Home Cheese Making Recipes for 75 Delicious Cheeses

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· 2,291 ratings · 93 reviews

Start your review of Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Delicious Cheeses

Jan 12, 2009 Bill rated it it was amazing

This is a great book on how to make cheese! Outstanding starter book on cheesemaking! My only complaint is that her enthusiasm for making cheese lead the reader to make cheese more difficult than there experience should allow. Specifically, making hard cheeses requires commitment to following her recipes EXACTLY; when it says raise the temperature 2 degrees every 5 minutes for 30 minutes, she means it!

Sep 19, 2012 Michael rated it liked it

I have only worked on some of the fresh cheeses. The frustrating thing about this book is that for some recipes she is incredibly detailed ("increase temperature a degree a minute", "press at X pounds of pressure for X amount of time", and so on), and at other times she is incredibly not detailed leaving you wondering what the heck you're supposed to do, most notably in the recipe for ricotta salata ("put a saucer or glass of water on top", saucers and glasses of water do not weigh the same, "ag I have only worked on some of the fresh cheeses. The frustrating thing about this book is that for some recipes she is incredibly detailed ("increase temperature a degree a minute", "press at X pounds of pressure for X amount of time", and so on), and at other times she is incredibly not detailed leaving you wondering what the heck you're supposed to do, most notably in the recipe for ricotta salata ("put a saucer or glass of water on top", saucers and glasses of water do not weigh the same, "age for 2-4 weeks", how? Covered? Uncovered? Wrapped in cheesecloth? In the fridge?)

So what I do is when I make a recipe I make sure to write notes next to the recipe so when I go back, I know what I did last time. Also any variations I have to make because obviously different dairies and parts of the country have different characteristics to their milk, so every batch of the same cheese can could come out different.

Another frustrating thing is that several recipes are based on culture mixes you buy from the author's website. This I think is like making a cake with a cake mix. I want to know how to make fromage blanc, not just use a mix that does all the fun for me.

Issues aside, the book is filled with great information.

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Apr 02, 2008 Taylor rated it it was amazing

I have a new hobby. Inspired by Barbara Kingsolver's chapter on cheese making in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I checked out the "Cheese Queen" Ricki Carrol. My own little pound of Queso Blanco is safely in the fridge awaiting dinner. I'm totally hooked.

Carrol's style of writing is straight forward and enjoyable, her instructions are good (though I wasn't sure how long to wait for the "curds and whey to separate", and I think the result is wetter cheese than I wanted), and the concept enchanting. As soon as I get the right starter (ordered from Carrol online) I can make my own mozzarella. That is SO COOL.

This will soon be on the cookbook shelf. All hail the microbe!

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Sep 13, 2010 Carrie rated it liked it

It might be a stretch to call a book on cheesemaking a cookbook, but it's definitely a fun read, and has inspired me to (Semi-successfully) make my own cheese. I made the 30 minute mozzarella and it came out pretty well, but I don't think I let it set up firmly enough. I'm ready to try again! It might be a stretch to call a book on cheesemaking a cookbook, but it's definitely a fun read, and has inspired me to (Semi-successfully) make my own cheese. I made the 30 minute mozzarella and it came out pretty well, but I don't think I let it set up firmly enough. I'm ready to try again! ...more

This feeds the rebellious spirit in me that says "I can do it myself, AND I can do it better!" Can't wait to get the basic supplies and try making my own aged cheddar, gouda, parmesan, ect. ect... ( : This feeds the rebellious spirit in me that says "I can do it myself, AND I can do it better!" Can't wait to get the basic supplies and try making my own aged cheddar, gouda, parmesan, ect. ect... ( : ...more

Dec 27, 2009 Ana Mardoll rated it it was amazing

Home Cheese Making / 1-58017-464-7

I bought this book planning to start making my own cheeses. The book is a fascinating read and is very easy to read and understand. The pictures are clear and precise, and I actually feel that I understand what is going on in the pictures (not often the case with do-it-yourself books!). The recipes (of which there are many) are fun to read and are interspersed with little testimonials of people who have found the joy of cheese making - and, in many cases, have m

Home Cheese Making / 1-58017-464-7

Though this is through no fault of the book, I do find that I am a little intimidated. The book is very clear and up-front about the equipment and materials which need to be purchased before making a certain types of cheese. I appreciate the book's candor - I would not appreciate it if I got started and only then found out I needed to buy a lot more equipment than I had thought. The book is also exceedingly clear about the conditions the cheese must be made in and aged in, and the amount of time and investment which goes into good cheese. All this has made me a bit worried and I don't believe I'm currently ready to start cheese making - at least not in my tiny kitchen! However, I still enjoy pulling this book out on rainy days and reading and dreaming about the future. That, in of itself, makes it a good purchase for me.

I will also add that this is a great resource on cheese, period, and not just on cheese making. Thanks to this book, I understand the names and ingredients of the cheeses at the local organic market (chevre, anyone?) and I'm not so afraid to try them. I may not make cheese at home for awhile, but at least this book has given me a greater appreciation of cheeses in general, and I appreciate that.

~ Ana Mardoll

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May 03, 2008 Kelly rated it it was amazing

I make my own yogurt now, and it's delish! And I've tried the mozarella, but the milk I used didn't turn out quite right. This book is great for giving you all the info you need to get started and to also helps get over the initial hump of "I couldn't possibly do that!" I think that I will probably only ever make a few of the simpler recipes out of this book, but there are enough recipes in here that I could work my way up to cheese artisan some day, no doubt. Also for the science geek in me, it I make my own yogurt now, and it's delish! And I've tried the mozarella, but the milk I used didn't turn out quite right. This book is great for giving you all the info you need to get started and to also helps get over the initial hump of "I couldn't possibly do that!" I think that I will probably only ever make a few of the simpler recipes out of this book, but there are enough recipes in here that I could work my way up to cheese artisan some day, no doubt. Also for the science geek in me, it's also just interesting to see how the process of making each kind of cheese varies. ...more

Mar 21, 2011 Emma rated it liked it

She really is the cheese queen - but some of the recipes don't match to the recipes on her website, creating confusion as to which version to use, and I wish the book had more pictures (which is why I mainly use the website). There are some recipes that are lacking in detail, and I end up referring to her website for clarification. Good book, could be better. Will be more useful when I get out of the beginning stages, perhaps? She really is the cheese queen - but some of the recipes don't match to the recipes on her website, creating confusion as to which version to use, and I wish the book had more pictures (which is why I mainly use the website). There are some recipes that are lacking in detail, and I end up referring to her website for clarification. Good book, could be better. Will be more useful when I get out of the beginning stages, perhaps? ...more

Mar 26, 2013 Frank Weever rated it really liked it

Overall, the plot was pretty thickening. I gained quite a few pounds there, but the character arc got through it all with ease and a slight tang of a moldy cellar in Rome. Still, I wish someone had told me about the cheese cloth, I was shocked. Truly, it should have an R rating for that one scene with mozzarella...oh, baby...

Jan 04, 2009 Linda rated it it was amazing

Love it. Anyone can make cheese and you don't necessarily have to have a cow. Soft cheeses (cottage cheese and ricotta) are easy for beginners but there is a 10 minute mozzarella recipe that is superb. Haven't gotten up the gumption to make hard cheese yet but when the cow calves next, I'm in. Love it. Anyone can make cheese and you don't necessarily have to have a cow. Soft cheeses (cottage cheese and ricotta) are easy for beginners but there is a 10 minute mozzarella recipe that is superb. Haven't gotten up the gumption to make hard cheese yet but when the cow calves next, I'm in. ...more

Jun 30, 2010 Kandise rated it it was amazing

Great resource for a nascent interest. Ricki's instructions are clear and easy to follow, and her discussion of the history and process of cheese making manages to be both interesting and funny, which I'm sure was no easy feat. Very accessible, I think we will buy this. Great resource for a nascent interest. Ricki's instructions are clear and easy to follow, and her discussion of the history and process of cheese making manages to be both interesting and funny, which I'm sure was no easy feat. Very accessible, I think we will buy this. ...more

Oct 29, 2009 Amy rated it it was amazing

This book has made me fitter, happier, and more productive.

Jan 14, 2010 Ann G. rated it it was amazing

This is the cheesemaker that Babara Kingsolver visited in Animal, Vegatable, Miracle. It is and easy to follow book and we have had complete success with our cheesemaking!

Oct 26, 2018 Kathy rated it really liked it

It was obvious the author knew the subject and had been through all the hoops first. It contains a wealth of information. For instance, it was fascinating to learn how the type of animal milk used affects the qualities of a cheese. Of course, I might have some difficulty finding a water buffalo to milk in my region of the country…
The instructions are thorough and informed. I can't wait to try to make some cheese for myself. The advice offered to build on my experience was appreciated as I was to It was obvious the author knew the subject and had been through all the hoops first. It contains a wealth of information. For instance, it was fascinating to learn how the type of animal milk used affects the qualities of a cheese. Of course, I might have some difficulty finding a water buffalo to milk in my region of the country…
The instructions are thorough and informed. I can't wait to try to make some cheese for myself. The advice offered to build on my experience was appreciated as I was totally planning to begin with blue cheese!
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn to make their own cheese.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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Oct 12, 2019 Cat rated it it was amazing

I located a copy of this book at my local library! So here's my review:
I used to watch my mother make a simple farmer's cheese, as she called it, but as I didn't like cheese as a child, I never payed much attention to the details of making it. Much older now, I have acquired a taste for some cheese and a curiosity about others to the point that I want to start making some of my own. I am purchasing a copy of this book to learn cheese making from as , it seems to me, to be simple and straightforw I located a copy of this book at my local library! So here's my review:
I used to watch my mother make a simple farmer's cheese, as she called it, but as I didn't like cheese as a child, I never payed much attention to the details of making it. Much older now, I have acquired a taste for some cheese and a curiosity about others to the point that I want to start making some of my own. I am purchasing a copy of this book to learn cheese making from as , it seems to me, to be simple and straightforward , for us beginners. I'd love to work up to blue cheese and Brie! But will settle on some simpler cheeses like mozzarella and cream cheese! Love the photographs and all the recipes and suggestions for serving cheese.
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Good assortment of cheese projects for difficulty and range of interests. Instructions and explanations are pretty clear.

Great cheese recipes....easy to understand for a novice.

Oct 27, 2017 William Hults rated it it was amazing

Great book for cheese making. Provides lots of information about milk, supplies, and materials. The added bonus is the recipes.

One of the best pizza crust recipes I have ever used is in this book. Don't be concerned if you sub water, milk, or a mix of both for the whey if you don't make the cheese too. One of the best pizza crust recipes I have ever used is in this book. Don't be concerned if you sub water, milk, or a mix of both for the whey if you don't make the cheese too. ...more

Jan 08, 2021 Manda Graham rated it really liked it

Loads of new cheesy ideas, great book. Measurements in imperial and slightly odd that it doesn't specify the size of the cheese moulds that should be used. Loads of new cheesy ideas, great book. Measurements in imperial and slightly odd that it doesn't specify the size of the cheese moulds that should be used. ...more

Not as in depth as I was hoping, no explanation on how to homogenize milk at home 🤷🏼‍♀️

Mar 09, 2011 Sandra Noel rated it really liked it

I love cheese! I am a died-in-the-wool, certified cheeseaholic. Needless to say, I was very excited to get a book about making cheese myself! You can find everything from the very simple with little or no equipment or special ingredients needed, to the more complex cheese that need special ingredients, equipment and even storage.

Whole Milk Ricotta is probably the easiest to start with. It's fairly quick with no real special equipment needed other than cheesecloth. I have made this many times. T

Whole Milk Ricotta is probably the easiest to start with. It's fairly quick with no real special equipment needed other than cheesecloth. I have made this many times. There's nothing like a nice lasagna or fresh cannoli filling made from ricotta cheese you have made yourself!!

Another good one if you don't want to buy a lot of equipment is 30-Minute Mozzarella. You do have to have rennet, lipase powder and citric acid, but those are usually fairly easy to find whether online or in your local natural foods store. This is a fun one to get the kids involved with, though with lots of adult help and supervision. I can say from experience that you will be building great memories with your kids making fresh mozzarella. Use it on homemade pizzas for supper that night, and give them a memory of a lifetime!

Whether you just want to make your own cream cheese, creme fraiche or other soft cheeses or want to branch out, invest and get into cheese making seriously, you will find what you need in this book.

I received a copy of this book from Storey Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinons are my own.

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Mar 18, 2008 Naomi rated it it was amazing

We have this book and have made a few of the soft cheeses from it so far and plan on trying a hard cheese soon.

Some other cheese making books that are also good, though we haven't made any cheeses from them are:

And That's How You Make Cheese by Shane Sokol - smaller and a bit less detailed than the other books but easy to follow and read. Makes cheese making sound easy to try - which it is.

Making Great Cheese At Home by Barbara Ciletti

All three of these book cover basically the same cheeses,

We have this book and have made a few of the soft cheeses from it so far and plan on trying a hard cheese soon.

Some other cheese making books that are also good, though we haven't made any cheeses from them are:

And That's How You Make Cheese by Shane Sokol - smaller and a bit less detailed than the other books but easy to follow and read. Makes cheese making sound easy to try - which it is.

Making Great Cheese At Home by Barbara Ciletti

All three of these book cover basically the same cheeses, though bits of new information can be gained from each of them.

The one thing no cheese making book I've read covers is that you can use yogurt and buttermilk as your starters, you don't have to buy commercially made starters. As I've been interested in cheese making, I've also looked at a few goat books, and one of them has a recipe for making hard cheese by just using milk and lemon juice, so there are other options out there besides buying starters from cheese making supply companies.

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Feb 26, 2014 HB rated it really liked it

Definitely the place to start for first-time cheese makers! Great overview of the basics of cheese making, necessary equipment, and why various ingredients are important. Read the first few chapters and make notes on things that pop out as important, like "don't use ultra-pasteurized milk"; these aren't always listed again in the recipes. Start with the lactic cheese, which requires very few pieces of equipment (and you probably have something that will work for each in your kitchen already), an Definitely the place to start for first-time cheese makers! Great overview of the basics of cheese making, necessary equipment, and why various ingredients are important. Read the first few chapters and make notes on things that pop out as important, like "don't use ultra-pasteurized milk"; these aren't always listed again in the recipes. Start with the lactic cheese, which requires very few pieces of equipment (and you probably have something that will work for each in your kitchen already), and turns out a simple, delicious cheese that you've never bought at the grocery store. When you're ready to try some of the more advanced cheese, make sure to read through any relevant parts of the first few chapters again; there are steps in the recipes that are kind of glossed over because it's assumed the reader knows what they're doing, which can be a little frustrating. Otherwise excellent reference! ...more

Aug 04, 2008 Melinda rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: do-it-yourself folks

We are using this book right now to experiment with raw milk. Today we learned our first lesson -- if the recipe gives you temperatures in farenheit, it is best to use a thermometer that is calibrated for farenheit. We accidentally used a centigrade thermometer and got the milk fairly hot! Alas. But so far our queso blanco smells good and brief tastes have been yummy.

This book seems to be "the cheese-maker's Bible", and I would agree. All questions we had were answered in this book. I'm going to

This book seems to be "the cheese-maker's Bible", and I would agree. All questions we had were answered in this book. I'm going to get our own to keep!

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Aug 16, 2008 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

I have a number of soft cheeses such as ricotta, cottage cheese/farmer's cheese and paneer in my homemade cheese arsenal but this book delves even deeper.

This book covers ingredients, equipment and technique followed by how to make a variety of cheeses from soft, hard, italian, whey, bacteria-and Mold-Ripened cheese, Goat's milk and even a section about how to make butter, ghee and buttermilk (among other items).

Thirdly, this title covers how to serve, enjoy and cook with cheese with a small sel

I have a number of soft cheeses such as ricotta, cottage cheese/farmer's cheese and paneer in my homemade cheese arsenal but this book delves even deeper.

Thirdly, this title covers how to serve, enjoy and cook with cheese with a small selection of illustrations and recipes.

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Feb 01, 2015 A.M. Johnson rated it it was amazing

If you are tempted to make you own chess(even a little bit) then this book is a necessity..
Ricky Carroll has a way of making even the most difficult cheese seem easy enough to try and with her guidance they are..
within a week of owning this book i had made cream cheese, Colby and farmhouse cheddar...
I will be going back to this book forever...
beautifully set out with lovely hand drawings and well written instructions...
would have loved to be able to rate this more stars, as 5 does not seem enoug If you are tempted to make you own chess(even a little bit) then this book is a necessity..
Ricky Carroll has a way of making even the most difficult cheese seem easy enough to try and with her guidance they are..
within a week of owning this book i had made cream cheese, Colby and farmhouse cheddar...
I will be going back to this book forever...
beautifully set out with lovely hand drawings and well written instructions...
would have loved to be able to rate this more stars, as 5 does not seem enough..
Highly recommended!! ...more

Sep 15, 2007 Cristin rated it really liked it

Ok, maybe there is something in the water up here in Portland that makes you want to get in touch with nature -- but after reading 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' -- the urge to learn from the cheese lady was too irresistable. Try the '30 minute mozarella' recipe. Yes, you can make great mozarella cheese in 30 minutes, no kidding! It is also a good lesson about our milk supply. Have you noticed to increase of milk that is ultrapasteurized? Do you think this is a good thing? Think again... Ok, maybe there is something in the water up here in Portland that makes you want to get in touch with nature -- but after reading 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' -- the urge to learn from the cheese lady was too irresistable. Try the '30 minute mozarella' recipe. Yes, you can make great mozarella cheese in 30 minutes, no kidding! It is also a good lesson about our milk supply. Have you noticed to increase of milk that is ultrapasteurized? Do you think this is a good thing? Think again... ...more

If you follow the world of food, chances are you've heard of David Chang. The founder of the Momofuku restaurant group, Chang is a chef, TV...

"haloumi Made in Cypress, Haloumi is a firm, pickled (brined) cheese. It is a good hot-weather cheese: The salt inhibits the growth of mold and unwanted bacteria, which usually thrive in temperate conditions. 2 gallons whole milk 1 packet direct-set mesophilic starter or 4 ounces prepared mesophilic starter ½ teaspoon liquid rennet (or ½ rennet tablet) diluted in ¼ cup cool, unchlorinated water ¼ cup plus 2 pounds cheese salt, for brine 1 gallon cold water, for brine 1. Heat the milk to 86°F. Add the starter and mix well. 2. Add the diluted rennet and stir gently with an up-and-down motion for 1 minute. Cover and allow to set at 86°F for 30–45, minutes or until the curd gives a clean break. 3. Cut the curd into ½-inch cubes. 4. Increase the temperature two degrees every 5 minutes, until the curds reach 104°F (this will take about 45 minutes), stirring gently to keep the curds from matting. Maintain the curds at 104°F for 20 minutes, stirring gently every few minutes. 5. Ladle the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander. Drain the whey into a pot and reserve. 6. Pack the curds into a cheesecloth-lined mold and press at 30 pounds of pressure for 1 hour. 7. Remove the cheese from the mold and gently peel away the cheesecloth. Turn over the cheese, re-dress it, and press at 50 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes. 8. Remove the cheese from the mold and cut into 3-inch-square blocks. 9. Bring the reserved whey to 176 to 194°F. Place the curd blocks in the whey and soak for 1 hour, at which time the cheese will have a texture similar to that of cooked chicken breast and will rise to the surface. 10. Strain the curds into a colander and let cool for 20 minutes. 11. Sprinkle the curds with ¼ cup of the salt and let cool for 2–4 hours 12. Combine the remaining 2 pounds of salt and the cold water to make a saturated brine solution. Soak the cheese in the brine for up to 60 days. The flavor increases with age, but the cheese may be eaten fresh at any time during the 60-day period. YIELD: 2 pounds" — 0 likes

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Home Cheese Making Recipes for 75 Delicious Cheeses

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