This week we discuss a few key things to consider when jumping into the world of homemade cheese. How difficult is it to make cheese at home? Is it super expensive? We cover these topics and more in this initial exploration of DIY cheese.
In our never-ending quest to more deeply understand our motives behind DIY fermentation projects, we touch on the two major approaches to DIY cheese making. We also ponder the likelihood of mice eating cheese.
Show notes:
| [Coffee Week | NPR](https://www.npr.org/templates/archives/archive.php?thingId=178007479) |
As follow up to last week’s coffee fermentation, if you are interested in hearing more coffee talk, then listen to NPR’s coffee week for even more coffee fun.
| [Mice Don’t Like Cheese | Today I Found Out](https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/09/mice-dont-like-cheese/) |
So all of those cartoons depicting mice eating cheese are false!
| [Mice hate cheese, new study reveals | Mail Online](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-403925/Mice-hate-cheese-new-study-reveals.html) |
Supposedly, mice prefer sweeter foods and cheese isn’t sweet enough. Mice appear to prefer fruits and grains.
| [Starter Cultures Guide PDF | Artisan Cheese Making at Home](https://artisancheesemakingathome.com/pdfs/cultures.pdf) |
This is a great chart that describes many of the different mesophilic and thermophilic cheese starter cultures that are available. The PDF chart shows the bacteria in the starter and which suppliers make each starter culture.
| [The Cheesemaker’s Apprentice: An Insider’s Guide to the Art and Craft of Homemade Artisan Cheese by Sasha Davies | Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1592537553/fermup-20) |
This is a great book to start with if you like lots of step-by-step photos. This isn’t the first book I used to make cheese at home, but it is the one I recommend now. Dispersed throughout the book are interviews and suggestions from cheese professionals from around the world. Fascinating read.
| [Artisan Cheese Making at Home: Techniques & Recipes for Mastering World-Class Cheeses by Mary Karlin | Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1607740087/fermup-20) |
This book goes over beginner basics and then the rest of the book is filled with recipes for making different styles of cheeses. This book has many elegant photographs of artisanal cheese but not many step-by-step images. If you’re the kind of person that is motivated by nice photos, then this is the book for you. This is one of the first books that I used when starting out in cheese making.
| [Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Homemade Cheeses by Ricki Carrol | Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580174647/fermup-20) |
This is one of the original and popular books on home cheese making written by the owner of a cheese supply shop. This book is black and white with a few illustrations. If you are a visual learner, this may not be the book for you. I like it as a nice cross reference when comparing recipes.
| [Rennet Supplies for Cheese Making | Cultures for Health](https://www.culturesforhealth.com/cheese-making/rennet-additives.html?a_aid=50d5f83f819c5) |
Unlike some other ferments where no special ingredients are needed, cheese requires a few speciality items. I have produced good results when using starter cultures and rennet from Cultures for Health. But if you do a Google search you will find many retailers of cheese making supplies.
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