Finally I am going to start making a farmhouse cheddar. I can get small pieces of cheddar here but it is factory made and expensive. I spend a fair bit on French cheese each week that again is factory made. As you all know I am on a mission to ditch factory made food.
We have a small Apple press that can be used as a cheese press with a little alteration. I have ordered cheesecloth and am currently searching for starter and vegetable rennet. I have a big stock pot I can heat the milk in and my farmer neighbour will sell me raw milk. 8 litres of milk will give me 1kg cheddar. This will reduce cost once all the gear is assembled. The idea is to make several so that some can be left to mature to improve the taste. When my kitchen is finally built I will include an area for long term storage of my cheese. I am very excited about this as this is a large part of our diet. Simplifying our diet means something like cheese is a treat.
I have greatly reduced the meat intake too. I rarely give him indoors red meat now and do a chicken for our family Sunday dinner. Yesterday's chicken carcass is currently cooking with potatoes, carrots and rice topped up with water that will be dinner for the dogs for a couple of days. They love this. I like them to have it because I know it is chemical free.
I feel I am winning with making most of our food now!
I will put up a photo of my first cheese but do not expect it too soon!
Hi Aly. Just curious - What's "indoors red meat"?
ReplyDeleteI love cheddar. I currently have a slice of sharp cheddar every morning with my breakfast. Good for you for making your own.
ReplyDeleteThink it is my typing...I call P 'him indoors' and he is the only one who eats meat as I am vegetarian. I should have separated the phrase. The beef cattle are very much outdoors!
ReplyDeleteI am full of admiration for your fellow Americans Beth, so many are doing amazing things with homesteading. I get many of my ideas from them. We are getting to the point where if we cannot make it we do not have it!