Cheese is a milk product that many people regard as an irresistible dietary supplement. It is a chief source of calcium, fat, and even protein. Moreover, it is a standard topping for popular dishes like burgers and pizza. Cheese can be a snack or an appetizer.

Since most of us can attest to the pure joy that comes with consuming wholesome cheese, we all have different illustrations on how to make one. But first, here are varieties of cheese you should know:

Texture
Duration of fermentation.
The animal milk used
Methods of production
Origin of cheese

There are a dozen plus cheese varieties, ranging from mild to extreme flavors, not to mention low to high-fat composition. You can use cow, sheep or goat milk to make cheese.

Now, before we look at how to make cheese, let’s briefly explore some of the most common and healthiest varieties according to International Dairy Federation. They include:

Mozzarella

Mozzarella is a soft-textured, white cheese with high moisture content (from a cow’s milk or the Italian Buffalo). It’s lower in sodium and calories than any other variety. It rich is in Probiotics bacteria which improves stomach health and immunity against infections.

Blue Cheese

Blue Cheese is white with blue spots and comes from cow, goat and sheep’s milk. It has a distinctive odor and strong flavor and very nutritious. A unique characteristic about it is that it has more calcium than other cheeses. Thus, it helps prevent bone-related health defects.

Feta

It is a soft, salty white Greek cheese from sheep or goat’s milk. If you want to maintain its freshness, use brine, Brine, which is a salt solution preservative. Feta is rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a component that effectively reduces body fat.

Cottage Cheese

Cottage Cheese is from curds of cow’s milk and is higher in protein than other cheeses. It traces its origin to the USA and ideal for weight loss.

Ricotta

Ricotta is product of watery parts of milk from a cow, goat, sheep or Italian Water Buffalo. It has a creamy texture and rich in milk protein. The latter contains all the essential amino acids.

Parmesan

Parmesan is a hard cheese with a sandy texture and salty flavor from raw, unpasteurized cow milk. The milk must have aged for more than a year to kill harmful bacteria. It’s rich in calcium (promoting bone health).

Cheddar

Cheddar is white or yellow semi-hard cheese from England derived from cow milk. After maturing for several months, its tastes vary from to extra sharp to mild. It is a good source of vitamin k2.

Swiss

From Switzerland, Swiss cheese is a semi-hard variant from cow milk with a mild taste. It has holes due to bacteria-releasing gases during the fermentation process. The bacteria help with monitoring salt or fat intake, especially in hypertensive people.

Goat Cheese

It is a tangy soft cheese from the goat milk. It has more fatty acids than cow milk, thus, easy to digest because given its low lactose composition. It contains different types of protein. It contains vitamin A2 Casein that remedies indigestion.

If you want to start making cheese, there are three basic components to think about:

Ingredients
Equipment
Process

A cheaper and easier way to test whether making cheese is enjoyable to do it at home. But first, you should put money on the best cheese-making kits such as the following:

Top 5 Best Cheese-Making Kits for The Money:

The Hard Cheese Making Kit

Our first product is a top choice in the market. It is cost-effective and highly recommended to cheese makers around the world because of features such as the following:

The hard cheese making kit is the most suitable for domestic. It is a product from Homesteader’s Supply in the USA and has everything you need to get started with home-made hard cheeses.
It is ideal for the inexperienced cheese because it comes with a detailed easy-to-follow cheese makers’ manual.
In addition, you can use it to make butter, sour cream and soft cheeses.

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The New England Cheese Making Supply

A conversation about cheese-making can never be complete without mentioning the New England Cheesemaking supply. It is the ultimate solution cheese –making.

The New England Cheese Making Supply enjoys a competitive advantage in the market givens is low price and top-of-the-range features. More reasons why you should put money on this item include:

The New England Cheese making supply is easy to use.
It is a good option for someone who wants to make his/her own mozzarella or ricotta cheese at home.
It comes as a complete package and with a manual.
In less than half an hour, your cheese will be ready.
Moreover, you are able to make multiple batches of cheese using this kit.

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Standing Stones Farms Basic Beginner Cheese Making Kit

If you are looking forward to become a commercial cheese maker, then Standing Stones Farms Basic Beginner Cheese Making kit is the perfect choice for the money. It is a worthy addition to your kitchenware. It is because of the following reasons:

It is an ultimate beginner’s kit for making various types of cheese at home.
It contains all the ingredients (except the dairy products) you need to make delicious cheeses such as mozzarella, goat cheese, and ricotta.
Standing Stones Farms Basic Beginner Cheese Making kit has enough ingredients for turning 20 gallons of milk into preservative-free, non-GMO cheese in as little as 20 minutes.
The kit has detailed recipes and easy to follow instructions and a Soft Curd Drain Bag.
It makes for a perfect gift to someone who hobbies cooking.
With Standing Stones Farms Basic Beginner Cheese Making kit, you can use cow, goat or sheep fresh milk or packaged milk.
Standing Stones Farms Basic Beginner Cheese Making kit is from USA, not to mention that it is a non-GMO Gluten-Free and recyclable.

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Standing Stone Farms Ultimate Cheese Making Kit

Standing Stones Farms Ultimate Beginner Cheese Making kit contains all the ingredients (except the milk and cream) you need to make hundreds of cheeses using cow, goat and sheep milk. It has detailed recipes with easy to follow instructions for a variety of cheeses. They include:

It is a cheesemaking guide with a detailed recipe.
Liquid microbial Rennet
Lipase powder
Cheese Salt
Citric Acid
Calcium Chloride
Curd Draining Cloth (soft)
Thermometer

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Lekue

Like a must-have kit for every cheesemaker. It will make you fall in love with your kitchen. The outcome may leave you yearning for more. Its many amazing features such as:
It makes cheese with natural flavour and texture
It produces fresh cheese with high-value protein and calcium.
Its practical and attractive design facilitates easy cheese-making.
You only need basic ingredients such as milk and any acid (lemon, vinegar & yogurt)
There is an easy-to-read recipe book available for varieties of cheese.

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Why You Should Make Cheese At Home

Making cheese may seem difficult a task for some people, especially those who lack expert skills, know-how, and a bit of training. But there is still hope. With the availability of affordable cheese recipes, it is very simple to get started. There are many reasons why you should get started with homemade cheese which include:

It’s easy. Steps to be followed in making cheese are always the same no matter what kind of cheese you are making. All you need to do is have an eye for details.
It’s less expensive. You don’t need a lot of supplies to make cheese, but a basic thermometer, cheesecloth and cheese cultures will definitely press the start button.
A variety of ingredients: You choose what works best for you, unlike the commercial cheeses which contain artificial flavors or additives.
Homemade cheese connects you to your farmer or milk supplier. This way, you are able to have a conversation with a farmer and learn a lot in the process by asking questions.
If you like making cheese at home it becomes a family hobby. Children like eating cheese. Thus, it makes for a great family activity.
It doesn’t matter which variety of cheese you are making. Homemade cheese is always edible. Even if the end product is salty you will still enjoy it and rectify the mistake later.

How Do You Make Cheese?

Get fresh warm milk.
Add acid to the milk (vinegar or citric acid).
Add a coagulant. Rennet is the most common coagulant.
Confirm that the gel is firm. Test by pressing onto the surface of the milk.
Cut the curd with a knife or cheese harp.
Stir, cook and wash the curd.
Drain the curds.
Salt and age the cheese.

Factors To Consider When Making Cheese Include:

As you prepare to make your cheese, it is important that you exercise high standards of hygiene. Make sure you sanitize surface areas, utensils, pots, and pans as well as the cheesecloth.
You should also keep the temperature in check. Different cheese varieties work well under appropriate temperatures. Confirm that the temperature and humidity in the cave or room are within the required range.
It is also important to check the PH of your cheese. It’s important to understand that cheese making heavily relies on development of acid. In the end, cheeses draw their flavor from varying PH values of acid.

Cheese Has The Following Health Benefits:

Anyone with a lactose allergy should not eat any type of cheese, albeit, some types may be suitable for those with lactose intolerance.
Men and women whose ages varying between 19 and 50 years, experts advise, should have a calcium intakes of 1000mg every day. Now, to get it right, it is imperative you consume an ounce of cheddar cheese. Do not forget that calcium is a vital dietary supplement given its role in tooth and bone development.
Eating cheese can raise the PH level in dental plaque, offering protection against dental cavities.
People eating more cheese have lower blood pressure as calcium reduces blood pressure.
Cheese is a good source of antioxidant crucial for brain health
People on weight-loss diets benefit a lot from cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What Is In A Cheese Making Kit?

A: An ideal kit should contain requisite ingredients (rennet, cheese –salt, herbs, and citric acid), equipment (cheesecloth, spoon, thermometer and a cheese-mold), a color recipe and an instruction book.

How Can One Know How To Balance The Recipe In The Cheese-Making Kit?

A: Well, a detailed book or guideline containing sets of instructions, you can be sure to achieve good results when making cheese.

Does The Quality Of Milk Affect Of Cheese?

A: Just as dirty fuel affects engine operations in a machine, it is also important to consider the quality of milk. The higher it is the better is your cheese.

Note: However, anyone with a milk allergy must avoid all dairy products. You should choose cheese carefully and keep your consumption in check.

Conclusion

Now that you know every about cheese making, we would be glad to share in your success story as you embark on a journey of becoming a professional. It is because, with tips in this review at the back of your mind, not to mention our product recommendations, it is time to take a bold step going forward.

We would love to hear from you, therefore, feel free to post your questions, suggestions, and ideas in the comment section below.

Moreover, strike the social share buttons to help your also learn how to make tasty cheeses any day. Remember to always keep it locked here for amazing posts like this about the best cheese making kits for beginners.

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