We’ve had snow, rain, sleet, wind, and cold weather sprinkled in here and there for the past couple of weeks, but, when the weather cooperated, we’ve (mostly Bernie) been working on the chicken coop addition.
This is what it looked like about 2 weeks ago.
Bernie’s been working on it as time and weather allows, and this is what it looked like last weekend.
Yesterday he ran electricity over to it from the existing side, and we’re planning to insulate it and wall up the inside this weekend, and put the steps back in front of the door. Then it will be ready for the baby chicks that should arrive here on April 2nd. Later Bernie will finish the soffets, and I will have to paint it.
A couple of weekends ago my friend, Susan, visited us from South Carolina. And she brought some farm fresh whole milk with her.
She brought 4 gallons of whole milk, and 1 gallon of buttermilk. I’ve used the buttermilk for buttermilk biscuits (and they were ooooow-la-la) and I plan to freeze some of it for use in fermenting vegetables. The whole milk was delicious with my breakfasts, and with 2 gallons of it, we made some cheddar cheese. We made our first cheddar cheese a little over 4 years ago, from a kit we bought from the New England Cheese Making Supply Company. I had to order new cultures and rennet, but we used the same mold that came with the kit.
So I have 2 things to say about making cheese…… 1) it’s really tasty and 2) it takes a lot of time……
We decided to make Farmhouse Cheddar because, even though it’s better when aged several months, you can eat it in about one month.
Making Farmhouse Cheddar requires 4 things – whole milk, cultures, rennet, and time. OK, maybe 5 things – it also requires the necessary equipment. Which isn’t very difficult, really.
We started by pouring 2 gallons of whole milk into a stainless steel pot, and adding mesophilic culture.
When it reached 90 degrees, we added the rennet, covered it, and kept it at 90 degrees for about 45 minutes.
Then we cut the curds.
Next we put the pot into the sink that was filled with hot water and slowly raised the temp to about 100 degrees.
Then we strained the curds through a cheese cloth lined colander.
We tied the cheese cloth, and hung it over the bath tub spigot to drain.
We let the curds drain for about an hour and a half while we made and ate our pizza.
Then we put the curds in a cheese cloth lined mold.
We folded the cheese cloth around the curds and added about 10 pounds of pressure – in this case it’s foil covered bricks.
After about 15 minutes, we increased the weight to about 20 pounds of pressure – again, foil covered bricks.
After 12 hours we flipped the cheese and continued with 20 pounds of pressure for 12 more hours.
Then we carefully removed the cheesecloth and let the cheese air for about 3 days or so to form a rind.
After the rind formed, we waxed it.
And in about a month we’ll remove the wax and eat it all up 
Oh, and with the whey, I made some ricotta cheese that was really tasty.
The farm fresh milk Susan brought us was delicious, and I’m sure it’s going to result in some wonderful tasting cheddar cheese. To thank her for her kindness I sent her home with a box of meal worms to raise for her chickens.
But I’m not sure the worms will bring her as much as enjoyment as the milk brought us!
Tags: making cheddar cheese
It was so good to see you again, Penny, and to meet Bernie and all the critters.
That cheese does look wonderful. Can’t wait till you taste test it and report.
The joy I receive watching my chickens gobble up those mealworms will be surpassed only by the joy the chickens have in eating them! They are doing great, by the way.
Thanks for the update.
Penny that looks great. I want to try that someday.
Yet another reason I need to meet my neighbor! I’ve wanted to make cheese and have just never taken the jump, though I do make a decent yogurt
I can’t wait to hear how it tastes!
And the coop looks wonderful!!
wow lady! my cow, peek-a-boo calved and I have a least one gallon of milk a day, so, I think I will be ordering that kit!
I agree, one of the hardest things about making cheese is finding the time to do it. You have to make it to really appreciate the time that goes into it. Another hard thing is waiting to try it. I hope it turns out great. Let us know.
So I am trying to understand why this milk is better than any other whole milk. It is whole milk that has been pasturized, right?
Anyway, I want to try one of the kits too someday.
The coop is looking great. The cheese looks Yummy !!!
I bet Susan & you had a great visit. Love ya ladies.
Becky,
This milk has been pasteurized, but at a very low temp. It’s also not homogenized. Happy Cow’s dairy cows forage in much the way the animals do at Joel Salatin’s Polyface farm. Here is an article I shared with Penny about their farm. http://www.greenvillenaturalhealth.com/2012/02/happy-cow-creamery-a-healthy-choice/
I had meant to bring Penny some completely raw milk, which we do get in South Carolina. I felt badly about that, till she told me that for longer storing of things like cheese, it’s recommended that you pasteurize raw milk before you do.
This milk is the best milk I’ve ever drank in my life. I wish you could try it, and then you would agree it’s different than what you can buy in the grocery store.
For some reason the computer couldn’t read my captcha code.
I really hate these CAPTCHA codes every time I get one wrong it makes me push the back button and then it makes me start all over again. Seems like it could at least keep what you originally wrote.
What I wrote was:
Thanks, I knew there had to be some difference in the milk but I didn’t know what it was. I will have to see how far this farm is from where we are.
I agree, but I’m glad that we can post without having some sort of account. (I don’t)
Where do you live, Becky? And when I clicked on your name to find out, I saw your blog! Nice!
I was sure I responded to this post! Oh well, better late than never.
Questions: Was that raw milk? A friend told me you can’t make cheese with pasteurized milk. Also, is it the mesophilic culture that makes it taste like cheddar vs some other cheese?
I’m really going to have to try some of that milk! The cheese looks delish just as it is!
The coop looks grand and the babies arrive on my Bday!
CeeCee – the milk was gently pasteurized. If you look above for Susan’s comments, she explained about the Happy Cow Creamery and the milk she brought. You can definitely make cheese from pasteurized milk. In fact, most instructions for making cheese with raw milk will recommend pasteurizing the milk first. What you shouldn’t use is ultra-pasteurized milk. You won’t get good results at all with that.
I think the cheddar taste comes from the process used and the aging.
Second try.. it’s not taking the Captcha Code… Thank you for doing this post. I have wanted to try making farmhouse cheddar, but hesitated because I didn’t have a press. What a great idea to use the bricks!
We had milk cows in the past and I’ve milked them, but never made cheddar cheese! I might do it yet.
You made me homesick for chickens, too.
Nice Job on he Coop & Cheese, never have made any before but now I need to give it a Try.