Cheese Making Kits
These user friendly Irish made cheese making kits make it easy for anybody to make their own cheese.
Choose between the mini starter kit which has the required utensils and ingredients for making a soft cheese or the combined kit which has all you require (bar milk) for making either mozzarella cheese or soft cheese.
What comes in the cheese making kits?
Mini Cheese Making Starter Kit
- Cheese Cloth
- 1 Mould
- Thermometer
- Citric Acid
- Recipe sheet and tips
Combined Cheese Making Kit
- Citric Acid
- Rennet Tablets
- Cheese Cloth
- Skimmer Spoon
- Thermometer
- Moulds
- Cheese Mat
- Tips and recipe sheets
Making Soft Cheese with the Mini Starter Kit
You need 1.5 litres of Full Fat Pasteurised milk and 3/4 tea spoon of Citric Acid, Salt is optional
1: Pour all the milk into a large pot
2: Add the citric acid and stir to ensure even distribution throughout the milk.
3: Heat milk to 90 degree celcius stirring it ocassionally. Be careful to ensure it does not boil. At 90 degree celcius the curds and whey will begin to separate. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
4: Line a colander (straining bowl) with a cheese-cloth and spoon the curds into the cloth allowing the whey to drain.
Salt (about 1/2 a table spoon) can be added at this point if desired. Other flavours can also be added at this stage if desired such as dried cranberries, cracked black pepper or grated fresh chilli.
5: Spoon the curds into the cheese cloth lined mould. Then fold the ends of the cloth over the curds and place a small weight on top. Mould can be placed on a draining mat or wire baking tray to drain.
6: Cheese will be moulded after 15-20 minutes but if you prefer a more solid cheese you can leave it for longer.
Cheese will taste best served fresh but it will stay good for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.
Follow the same procedure with double the ingredients (3 litres of milk) when making soft cheese with the combined cheese making kit.
How to make Mozzarella Cheese with combined kit
1: Crush 1/4 of a rennet tablet and dissolve into about 75ml of cold fresh cholrine free water.
2: Take 1.5 tea spoons of citric acid and mix into about 300ml of cool water
3: Place citric acid and 3.4 litres of full fat milk into a large pot and stir well. Whilst stirring heat the milk to 30 degree celcius and turn off heat.
4: At 33 degree celcius slowly stir the rennet mixture using an up and down pattern into the pot and then cover pot and allow curds to settle.
5: After 5 to 10 minutes the curds should have a custard type consistency.
6: Using a long bladed knife cut the curd in a criss-cross pattern (reaching to the bottom of the pot). Try to cut the curd into even sized pieces (1 inch cubes) so subsequent heating will be done evenly.
7: Place pot back on the heat and gently move the curds with the skimmer spoon and heat to 42 degree celcius.
8: Place the curds into a cheesecloth lined colander and fold curds gently together. This allows the whey to drain off. Squeeze curds gently with the skimmer spoon to help the whey to drain.
9: Heat the leftover whey to 85 degree celcius and add a table spoon of salt.
10: Remove cheesecloth from the colander and dip colander curd contents into the heated whey for a few seconds. Remove and squeeze curd. But careful doing this as curd will be hot. Use gloves if required. Repeat this process 10 to 20 times until curd reaches approximately 57 degree celcius. It should now stary to look smooth and shiny.
11: Stretch cheese, press flat (if desired sprinkle 1 tea spoon of salt o cheese) and fold. Repeat this process a few times and then shape your cheese. It is now ready to eat.
To save for later place cheese in cold water (10 degree celcius) for 5 minutes and then in ice water for 15 minutes.
This cools the cheese and allows it to retain its shape and consistency. Place your cheese and a few ladles of whey into an airtight container and allow to cool.
It can be stored in fridge for up to 3 days.
The combined cheese making kit also included a detailed recipe for making paneer cheese.
More tips on Using Cheese Making Kits
1: Always wash hand thoroughly before starting to make your cheese as bacteria may interfere with the cheesemaking process.
2: Sterilise all equipment, moulds and cheesecloth. This may be done by rinsing in cold water, washing in hot soapy water and then scalding with boiling water.
3: Instructions in the kits are designed for cow's milk. Goats milk may also be used but the curds will look milkier and will need to drain in the colander for longer. Always follow recommended temperatures for milk.
4: If using rennet do not prepare more than 30 minutes in advance of use.
5: Rennet and citric acid must be dissolved in chlorine free water. If unsure that your tap water is chorine free just use cooled boiled water.
6: Remaining rennet may be stored in the freezer.
7: If using unpasteurised milk heat to 63- 66 degree celcius for 30 minutes and cool quickly to 10 degree celcius. Store in fridge until needed.
8: Cheese making equipment should be made from stainless steel, food grade plastic, or glazed pottery. Do not use aluminium.
9: When making mozzarella we recommend you wear rubber gloves to stretch the curds. Be careful as curds will be hot. Mozzarella made with cow's milk will have a slight difference in consistency to that made from buffalo milk.
10: If making soft cheese and your curds and whey do not separate first time add an extra 1/2 tea spoon of citric acid and bring back to 90 degrees celcius. Turn off heat and let stand for 5-10 minutes.
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