Cheese Making Supplies
@desertdarlene (8911)
United States
May 26, 2008 8:54am CST
Does anyone know where I can look for cheese making supplies? I'm going to start out with simple cheeses that only require cheesecloth, but eventually I want to make cheeses that require rennet and ripening bacteria that I know the regular stores don't supply. Also, I might need some presses and molds, too.
1 person likes this
3 responses
@sconibear (8016)
• United States
26 May 08
a friend of mine just started making his own cheese, and i think he got his supplies from EBay. but the real reason i replied is so i can track this discussion cuz i'm curious too. if i find anything while searching, i'll let you know darlene. 
2 people like this
@desertdarlene (8911)
• United States
26 May 08
Thanks. I found places online where I can buy things in bulk, but I don't need them that way. I think I can make some of my own molds and presses, but I would like the nice muslin cheese cloth and the ripening agents. I prefer to buy them in a store, too, rather than online.
Right now, I'm just going to make things like queso blanco and whole milk ricotta which only require milk, cheese cloth, and some kind of curdling trigger like lemon juice.
1 person likes this
@sconibear (8016)
• United States
26 May 08
here you go...they say you can make the equipment yourself....i haven't explored in detail yet, but i will....hope it helps:
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese_course/Chess_course.htm
hope i got the link right.....i can't copy and paste yet.
1 person likes this
@Jakesnake1978 (1380)
• United States
26 May 08
Yeah, I would love to make my own cheese someday. I would even give it to my family. It is more similar to the cheese that came from Frog City Cheese factory, located within the Calvin Coolidge Place in Plymouth, Vermont. The website for this is: www.frogcitycheese.com. That is awesome.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
26 May 08
Until I saw that you prefer to buy in a store rather than online I was going to suggest Glenngarry in Canada, which I think you would enjoy looking at anyway, but then I remembered that About.com often has good ideas and saw that they have Glenngarry's link in their article anyway:
http://cheese.about.com/od/cheesebuyingguide/tp/Supplies.htm
Are you the person who started this thread? It seems to have some good replies:
http://askville.amazon.com/find-cheese-making-supplies-California/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=6035028
Do you already have some nice books on the subject? I used to make a few simple homemade cheeses back when good milk was cheaper and more widely available. I think you will find that the quality of milk you are able to buy makes a great deal of difference in the quality of your cheese.
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@desertdarlene (8911)
• United States
26 May 08
Thanks, I'll check out the links. I already have one book on cheese making and I got some recipes off the internet. I made some Queso Blanco today and it came out perfectly. I just wish I didn't have to thrown the rest of the milk out, but it didn't taste good once the cheese got separated from it.
I wanted to start making some of my own cheese because I found recipes that didn't call for a lot of extra salt. So, I was hoping that I could control the sodium a little better if I made it myself.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
27 May 08
Yes, you can control the sodium, or equally as importantly use healthy salt instead of commercially processed salt which contains aluminum (think Altzheimers) and sugar. However, the stuff you hate to throw away is WHEY and it is incredibly healthy and stimulates insulin release!
So please do not throw away the whey. If you don't want to use it to make your own ricotta cheese, ou can put in in rice and soups, bake wonderful scones with it, or look online for other recipes. If you bake, you will want to know that it also greatly improves the texture of whole grain bread.
Don't worry about having too much of it, because it freezes well.
@desertdarlene (8911)
• United States
27 May 08
Oh, I just threw it away before you posted. I will remember that for next time. I actually am hypoglycemic and my body tends to put out too much insulin. But, it's gotten better. I know some other people who might need a little insulin boost, too. But, I did drink some and I got a little stomach ache, but nothing serious.
I didn't know you could use the whey to make more ricotta. I thought you had to use fresh whole milk that still has all the fat still in it.
@Jakesnake1978 (1380)
• United States
26 May 08
Hey, I would also love to learn about how to purchase cheese making supplies. It depends on what kind of cheese you want to make. Right? Well, I do have a certain website to pass out. I have been there before. There is a certain place located within the Calvin Coolidge Place in Plymouth, Vermont. I always think of Plymouth cheese. It is call Frog City Cheese factory. The website for this is: www.frogcitycheese.com. So, please let me know what you think. OK? I look forward to hearing from you guys.
1 person likes this
@desertdarlene (8911)
• United States
26 May 08
Thanks for the link. Right now, I am making simple cheeses that don't call for a lot, or any, added salt. I would like to make more complicated cheeses, so I need starters and rennets.
That website looks a lot like the Oakdale Cheese Factory website; they make a great, creamy, Gouda. But, it is too high in sodium for me.
