Cheesemaking 101
Friday June 27, 2008
The weekend is a great time to learn a new frugal skill; so why not put your kitchen prowess to the test, and give cheesemaking a try? You can make your own mozzarella in just 30-minutes.
Here are some cheesemaking resources gathered from around the About network:
- Basic Cheesemaking Supplies and Ingredients
- How to Make Ricotta Cheese
- How to Make Mozzarella
- How to Make Yogurt Cheese
Photo Credit: cwbuecheler
I applaud your ingenuity, however I do not see how having to go out and buy all of those ingredients, etc. that are not a normal household item could be considered being frugal… cheese isn’t that expensive.
The rennet tablets are 8 for $1.50, which is enough to make 16 batches of this cheese recipe. The citric acid is similarly inexpensive. After that, you just need milk and the pans you have at home. You save a slight amount making mozzarella from milk over buying it (I had 44 cents per ounce at my local grocery store, and with milk at 3.60 a gallon, making 12 oz of cheese, and the rennet and citric acid together costing about 25 cents, you save 1.43) But mostly I think it would be useful for the same reason it was invented; you can preserve milk a lot longer. Next time my family is saddled with 3 gallons of leftover milk from my girl scout troop, I know what I’m doing with it…