Making Cheese at Home

"The cheese, the cheese!" one woman called out to the group of five gathered to hone their cheese-making skills on a recent Saturday morning.  The conversation had wandered, but the task-at-hand required attention.

Raw whole milk warmed on the stove.  "Do you see how the curds start to form?" asked Katie Quinn-Jacobs, leader of the informal class, as she slowly drew a slotted spoon through the pot. The milk was distinctly yellowish because local cows have grazed on dandelions recently.

Between crucial steps of slowly raising the temperature, adding citric acid and rennet, and separating the curd from the whey, the women (including yours truly) chatted about the merits of eating locally, how to butcher a hog, where to find great cow and goat milk, and --of course-- the intricacies of cheese-making.

Over the course of the morning, one batch of milk transformed into mozzarella, another into ricotta.  Participants shared lasagna for lunch and left with a portion of the final products.  The group originally met via the online social networking site IthaCan.