Cheeselinks

Frequently Asked Questions - Milk

What milk do I use for cheesemaking?

It is best to use unhomogenised milk for cheesemaking, which means that the best way is by either obtaining a source of milk from a friendly local dairy farmer. There are a few types of unhomogenised milk available in the supermarket - Pauls/Parmalat Organic, or Biodynamic Milk is available in most Coles and Safeway stores, but be careful because these may also be available in homongenised form. Any milk obtained should be no more than 3 days old, so check use by dates if buying packaged milk, they should have at least 7 days left on them an the day of cheesemaking to allow maximum yield.

 

Where can I get a source of milk for cheesemaking?

There are a variety of options for milk. For cheesemaking you need a source of unhomogenised milk. You can buy fresh milk directly from local dairy farmers - this is a popular option for people who live in country areas... If you don't have any dairy farms nearby, there are options from the supermarket. Pauls/Parmalat Organic, or Biodynamic Milk is perfect for cheesemaking but be careful because these may also be available in homongenised form. These are readily available from coles and safeway supermarkets. Any milk obtained should be no more than 3 days old, so check use by dates if buying packaged milk, they should have at least 7 days left on them an the day of cheesemaking to allow maximum yield

 

Can I use UHT milk in cheesemaking?

UHT milk is fine for making yoghurt and for making up starters, and is fine for making lactic curds like quarg, but is not always appropriate for making cheese.

 

Do I have to pasteurise my milk?

It is quite common to make cheese using milk from a house cow but if you use raw milk (i.e. without pasteurising) you need to be aware of some health related issues. For example, raw milk may contain undesirable bacteria – eg. Pathogens that can be harmful or spoilage organisms that can affect the flavour of your cheese. Pasteurising ensures a more uniform bacterial level before starting to make cheese which helps to produce a more consistent flavour. You will not notice much difference in the making procedure, so all the recipes in our book can proceed the same whether the milk is pasteurised or unpasteurised. 

 

What milk do I use for making yoghurt/prepared starter?

It is best to use UHT milk for making yoghurt and prepared starter,

 

Can I make cheese from soy ‘milk’?

Any cheese that requires the addition of rennet cannot be made from soy ‘milk’, which cuts out most of the cheeses on the market. However, there are certain types of soft curd cheeses, like cottage cheese or quarg that can be made.

These types of cheeses are typically made by adding a starter culture (bacteria) which acidifies the lactose (milk sugar) in the milk to produce lactic acid. There is no lactose in soy ‘milk’ but there is sucrose and other sugars, and the starter culture acts in the same way with the these to produce acid, which will coagulate and sour the liquid which can then be drained to form a type of soy ‘cheese’. You should note, however, that the flavour of any cheese made out of soy ‘milk’ will be different to what is produced from real milk, so don’t expect it to taste the same or look the same!

 

Can I make yoghurt from soy ‘milk’?

It is possible to make yoghurt from soy ‘milk’ although the results will vary greatly depending on the type of soy drink that you use. Yoghurt is made by adding a bacterial starter culture to milk, which acts by acidifying the lactose (milk sugar) to make lactic acid. There is no lactose in soy ‘milk’ but there are other sugars, and the starter culture acts in the same way with those sugars to produce acid, which will coagulate and sour the liquid to form a type of soy ‘yoghurt’. You should note, however, that the flavour of yoghurt made out of soy ‘milk’ will be different to what is produced from real milk, so don’t expect it to taste the same or look the same!

 

Can I make cheese from raw milk (i.e. unpasteurised milk)?

Yes, but in home cheesemaking this is not generally advisable. You need to be EXTREMELY careful with your sanitation. If you use raw milk you need to be aware of some health related issues. For example, raw milk may contain undesirable bacteria or pathogens that can be harmful. Raw milk may also contain spoilage organisms that can affect the flavour of your cheese. Pasteurising ensures a more uniform bacterial level before starting to make cheese which helps to produce a more consistent flavour. You will not notice much difference in the making procedure, so all the recipes in the book, ‘Home Cheeemaking’ can proceed the same whether the milk is pasteurised or unpasteurised. 

 

Can I use rice ‘milk’ to make yoghurt?

If you add starter culture to rice ‘milk’ you will create a kind of sour rice liquid, more similar in thickness to a drink like yakult than even drinking yoghurt. The protein level of rice ‘milk’ is much lower than regular milk which means that it will not thicken in the same way. Also, don’t expect it to taste or look the same as regular yoghurt!