Making and ingredients
Rennet, whey, annatto and what goes into cheese.
- Cheese Making From your first ricotta and paneer to mozzarella: what you need, what to do with the whey, and how rennet and annatto work.
- Cheese making ingredients: rennet, annatto and more What rennet does, whether a cheese is vegetarian, and why some cheeses are orange.
- How cheese is made Almost every cheese starts the same way. Milk (usually cow, goat, sheep or water buffalo) is warmed and soured with bacterial cultures.
- How do you make ricotta from whey? Heat leftover whey to just below a boil and let it cool so the last proteins form soft curds, then strain. Adding some whole milk gives you more ricotta.
- How to make ricotta: your first cheese Make ricotta-style fresh cheese straight from whole milk and an acid.
- Is cheese vegetarian? Not always. It depends on the rennet used to make it. Here is how to read the label.
- Making aged cheese: when you’re ready Cheddar, Gouda and feta need more equipment, more time and cheese wax.
- Making mozzarella at home Mozzarella is one of the easiest cheeses to make and a good second cheese.
- Making paneer at home Paneer is ricotta's firm cousin: milk, an acid, and curds that are pressed.
- What do I need to make cheese at home? Less than you think. Start with a fresh cheese like paneer or ricotta, and add a few basic tools as you move on.
- What is annatto in cheese? Why some cheeses are orange A natural orange-red dye from the seeds of the achiote tree, used in cheeses like cheddar, Colby, Red Leicester and Mimolette. It adds color, not flavor.
- What is paneer, and is it the same as ricotta? Paneer is a firm, pressed fresh cheese from India, made from milk curdled with acid. Ricotta is softer and made from whey, so they aren't the same.
- What is processed cheese? Natural cheese blended with emulsifying salts and melted together, so it stays smooth and keeps a long time. Check the label name.
- What is rennet? An enzyme that curdles milk into curds and whey. It's traditionally taken from the stomachs of ruminant animals, but there are vegetarian alternatives.
- What is whey and what can I do with it? Whey is the liquid left when milk separates into curds. Don't pour it out, because you can make ricotta, bake with it, and more.
- What to do with leftover whey Whey is the liquid left when milk separates into curds and whey. It's worth keeping.
- Where to start with cheese making Start with a fresh cheese like ricotta or paneer, and see what you need for your first cheeses.