1. Use a non-aluminum pot to make your cheese.
2. Add vinegar to precipitate the curds.
3. Use cheesecloth to drain the whey from the curds.
4. You can use rennet or starter bacteria to make other cheeses.
5. Rub the outside of a cheese with salt to flavor and preserve it.
6. Inject cheese with mold to make blue cheese.
7. Consider using goat or sheep milk instead of cow milk.

</note>

• by Liz Casler

• Cheesemaking as a hobby has increased in popularity as the demand for cheesemaking classes rises.The New York Times: Learning to Make Cheese By Hand (August 3, 2008) Actually, you don't even need a class to learn to make your own cheese, as the process can be fairly simple, depending on the type of cheese you wish to make. Queso blanco, a bland, rubbery, Latin American cheese similar to Indian panir, is one of the easiest varieties to produce at home.Fias Co Farm: Panir/Paneer aka Queso Blanco Cheese Recipe Below, you'll find instructions for making queso blanco, as well as information on the cheesemaking process in general.

• The following recipe for queso blanco yields about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of cheese.The Splendid Table: Queso Blanco

• GourmetSleuth.com: How to Make Cheese—Cheesemaking Recipes
  
• New England Cheesemaking Supply Company: Cheese Recipes
  
• Fias Co Farm: Recipes
  

• Large pot (not aluminum)Fias Co Farm: Panir/Paneer aka Queso Blanco Cheese Recipe
• Dairy or candy thermometer
• Stirring utensil
• Cheesecloth
• Strainer or colander
• Pan or bowl
• Cheese press or mold (optional)

• Before beginning to make your cheese, you must sterilize all of your equipment.Fias Co Farm: Panir/Paneer aka Queso Blanco Cheese Recipe Otherwise your cheese might become contaminated with unwanted bacteria or other pathogens. You can either boil all your equipment or use bleach to sterilize it. For bleach sterilization:Fias Co Farm: Milking Process, Equipment & Sanitation

1. Fill your sink or a large tub or bucket with water.
2. Add 1/4 cup bleach for every two gallons of water.Fias Co Farm: Milking Process, Equipment & Sanitation
3. Allow the equipment to sit in the solution for several minutes.
4. Take the equipment out and wait for at least 15 minutes before using.Fias Co Farm: Milking Process, Equipment & Sanitation

• Cheese is made by curdling milk. Curdling separates milk into two distinct elements: solid curds and liquid whey.Epicurious: Food Dictionary—Cheese The curds contain most of the original milk's protein and fat, while the whey is largely water.Dairy Management Inc.: What Exactly Are Curds and Whey?
• Cheesemakers use two different components to curdle milk: rennet (an enzyme) and acid.Cornell University: Cheese Production University of Cincinnati Clermont College: Rennet for Making Cheese Acid and rennet can be used individually or in combination to produce different kinds of cheese. In general, rennet cheeses are firmer than acid cheeses.Kashrut.com: Say Cheese! Queso blanco is an acid precipitated cheese.The Splendid Table: Queso Blanco

1. Pour milk into a large pot.
2. Heat the milk to between 180° and 185°F while stirring frequently.
3. Maintain that temperature for several minutes.
4. Gradually add the vinegar while continuing to stir. The curds should begin to separate from the whey.

• For most cheeses, whey is drained from the curds and discarded. For rennet cheeses that form larger blocks of precipitated curd, cheesemakers often cut the curd into smaller pieces to release even more of the whey.Cornell University: Cheese Production However, you won't have to do this for queso blanco.

1. Place a strainer over a pot large enough to catch the whey.
2. Line the strainer with cheesecloth and pour in the curds and whey. You can discard the whey or save it for other purposes.Fias Co Farm: Panir/Paneer aka Queso Blanco Cheese Recipe
3. At this point you can add salt, herbs, chiles or whatever other flavorings you wish to include. Stir additions into the curds.New England Cheesemaking Supply Company: Queso Blanco (August 2006)
4. Tie the corners of the cheesecloth to form a bag. Hang it up and allow the curds to drain for several hours.
5. Once your cheese is drained, it's ready to eat! If you want, you can shape your cheese before eating.

• Queso blanco doesn't really need to be shaped. However, if you want to create a compact wheel, you can use a cheese press or weighted form (mold) to help drain the curd and form it into a block.New England Cheesemaking Supply Company: Queso Blanco (August 2006) FXCuisine.com: Swiss Alps Cheesemaking You can buy molds and cheese presses from any cheesemaking supply company or Fias Co Farm offers instructions for making them yourself.New England Cheesemaking Supply Company: Cheese Molds and Presses Fias Co Farm: Build Your Own Cheese Press Instructions

1. Place your cheesecloth full of curds into the cheese press or mold.
2. Add weight on top of the mold or press to drain your curds and shape your cheese.
3. Once your cheese is shaped, it's ready to eat! It will keep in the refrigerator, enclosed in plastic wrap, for about a week.The Splendid Table: Queso Blanco

• Queso blanco is a versatile, non-melting cheese suitable for many different preparations. It tends to take on the flavor of other ingredients.Fias Co Farm: Panir/Paneer aka Queso Blanco Cheese Recipe You can:

1. Deep-fry it.The Splendid Table: Queso Blanco
2. Sprinkle it with salt and savor it as a snack.Fias Co Farm: Panir/Paneer aka Queso Blanco Cheese Recipe
3. Cube and stir-fry it.The Splendid Table: Queso Blanco
4. Include it in a hot soup or sauce.The Splendid Table: Queso Blanco
5. Replace meat with queso blanco for a vegetarian dish.Fias Co Farm: Panir/Paneer aka Queso Blanco Cheese Recipe
6. Top a salad.Fias Co Farm: Panir/Paneer aka Queso Blanco Cheese Recipe

• Queso blanco is one of the simplest cheeses to make at home. It requires few supplies and ingredients and has a limited number of steps. Now that you know how to make queso blanco, you can make more complex cheeses by varying your ingredients and the process you follow. Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. In addition to acid, use various combinations of rennet and starter bacteria, to curdle your milk.
   • Try making ricotta at home using the bacterial cultures in buttermilk.About.com: How to Make Ricotta
   • Neufchatel is one of the easiest rennet cheeses to make at home and can also be made using buttermilk.University of Cincinnati Clermont College: Neufchatel—An Unripened Cheese (December 22, 2000)
2. Queso blanco is a fresh cheese, meaning it hasn't been allowed to age.The Cook's Thesaurus: Cheese Ripen your cheese by aging it carefully.
   • Brie is one common aged cheese.New England Cheesemaking Supply Company: Brie—Traditional Style
3. As your cheese ripens, rub the outside of the cheese with salt .About.com: Six Important Steps in Cheesemaking
   • Salt both flavors and preserves cheese.
4. Certain molds can be sprayed on cheeses or injected into them to develop flavor.About.com: Six Important Steps in Cheesemaking
   • Duplicate your favorite blue cheese by using its mold to inoculate a new cheese.University of Cincinnati Clermont College: Blue Cheese
5. You can also obtain a different flavor in your cheese by using goat or sheep milk instead of cow milk.University of Cincinnati Clermont College: Beginning Cheese Making (February 2, 2003)

• YouTube Video: How to Make Cheese (Time: 4:13)

• Once you've mastered queso blanco and a few other cheese recipes, you can experiment a little to create your own formula for the perfect cheese. Just make sure to keep your equipment sterile and follow the appropriate procedures when aging your cheese.Cornell University: Cheese Production Consult existing recipes if you're unsure about any part of the process. If you enjoy making your own cheese, you may also enjoy brewing beer, making your own wine or baking homemade bread.

• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)New England Cheesemaking Supply Company: Queso Blanco (August 2006)
  
• Inclusions and flavorings (optional)New England Cheesemaking Supply Company: Queso Blanco (August 2006)
  

• The Cheesemaker
• Dairy Connection Inc.
• Leeners: Cheese Making Supplies
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