Say Cheese?

In making farmers cheese I start with one gallon of whole milk. Since mine is not pasteurized it is truly whole milk, nothing added nothing taken away. Sometimes if I'm needing cream for butter I may skim the cream off the top first. Usually I use it cream and all. When we were milking twice a day seven days a week and bringing in four to five gallon a day—we've never had any cow top our first Molly the Ayrshire for quantity nor quality. She gave enough milk for two to three calves at four plus gallons a milking and 4% butter fat.

Her temperament on the other hand was not as pleasant. After a year of 'not knowing if I was going to get up from the milking stool on my own accord, or just pick myself up off the barn floor,' Mr. Fuzzy decided to purchase a second calf to go with her calf, turn them out to pasture and purchase two other Jersey cows to milk. Here is a link that shows different dairy cows. If you scroll down there is a picture of Ayrshire and Jersey and several other breeds.

https://www.americandairy.com/dairy-farms/dairy-cows/

I suppose you'll have to copy and paste the link. I've not had lots of success with links.

I thought I had a picture of my pan, but that was for a different project. The pan I use is a stainless steel (?) Cordon Bleu pan. I purchased the set of pans and the set of china forty-six years ago from a local sales man. One of the good purchases I've made. The handles don't last well, but the pans themselves are great. They came with a lifetime guarantee of replacement. I've replaced the handles on most of the pans once, but they still didn't last, so I just improvise. I use the large pan to make the cheese, and it holds the gallon of milk easily. (The cheese I made above weighed in at 12 ounces).

The recipe I used calls for: bring gallon of milk up to just before boiling/not quite boiling. Turn off and pour a cup of white vinegar into the milk and gently stir into milk. When it has finished curdling pour the whey through a cheese cloth covered colander.

I don't use cheese cloth. Probably just me, but I have trouble finding cheese cloth, and I didn't like what I did find. I purchased 'hairless' cotton material at the material section in the store. (For example, Terry-cloth that they make bath towels from has fuzz for texture. I don't want that).

I've read you can use lemon juice, but I haven't tried that. I have salted and garlic-ed it. I've even read of different flavors. With a bit of experimenting I found you can under vinegar/ sour the milk and I had to put extra vinegar into the milk. It soured a second time and I got more cheese. That's about it for this episode. Stay tuned for more tomorrow. I'd wink here, but I don't know how, so here's a thought for today:

Proverbs 30:32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil, Lay thy hand upon thy mouth. 33) For the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.