Basics of Cheesemaking Video Series
Learn how to make cheese at home with our Basics of Cheesemaking video course! Eric Rector of Monroe Cheese Studio has been making award-winning cheeses in Waldo County for over 15 years. Rector demystifies the process of cheesemaking, walking viewers through the basics of turning organic raw milk into delicious cheese. This series showcases five fresh cheeses (yogurt cheese, chevre, paneer, cottage cheese and mozzarella), while providing scientific and historical context to cheesemaking. With just a few simple techniques, Rector opens the door to an array of flavorful cheeses that can be made in your home kitchen!
This series is available to purchase for $20 and is free to MOFGA members at the $20 level or above.Â
If you are a member looking to watch the series, you should have received an email with your access code. You can either directly get to the videos through the link in that email, or act as if purchasing the videos, then enter your member code in the promo box. If you can not find the email with your access code, please email [email protected].Â
Included in the Series:
In the first video of MOFGA’s cheesemaking series, instructor Eric Rector provides an introduction to the world of cheese, starting with its four main ingredients: milk, cultures, salt and enzymes.
In ancient Babylon, cheese was the solution to dairy’s short shelf life. Today, it is aged, fermented and flavored into numerous varieties. In this video, Rector provides a brief history of cheese and how it’s commonly made.
Dive deeper into the science of cheese! This video talks about raw milk, cultures, acid, salt and dairy byproducts and the role they play in the cheesemaking process.Â
Rector demonstrates how to make a variety of fresh cheeses starting with the simplest: yogurt cheese! Watch how yogurt and salt come together to make an easy and delicious cheese.
The next cheese in our series is chevre, a simple soft cheese, most commonly made with goat’s milk. Made with mesophilic culture, renent and raw milk, chevre is often seen as an entry point to cheesemaking.
Up next is paneer! Paneer is an acid set cheese, traditional to Indian cooking. Rector shows us how to make this quick cheese that comes together in less than an hour.
Cottage cheese – or curds and whey – is a delightfully mild, creamy cheese. Follow along as Rector outlines the process of cooking this classic cheese.
Our final cheese is a traditional mozzarella. Rector adds thermophilic cultures to raw milk to get the perfect stretch associated with this cheese. Try adding homemade mozzarella to your next pizza and enjoy its rich flavor!
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