You don't need much to make cheese at home, and you don't have to start with something hard. This guide goes from your first ricotta and paneer to mozzarella, shows what to do with the leftover whey, and explains the ingredients you'll keep running into: rennet and annatto. Each chapter links to the full recipe or article if you want every step.
1
Where to start
Start with a fresh cheese like ricotta or paneer, and see what you need for your first cheeses.
2
Your first cheese: ricotta
Make ricotta-style fresh cheese straight from whole milk and an acid.
3
Paneer
Paneer is ricotta's firm cousin: milk, an acid, and curds that are pressed.
4
Mozzarella
Mozzarella is one of the easiest cheeses to make and a good second cheese.
5
What to do with whey
Whey is the liquid left when milk separates into curds and whey. It's worth keeping.
6
Rennet, annatto and your ingredients
What rennet does, whether a cheese is vegetarian, and why some cheeses are orange.
7
When you’re ready for aged cheese
Cheddar, Gouda and feta need more equipment, more time and cheese wax.
More guides
Cheese BasicsEverything I wish someone had told me about cheese: how it is made, the seven types, and how to buy, store, serve, eat and cook with it.
Pairing CheeseWhat goes with cheese: wine, beer, cider and whiskey, plus the fruit, nuts, honey and bread on the plate, with charts for 14 common cheeses.