Two More Cheddars and a Sour Cream

I'm happy to say that I'm really into the cheese making lately! I made a sour cream last week for a Mexican Dip and it turned out really well. The Sour Cream Recipe was one that I found for "cream cheese". Technically yes, it IS creamed cheese...but when you're used to the Philly one, it's hard to get used to a non-sweet version. To us, it tastes much more like a sour cream, so that's what we call it.

Notes: I know a lot of folks who make cheese go to the place in New England for their recipes and cultures. I don't like that company at all, I know...it seems sacrilege since they are the biggest and supposedly the most notable. It's very subjective. I got horrible customer service from them and stopped buying their products. I asked one little question about the Camembert that one of the supposed cheese experts posted and he argued with me until the cows came home before his manager had to step in and give me the simple one phrase answer I was looking for, sheesh...

They sell a generic "mesophilic culture" package for most cheeses. So if you follow their recipes, you need to buy their cultures or you may be lost. I say TRY SOMETHING NEW!  I did! Instead of a generic culture, I now use an MM100 culture from the company Danisco. When Alex and I tried this sour cream made with the new culture - we were BLOWN AWAY. It's THAT good. The last few I made with the leftover New England cultures were very sour and a little bit effervescent, which is kind of disturbing...

I also made two more wheels of Cheddar - for a total of three that are aging now. Again, I veered away from the generic stuff and now use an MA11 Culture from Danisco. Though we won't be tasting the first wheel for another 3 months, I turned a failed Cheddar into a poutine cheese and it tasted just lovely. The old Cheddars I made with the generic cultures tasted way too tangy. Again, try different things, do your own research and be brave in your cheese making!

Sour Cream (Recipe and Instructions)

Hi Friends,

I haven't posted about cheese in ages! I guess that summer is for gardening and enjoying the weather, then for preserving the harvest. Cheese making season begins after Halloween! :) 🎃

I'm happy to say that I have finally perfected my homemade sour cream and I wanted to share the recipe. I find the BIG difference here is the ingredients. I was buying my ingredients from a company in Alberta; but their products were sub-par I've learned the hard way. Every single cheese I made last year with their products failed either in texture or taste. Their customer service was nothing to write home about either, they don't even have a phone number. I let the owner know about the failures but never heard a peep. It was so disappointing that I nearly gave up completely thinking it was just me, that I just wasn't cut out for cheese making.

I was WRONG. 😃

I now buy my products from a company in Ontario called Glengarry CheeseMaking. The cheeses and creams I make with their products are not sour and much creamier. This gives me hope that maybe I can try to make some Cheddar successfully this fall and winter! I also plan to make more Camemberts too so stay tuned. :) 

Here's the recipe...it's SO EASY. It costs about $3.25 CAD (in my area) to make 2 cups. 

**************************************

Sour Cream (Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

(makes about 2 cups)

Ingredients:

- 1 liter of whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/8 tsp Calcium Chloride mixed into 1/8 cup cool, filtered water
- HALF OF 1/8 tsp mesophilic culture (I use MM100)
- 1 drop double strength rennet mixed into 1/8 cup cool, filtered water

Directions:

1. Heat the milk, cream and Calcium Chloride slowly in a pot to 86F, mixing gently to make sure it doesn't burn or stick to the pot.

2. Add the culture and let it sit for 3 minutes, then stir well, but slowly.

3. Add the rennet and stir well, but slowly for no more than a minute.

4. Cover the pot and let it sit overnight at room temperature (12-15 hours).

5. The next day, check your sour cream. If you see it pulling away from the sides of the pot, it's ready to be drained; if not leave it longer. I usually leave mine about 15 hours or so.

6. Line a colander with cheese cloth and ladle the sour cream into the colander. Let it sit for an hour, keeping the whey for other uses. Remember to barricade your set up from the cats!! They love the smell of this!

7. After an hour, tie the ends of the cheese cloth together and hang it up, letting the rest of the whey drip out. This needs to hang and drain another 8 hours. I hang mine from the kitchen cabinet and let it drip in a pot on the counter.

Keeps about a week or so.

Trouble Shooting: If it doesn't set, you didn't use enough rennet or your rennet is bad. If it's too sour, you used too much rennet and/or your culture is bad.

Some suggestions for sour cream, I use it A LOT!! Click on the links for the recipes!

Mexican Lasagna

Papas Fritas

Crunchwraps

Homemade Chili

Mexican Dip

Homemade Tartar Sauce