altered milk protein and aid in the development of a quality curd.
DO NOT USE ULTRA-PASTURIZED MILK
Using Fresh Milk
If you have access to fresh milk from cows, sheep or goats, we encourage you to use it. As you may already know, the chemistry of fresh milk will vary with the season, diet, and even the time of day you milk. You will need to experiment a little to adjust your recipe. Use the recipe included in your kit as is, then make adjustments as needed.
Milk FAQ
Q. Can I use ultra-pasteurized milk for making your cheese recipes?
A. You cannot make cheese with ultra-pasteurized milk. The casein in the milk will not form a curd because it has been denatured due to the high heat involved in ultra-pasteurizing.
Q. If a cheese recipe calls for the addition of cream can I use ultra-pasteurized cream?
A. You may use ultra-pasteurized cream if it’s used in small amounts relative to the total amount of milk called for in the recipe. A good example of this is using a combination of 7 parts reconstituted nonfat dried milk to 1 part ultra-pasteurized heavy cream to imitate whole milk.
Q. Can I make cheddar cheese from raw goat milk?
A. In the book, “Goats Produce Too!” it is recommended to pasteurize your milk unless you are making an aged cheese, 60 days or longer. If you choose not to pasteurize, you have to be extremely diligent with your sanitation practices and make sure you can chill the raw milk very quickly. Goat’s milk is naturally homogenized and thus produces a softer curd than cow’s milk so the addition of Calcium chloride is recommended. Goat milk cheddar will be white. If you want color, we have cheese coloring available.
Q. I want to make mozzarella with raw cow’s milk…do I need to alter the recipe at all?
A. You may not need the Calcium Chloride depending on the lactation schedule of your cow. In the winter months, it may be beneficial to use ½ teaspoon per gallon of milk to compensate for the lower protein to fat ratio.