# Made some Chevre & FB



## mamatomany

I heard that cheese is a lot like making bread...the more you do it, the better it becomes. I have made both batches recently and they have come out great.....difference....steralizing everything with bleach,e verything...and pasturizing the milk. I am so pleased...


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## Sondra

Congratulations!


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## mamatomany

Hey Sondra, do you have to hang Chevre longer? It tastes good, but kinda buggary in texture. When I opened up the cheese cloth it fell apart in teh middle to reveal still packets of whey? It had been in there for 8 hours so I tied it back up and am letting it drain for a longer period of time. What is the correct texture for Chevre? Is it sliceable with a knife. Like my FB..I could mold it and slice it, it holds together beautifully?


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## Sondra

Well I don't use the pkg chevre stuff I use rennet and FD and usually is nice and creamy like cream cheese I hang and usually twist down the cheese cloth so it sqeezes out the whey but also I usually take it down mix in my salt and then hang again for a while. Really I don't set time have to say I am a horrible time keeper it is more like if it wasn't hanging on my cubboard door over my sink I would remember it was there.


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## mamatomany

The recipe uses rennet and buttermilk (I think 1/2 c.). Wierd...


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## Sondra

Well taking it down and putting in my kitchen aid mixer , putting in the salt and mixing good and then re hanging may be the reason as salt draws out moisture. 
Also after all that I do put back in the mixer and blend in what ever I am going to put and sometimes but not all times add some heavy cream just a tad to mix in herbs /fruit or what and then I either put in a mold or just put in tupperware bowl


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## Bernice

Thats the recipe I use for my chevre Linda, using liquid rennet and buttermilk. I usually have good luck with it. The only times I have run into trouble is when its really hot out and don't have the A/C on. When its ready to drain it looks like yogurt with whey on top. I usually make it at night, let it set overnight then drain it. I squeeze all the whey out and then hang it. As it hangs I will go over and every now and then squeeze more whey. 

It should come out like cream cheese and be sliceable with a knife.


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## mamatomany

I thought you were not supposed to squeeze it...last time I made I got "in trouble" for squeezing it ? It does look like yogurt with whey it it. I do mine at night too...hmmmm...maybe let it hang longer I guess? Maybe I will take it and put it in the blender with some salt and then rehang it? ya that is what I will try...will let you'all know if it turned out. I was thinking about getting some DS starter from www.cheesemaking.com and see if I can't screw that up too  It does taste good, just yogurty at best.


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## Bernice

Uh Oh....SHHHHHH....I'm in trouble for squeezing cheese. I wonder why that is, I hadn't heard that before. After I posted earlier it dawned on me that I have a book someplace about cheesemaking and in there it has a toubleshooter section. I remember one time my cheese didn't turn out, I did what the book said and remade it again, turned out OK. I'm still unpacking so hopefully I will find it soon. 

I miss not having pigs....they used to love my cheese fumbles.


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## buckrun

I make it fresh with the am milk-like Sondra- just rennet and FD- hang till cleaning kitchen at night- almost 12 hours usually.
House temp will make a difference in the draining. Then I toss the whole thing in the food processor and it is just like cream cheese and this lets you blend stuff in there really well- like fresh rosemary and lemon pepper- a hot item here!
Spreads so nicely that way. yup- no squeezing allowed- you are forcing great stuff to come out with the whey. 
L~


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## Sondra

I don't sqeeze but I do twist the top down tight from time to time you would be amazed at how much whey comes out. OH and try some natural strawberry jam or any flavor you like then spread on vanilla waffers YUMMY and you have a small cheese cake


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## Bernice

I know.........thats one of the reasons I've gained this excess weight! But it's, "OOOOOOO sooooooo Good!"


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## mamatomany

I let my cheese hang in the fridge...too many flies are getting in lately and that would really gross me out...do you all hang it on the counter? Also I made this cheese hanger...piece of scrap wood I drilled a hole in maybe the size of pencil and I wrap my cheese up with a muslin strip and stick it through the hole and tie it in a bow. I have two 1 quart glass jars filled with milk and then I put a big block lego on each and put the block of wood on that and it hold it up high enough ....viola...


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## Bernice

I just hang mine from the kitchen sink faucet. I like your idea for the homemade cheese hanger....sounds neat!


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## buckrun

I put a wrought iron plant hanger above the sink -sticks out about 8 inches and use an extra large square of cheesecloth so I can tie a knot in it and have room to slide it over the hanger. Drains right into the sink or if I want to put it in the dogfood a bowl in the sink.
Actually I use butter muslin.
L~


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## homeacremom

Hanging in the fridge may be part of the reason your cheese did not drain well, Linda. Creative set up though! Do you have a large plastic tote or such that you could sterilize and set up for a fly proof drain box?

Flies!!!! It's a constant battle this year to keep them out of the house. Thankfully the few that miss the killing sprees don't seem attracted to the cheese.


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## Sondra

Bernice said:


> I know.........thats one of the reasons I've gained this excess weight! But it's, "OOOOOOO sooooooo Good!"


Bernice can't you eat just one?


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## mamatomany

speaking of cheese and nutrition...anyone know what a label would look like if it were attached to say an FB or Chevre?


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## Bernice

Yeah but it's like this......"OK...I'll eat just one.......then one more......then one more......." HA!


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