Making artisanal cheese is both an art and a science.
Artisanal cheese is both art and science, and is made in small batches by hand, generally using local ingredients. The most crucial ingredient is milk. Artisanal cheeses are usually made with cow, sheep or goat's milk, though practically any kind will work. It takes 10 lbs. of milk to produce 1 lb. of cheese, not to mention time and effort.
Instructions
Making the Cheese
1. Choosing the milk is key.
After the milk, the second most important ingredient in cheese is the culture or starter, the good bacteria, used to turn milk into cheese. The bacteria determines the later taste and texture of the cheese. The next step is to add rennet, made from an enzyme in cow's intestine. Mix the rennet with water and whisk to develop before adding to the milk. Rennet helps the milk coagulate, or clot, turning the milk into a more custard-like consistency.
2. Create the right consistency and texture through cooking.
Cook and stir the curds and whey until the cheesemaker gets the consistency you want. Stir the mixture over heat before draining. Salting and handling the curds results in different kinds of cheese. When larger curds or clumps are cooked at lower temperatures, soft cheeses are formed like Ricotta and Mascarpone. Cutting smaller curds cooked at higher temperatures yields harder cheeses like Swiss and Parmegiano.
3. Soft artisanal cheese can be prepared in just hours
Drain and cut the cheese. Separated the liquid from the milk solids -- the whey from the curds. When larger curds or clumps are cooked at lower temperatures, soft cheeses are formed like Ricotta and Mascarpone. Cutting smaller curds cooked at higher temperatures yields harder cheeses like Swiss and Parmegiano.
4. Artisans add herbs and other flavors to their cheese to get exactly the taste they want
Ripen and cure the cheese. Leave it to age and further develop flavor and texture. This step can take as long as 10 years to get the desired flavor and consistency. But soft cheese can be ready to eat in just a few hours. Add herbs, spices and smoke to create unique cheese. Other differences in taste can be the result of the differences in food consumed by the animal.
Tips Warnings
Smoking cheese bumps up the flavor.
Turn cheese to keep exposure to the air consistent.
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