Mastering Basic Cheesemaking: The Fun and Fundamentals of Making Cheese at Home

by Gianaclis Caldwell

Overview

Make artisanal cheese at home with simple techniques that produce professional-quality results. Step-by-step guide to creating fresh and aged cheeses using basic equipment and natural ingredients, with troubleshooting for perfect results every time.

Why Homemade Cheese Beats Store-Bought:

Artisanal cheeses cost $15-25 per pound retail but can be made at home for $3-5 per pound using the same traditional techniques, with fresher ingredients and no preservatives.

What You'll Master:

• Essential techniques for fresh cheeses like mozzarella, ricotta, and farmer's cheese
• Aging processes for hard cheeses including cheddar, gouda, and parmesan styles
• Troubleshooting guides for texture, flavor, and aging problems
• Equipment recommendations from basic starter setups to advanced aging caves
• Recipe scaling for family consumption or small-scale commercial production

Cost Savings and Quality:

Home cheesemakers report saving $500-1,500 annually on cheese purchases while enjoying fresher, more flavorful results than commercial alternatives.

Create gourmet cheese in your own kitchen. Perfect for cooking enthusiasts, homesteaders, and anyone wanting to master this ancient food preservation art.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780865718180
Publisher:	New Society Publishers
Publication date:	04/01/2016
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	16 Years

About the Author

Gianaclis Caldwell is the head cheesemaker and owner of Pholia Farm, a licensed dairy well-known for its artisan, aged raw milk cheeses, and for its educational offerings including beginner to advanced cheesemaking courses. She also serves on the American Cheese Society regulatory and academic committee. Gianaclis is the author of several books including Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking , The Small-Scale Cheese Business , and The Small-Scale Dairy . She often writes and photographs for in culture: the word on cheese and other publications, and she blogs at gianacliscaldwell.wordpress.com.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

PART 1: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MAKING CHEESE

1: WHY MAKE CHEESE?
The First Cheesemakers
The Pedigree of a Cheese
What Is Cheesemaking?

2: UNDERSTANDING INGREDIENTS
A Quick Look
Milk
Acid
Cultures
Calcium Chloride
Lipase
Rennet
Salt
Flavoring, Coloring, and Other Additions

3: THE CHEESEMAKER'S TOOLS
Pots, Vats, and Containers
Thermometers
Ladles, Spoons, and Spatulas
Ripening Spaces
Knives pH Meters
Cloths
Forms and Molds
Colanders and Sieves
Presses
Mats and Racks
Trays and Tubs
Vacuum-sealing Equipment
Aging Spaces
Preparing Cheesemaking Tools

PART 2: THE FUN OF MAKING CHEESE

4: QUICK AND SIMPLE CHEESES
Steps for Making Quick and Simple Cheeses with Heat and Added Acid
What to Do with the Whey from Quick and Simple Cheeses
Lesson 1: Whole-milk Ricotta
Lesson 2: Mascarpone
Lesson 3: Paneer

5: CULTURED MILKS AND CREAMS
Steps for Making Cultured Milks and Creams
What to Do with the Whey from Cultured Milks and Creams
Lesson 4: Buttermilk
Lesson 5: Sour Cream and Crème Fraîche
Lesson 6: Cultured Butter and Buttermilk
Bonus Recipe: Ghee
Lesson 7: Kefir and Kefir Cheese
Lesson 8: Yogurt and Yogurt Cheese

6: FRESH AND VERSATILE CHEESES
Steps for Making Fresh and Versatile Cheeses
What to Do with the Whey from Fresh and Versatile Cheeses
Lesson 9: Quark, Chèvre, and Fromage Blanc
Lesson 10: Cream Cheese
Lesson 11: Curd Cottage Cheese

7: RENNET-COAGULATED SEMI-FIRM FRESH CHEESES
Steps for Making Rennet-coagulated Fresh Cheeses
What to Do with the Whey from Rennet-coagulated Fresh Cheeses
Lesson 12: Quick Mozzarella
Bonus Recipe: Burrata
Lesson 13: Feta
Lesson 14: Farmhouse Cheese

8: RENNET-COAGULATED AGED CHEESES
Steps for Making Rennet-coagulated Aged Cheeses
Lesson 15: Gouda
Lesson 16: Fresh, Squeaky Cheddar Curds and Traditional Cheddar
Lesson 17: Stirred-curd Cheddar
Lesson 18: Colby
Lesson 19: Parmesan
Bonus Recipe: Whey Ricotta

9: WHAT'S NEXT?
Keep a Cheese Journal
Experiment
Advanced Cheesemaking
Cheesemaking as a Business
Conclusion

GLOSSARY
RESOURCES
BOOKS
MAGAZINES
MOVIES AND VIDEOS
SUPPLIES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Gianaclis has taken the craft of cheesemaking and has molded it into another beautiful tome for cheese lovers. Her straightforward recipes will guide you through the exciting processes of crafting different cheeses, starting with the easiest then progressing to the more advanced recipes. She also shares some extra tips here and there to make the endeavor all the more successful. Whether you plan to make cheese or not! Mastering Basic Cheesemaking will help you understand how the myriad of cheese styles can all begin with one simple ingredient — milk. Should you attempt to give it a whirl, this book will be like having her right there beside you as you create your first cheese."
— MAX MCCALMAN, ACS CCP™, author of numerous books on cheese including Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoisseurship from a Maître Fromager.

"'If only I'd known…' words that kept repeating in my mind as I read Mastering Basic Cheesemaking. This is the book I longed for years ago when I embarked on my own cheesemaking journey. Not just another how-to, this beginner's book is designed to teach. The reader is seamlessly led through a progression of recipes intended to bring about a true understanding of what is happening in the vat. This book is all about success! I love it."
— KIRSTEN K. SHOCKEY, author of Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes & Pastes.

"Over the last few years, Gianaclis Caldwell has written pretty much every book you need to start a small-scale artisan cheese business. With Mastering Basic Cheesemaking, she turns her attention to home cheesemaking and creates another must-have title. Writing in a way that demystifies the process and makes it accessible to everyone, Caldwell takes the reader logically through many different styles of cheese. This is the kind of book where you don't realize how much you are learning until you get to the end and eat your creations. If you can use a cookbook, this book will show you how to make some great cheese… and also teach you how you did it."
— GORDON EDGAR, author of Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge, Cheddar: A Journey to the Heart of America's Most Iconic Cheese and cheese buyer for Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco since 1994.

Editorial Reviews

Gianaclis has taken the craft of cheesemaking and has molded it into another beautiful tome for cheese lovers. Her straightforward recipes will guide you through the exciting processes of crafting different cheeses, starting with the easiest then progressing to the more advanced recipes. She also shares some extra tips here and there to make the endeavor all the more successful. Whether you plan to make cheese or not! Mastering Basic Cheesemaking will help you under- stand how the myriad of cheese styles can all begin with one simple ingredient -- milk. Should you attempt to give it a whirl, this book will be like having her right there beside you as you create your first cheese.
-- MAX MCCALMAN, ACS CCP(TM), author of numerous books on cheese including
Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoisseurship from a Maitre Fromager.

If only I'd known..." words that kept repeating in my mind as I read Mastering Basic Cheesemaking. This is the book I longed for years ago when I embarked on my own cheesemaking journey. Not just another how-to, this beginner's book is designed to teach. The reader is seamlessly led through a progression of recipes intended to bring about a true understanding of what is happening in the vat. This book is all about success! I love it.
-- KIRSTEN K. SHOCKEY, author of Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes & Pastes.

Over the last few years, Gianaclis Caldwell has written pretty much every book you need to start a small-scale artisan cheese business. With Mastering Basic Cheesemaking, she turns her attention to home cheesemaking and creates another must-have title. Writing in a way that demystifies the process and makes it accessible to everyone, Caldwell takes the reader logically through many dif- ferent styles of cheese. This is the kind of book where you don't realize how much you are learning until you get to the end and eat your creations. If you can use a cookbook, this book will show you how to make some great cheese... and also teach you how you did it.
-- GORDON EDGAR, author of Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge, Cheddar: A Journey to the Heart of America's Most Iconic Cheese and cheese buyer for
Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco since 1994.



Gianaclis has taken the craft of cheesemaking and has molded it into another beautiful tome for cheese lovers. Her straightforward recipes will guide you through the exciting processes of crafting different cheeses, starting with the easiest then progressing to the more advanced recipes. She also shares some extra tips here and there to make the endeavor all the more successful. Whether you plan to make cheese or not! Mastering Basic Cheesemaking will help you under- stand how the myriad of cheese styles can all begin with one simple ingredient -- milk. Should you attempt to give it a whirl, this book will be like having her right there beside you as you create your first cheese.
-- MAX MCCALMAN, ACS CCP(TM), author of numerous books on cheese including
Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoisseurship from a Maitre Fromager.

If only I'd known..." words that kept repeating in my mind as I read Mastering Basic Cheesemaking. This is the book I longed for years ago when I embarked on my own cheesemaking journey. Not just another how-to, this beginner's book is designed to teach. The reader is seamlessly led through a progression of recipes intended to bring about a true understanding of what is happening in the vat. This book is all about success! I love it.
-- KIRSTEN K. SHOCKEY, author of Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes & Pastes.

Over the last few years, Gianaclis Caldwell has written pretty much every book you need to start a small-scale artisan cheese business. With Mastering Basic Cheesemaking, she turns her attention to home cheesemaking and creates another must-have title. Writing in a way that demystifies the process and makes it accessible to everyone, Caldwell takes the reader logically through many dif- ferent styles of cheese. This is the kind of book where you don't realize how much you are learning until you get to the end and eat your creations. If you can use a cookbook, this book will show you how to make some great cheese... and also teach you how you did it.
-- GORDON EDGAR, author of Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge, Cheddar: A Journey to the Heart of America's Most Iconic Cheese and cheese buyer for
Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco since 1994.



"Gianaclis has taken the craft of cheesemaking and has molded it into another beautiful tome for cheese lovers. Her straightforward recipes will guide you through the exciting processes of crafting different cheeses, starting with the easiest then progressing to the more advanced recipes. She also shares some extra tips here and there to make the endeavor all the more successful. Whether you plan to make cheese or not! Mastering Basic Cheesemaking will help you under- stand how the myriad of cheese styles can all begin with one simple ingredient milk. Should you attempt to give it a whirl, this book will be like having her right there beside you as you create your first cheese."
MAX MCCALMAN, ACS CCP, author of numerous books on cheese including
Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoisseurship from a Maitre Fromager.
"If only I d known words that kept repeating in my mind as I read" Mastering Basic Cheesemaking. "This is the book I longed for years ago when I embarked on my own cheesemaking journey. Not just another how-to, this beginner s book is designed to teach. The reader is seamlessly led through a progression of recipes intended to bring about a true understanding of what is happening in the vat. This book is all about success! I love it."
KIRSTEN K. SHOCKEY, author of "Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes & Pastes."
"Over the last few years, Gianaclis Caldwell has written pretty much every book you need to start a small-scale artisan cheese business. With Mastering Basic Cheesemaking, she turns her attention to home cheesemaking and creates another must-have title. Writing in a way that demystifies the process and makes it accessible to everyone, Caldwell takes the reader logically through many dif- ferent styles of cheese. This is the kind of book where you don t realize how much you are learning until you get to the end and eat your creations. If you can use a cookbook, this book will show you how to make some great cheese and also teach you how you did it."
GORDON EDGAR, author of "Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge, Cheddar: A Journey to the Heart of America s Most Iconic Cheese" and cheese buyer for
Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco since 1994.
"

From the Publisher