Click here for Lola's Blueberry Ice Cream recipe.

Photo by Leah Harb

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM
By Lola Milholland
For Summer 2008

As a kid, I became frenetic at the sound of an approaching ice cream truck. I would scrounge for change and then rush into the street to chase after the promise of a Push-up Pop — delicious ice cream in a toilet paper roll. A little more grown up, there’s still nothing in the world I love more than soft-serve ice cream.

I’d been reluctant to make ice cream because it seemed like a lot of hassle for something inferior to Haagen-Dazs. But one batch of buttermilk ice cream later, I knew I had been obtuse. Homemade ice cream is easy to make and delicious, plus it offers a number of advantages to the store-bought stuff: I have complete control over the quality of my ingredients, and I can make any flavor I have the power to imagine.

Continue reading " Edible D.I.Y. - Homemade Ice Cream " »

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In the Summer 2008 issue of Edible Portland, Lola Milholland writes: "Homemade ice cream is easy to make and delicious, plus it offers a number of advantages to the store-bought stuff: I have complete control over the quality of my ingredients, and I can make any flavor I have the power to imagine." Lola also emphasizes that the chemistry of making ice cream is important. Read more in Edible D.I.Y. - Homemade Ice Cream.

Photos by Leah Harb

BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM
From Lola Milholland
Makes approximately 1 quart

1/2 cup sugar
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups heavy cream, cold
Kosher salt

1. Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves completely. Add the blueberries, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.

2. Cook until the berries become tender, and then mash the berries to release their purple juices. Simmer 5–10 minutes.

Continue reading " Recipe: Blueberry Ice Cream " »

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Edible Portland is delighted to introduce its newest department, Edible D.I.Y. We hope to remove the mystery from kitchen projects such as canning, pickling, infusing, drying, and making sourdough. Let's build our self-sufficiency and get a taste for urban homesteading by choosing a few grocery store staples to make in our own homes.

First up? Do-it-yourself cheese.

Mozzarella balls, the finished product. Photo by Leah Harb

MAKING CHEESE
Kitchen Magic with Curds and Whey
By Tami Parr
For Spring 2008

Cheese was first discovered, so the story goes, by wandering nomads carrying milk in animal stomachs. Bacteria in the milk reacted with the natural enzymes in the stomach walls, curdling the milk and forming history’s first cheese.

Since then, cheesemaking has evolved considerably. Hundreds of varieties of cheese are made all over the world from the milk of animals as varied as goats, water buffalo, and camels. Nevertheless, the same basic principles are still at work in today’s cheeses. “The cheesemaking process is, in essence, just concentrating milk proteins,” says Dr. Lisbeth Goddik, Associate Professor of Food Science & Technology at Oregon State University and Oregon’s resident cheese science expert. Modern cheesemakers have developed myriad ways of capturing those proteins and transforming them into cheese.

While making fine artisan cheese can be a complicated process, many styles of cheese are easy to make at home.

Cheesemaking is a fascinating demonstration of food science in action as well as a great activity for kids, who can learn about where their food comes from in the process.

The simplest cheeses to make are those that are created by the addition of acidic agents such as lemon juice or bacteria. These so-called “acid-set” cheeses include paneer, queso fresco, and cottage cheese. These cheeses have fresh dairy flavors and don’t melt when heated.

Continue reading " Edible D.I.Y. - Making Cheese: Kitchen Magic with Curds and Whey " »

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Read the Edible D.I.Y. story, Making Cheese: Kitchen Magic with Curds and Whey by Tami Parr. To find out where to purchase special ingredients and supplies as called for in this recipe, go here.

FRESH MOZZARELLA

Adapted from Ricki Carroll, Author of Home Cheese Making
Makes about 3/4 pound

1 gallon whole cow milk (avoid ultra-pasteurized)
1 1/2 tsp citric acid
1/4 tsp liquid rennet
Cheese salt

Combine Ingredients
1. Combine rennet and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, dissolve citric acid powder in 1/2 cup water and stir until dissolved. Pour citric acid into a very large pot. Add milk, stir, and heat moderately. Small clots starting to form and float in the milk is normal.

2. Using a cooking thermometer, remove pot from heat when the milk reaches 88 degrees. Add rennet and stir for 30 seconds, then allow to set undisturbed for 6-8 minutes. The process is complete when the liquid milk has transformed into a semi-firm custard consistency.

3. While still in the pot, cut the curd gently with a knife. Drawing the knife through the curd from top to bottom and from side to side, you’ll end up with a checkerboard pattern in the surface of the curd. The liquid whey should be clear and slightly yellowish.

Drain, Heat and Knead
4. Scoop out the curd and put into a colander. Curds will be soft but should hold their shape. Drain curds briefly while gently pressing. Pour off pooling whey.

5. If you have a microwave, microwave curds on high for 1 minute. Drain off excess whey, then knead the curd the same way you would bread. Heat for 30 seconds, drain, and knead again. Repeat this process at least 3 times. Note that the cheese curd will become very warm, so you may want to wear rubber gloves. Incorporate salt in small amounts as you knead (not more than a teaspoon).

6. If you don’t have a microwave, heat a pot of water to near boiling—about 180 degrees. Dip the curd in the hot water for several seconds, remove, and knead. It’s helpful to divide the curd into several segments. Repeat the process about 3 times. Incorporate salt to taste.

Stretch!
7. As you knead, the mozzarella will gradually become smooth and pliable, much like bread dough. When the curd stretches effortlessly like salt water taffy, shape the cheese in any manner you like (balls of any size, one large ball, or strands).

8. Cool in ice water. Once cool, it’s ready to eat!

All photos by Tami Parr. Tami is the author of Pacific Northwest Cheese Project, an online chronicle of all things artisan cheese.

Posted by Laura Ford at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Photo of Gruyere courtesy of New England Cheesemaking Supply Company

The following resources, compiled by Tami Parr, will be valuable as you try your hand at cheesemaking using these recipes for Fresh Mozzarella and Paneer. Read the full Edible D.I.Y. story on cheesemaking from the Spring 2008 issue here: Making Cheese—Kitchen Magic with Curds and Whey.

SUPPLIES
Kookoolan Farms
This just in! Kookoolan Farms, located in Yamhill, has cheesemaking supplies for the the Portland metro area. They appear to be the only local supplier. However, it also seems that they source their supplies from The New England Cheesemaking Supply Company. The Kookoolan Farms website lists "cultures, rennets, cheesecloth, wax, thermometers, curd-cutting knives, wrapping papers, and enzymes" to all be among their shop.

New England Cheesemaking Supply Company
An exceptional resource for supplies, kits, and everything the aspiring home cheesemaker could ever want. Owned by Ricki Carroll, author of Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Homemade Cheeses. The Thirty Minute Mozzarella Kit includes everything you need to start making your own mozzarella.

Glengarry Cheesemaking and Dairy Supply
Based in Canada, Margaret Morris’s company is a useful source for supplies, recipes and advice for home and professional cheesemakers.

BOOKS
Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Homemade Cheeses by Ricki Carroll
Ricki Carroll, self-described “cheese queen,” has helped hundreds of commercial artisan cheesemakers get their start with her simple, easy-to-use instructions, recipes, and advice. This book is an indispensable guide to home cheesemaking.

American Farmstead Cheese: The Complete Guide to Making and Selling Artisan Cheeses by Paul Kindstedt
More advanced than the previous book, Kindstedt includes in-depth science as well as advice about business strategies. Nevertheless, offers sound cheesemaking advice in an easy-to-use, accessible format.

CHEESEMAKING CLASSES
Kookoolan Farms
Yamhill, Oregon
503-730-7535

Foster & Dobbs Authentic Foods
2518 NE 15th Avenue, Portland, OR
503-284-1157

WSU Creamery
Washington, Oregon and Idaho locations

WEBSITES
Cheese Chick
Check out Christine Hyatt's Cheese TV!

Pacific Northwest Cheese Project
Includes comprehensive lists of ALL Northwest cheesemakers.

NOTES ON MILK

Good Cheese Comes from Good Milk
As with all cooking projects, the quality of your finished product depends on your ingredients. Use the best quality milk you can find—if you have access to milk from a local farm, all the better. Whole milk makes the best cheese.

Avoid ultra-pasteurized milk, which has been heated to a high temperature that lengthens shelf life, but harms the internal protein structures of milk. This process affects rennet’s ability to coagulate the milk’s solids.

Using Raw Milk to Make Cheese
The use and consumption of raw milk is controversial, and it is important to understand the issues before deciding to use or consume it. When making cheese at home, use pasteurized milk—leave raw-milk cheesemaking to the professionals.

Pasteurization is the process by which milk is heated to a temperature at which any bacteria and potentially harmful pathogens present in the milk are destroyed. So-called “raw” milk is simply unpasteurized milk. Some believe that pasteurization destroys beneficial bacteria and proteins in milk; others advocate that all milk should be pasteurized lest harmful pathogens be consumed by humans. In Oregon, farms can sell raw goat’s milk, if they follow certain handling regulations, but not raw cow milk. In Washington, farms can sell raw cow milk if they are licensed to do so.

In the United States and Canada, laws require cheesemakers who use raw milk to age the cheese a minimum of 60 days, the threshold at which it is believed that any harmful pathogens in the milk will not survive in the finished product. This is a sore subject among domestic cheesemakers, who point out that cheeses have been made with raw milk in Europe for centuries. Cheese aficionados say that artisan cheeses made with raw milk have more complex and nuanced flavors than those made with pasteurized milk.

Posted by Deborah Kane at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Read the Edible D.I.Y. story, Making Cheese: Kitchen Magic with Curds and Whey by Tami Parr. To find out where to purchase special ingredients and supplies as called for in this recipe, go here.

PANEER

One of the simplest cheeses you can make at home is paneer. Paneer is a style of cheese made in India that uses the acidity of lemon juice to curdle the milk. It is a plain tasting cheese that takes well to a variety of sauces and spices. It’s good as a snack when drizzled with honey. Indian cooks use paneer in a variety of dishes such as the popular staple of Indian restaurants, palak paneer. Cut your finished product into cubes, brown in butter (or ghee), and combine with your chosen sauces or accompaniments.

Adapted from Lord Krishna’s Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi

Makes about 12 ounces of cheese. Use immediately, or keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

1 gallon whole cow milk (avoid ultra-pasteurized)
8 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (or lime juice or white vinegar)

Combine Ingredients
1. Heat milk in large pot until boiling, stirring occasionally to avoid scalding. (Be careful—once milk boils, it foams and makes a mess quickly.)

2. Turn off heat. Add lemon juice and stir. The milk solids should start to separate almost immediately. Once fully separated (1-2 minutes), cover and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.

Separate Curds and Whey
3. The process is complete when the whey is yellowish and clear. If the whey is cloudy or milky, allow extra time for further separation. If necessary, add additional lemon juice in very small amounts.

4. Line a colander with 2-3 layers of cheesecloth and place colander in the sink. Gently scoop the curds out of the pot and place into the lined colander.

5. Once you’ve transferred the curds, pick up your “bag” of curds and rinse around the outside to wash away any residual acidity. Note the texture and taste the curds—they should be light, fluffy, and taste pleasantly of dairy.

Drain Curd
6. Draining can be accomplished in a variety of ways—by tying the curd bag to your kitchen faucet or by placing the lined colander in your kitchen sink and letting gravity work its magic. For quicker draining, place a moderate weight on top of the draining curd (a bowl of water works well).

7. Drain until the consistency is to your liking—time will determine the texture of the finished product. Generally speaking, drain at least 1 hour and up to 5.

All photos by Tami Parr. Tami is the author of Pacific Northwest Cheese Project, an online chronicle of all things artisan cheese.

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