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Why cheese needs milk
World Milk Day has been celebrated this week which gave us a timely reminder of why we really do love the creamy white stuff. More and more, milk is getting a bad reputation as we shift to an environmentally focused lens on our food and beverages. While we wholeheartedly agree that we need to reduce our consumption of certain products, we do think some things are still ok in moderation. Milk is one of these, with its nutritional benefits it’s a product that is hard to beat. Plus, without milk we can’t make cheese!! We have had a few questions from time to time enquiring if our Fresh and Italian Cheese Kit recipes can be made with plant-based milks. The answer is no and let us explain a bit more as to why. There are various different steps in cheese making, depending on what type of cheese is being made. However, the important ones where your milk really comes into play is the ripening and then separating your milk into curds and whey. Ripening This is your step where you are heating the milk up to a nice warm temperature and adding your culture. The culture is predominantly lactic acid bacteria which turns the lactose sugar naturally present in the milk, into lactic acid. Lactose is the sugar that some people have trouble digesting and are therefore lactose intolerant. This is why the alternative of plant-based milks works well for lactose intolerant people, it contains no lactose. Separating into curds and whey The addition of rennet and the separation of curds and whey involves the acid produced by the bacteria (which requires lactose) as well as the milk proteins and fats. The rennet enzymes work together with the acid and create a tangled structure of milk proteins and fats, this is your curd. The leftover moisture and soluble proteins in the milk create the whey. Once you have the curd you’re in business with your cheese making! So for those asking, no you can’t use our Fresh or Italian Cheese Kits with plant based milk BUT you can take a look at our Vegan Cheese Kit. This little wonder has been developed for those that are specifically avoiding milk but don’t want to miss out on the delights of cheese. Using raw nuts as the base there are recipes for Marinated Feta, Soft Mozzarella, Firm Mozzarella, Halloumi, Ricotta, Cream Cheese and Mascarpone. Each recipe is made to try and give our plant-based friends the best cheese possible, with the bonus of nutty goodness. We hope you enjoy your milk or nutty cheese journey and make sure you get in touch with any questions or feedback on our kits. We love to hear what you think!
Mother's Day Gift Ideas
Mother’s Day is one of those days that can so easily creep up on you and while we tend to shy away from the commercialisation of it all, it is so nice to recognise Mum for just doing what she does. We think it’s the thought that counts and whether you choose to give her a gift, make her something or just put aside some time to spend together, she’ll appreciate the thought. Here are a few ideas that we’re planning to use for our Mum’s this year: 1. Make her some personalised gin Gin used to be thought of as a bit of an old ladies’ drink; my mum’s memories of Friday nights growing up often featured a request from my grandma for a gin and tonic with an extra squeeze of lemon. Nowadays with the resurgence in popularity and creativity that is being put into gin by distillers, there are hundreds of different varieties to choose from. Why not make your mum her own personalised version? Choose a variety of flavours she likes for the infusion step or use a Mad Millie botanical combination and we guarantee she’ll be impressed. 2. Get her a Mad Millie Kombucha Kit and make it together I’m not sure about you, but my mum doesn’t really know what kombucha is. She leads a healthy lifestyle and has seen the name around a few times but has no idea about the health benefits or that it could really help her gut with all the probiotics. Our Mad Millie Kombucha Kits won’t break the bank and are a great activity to do together, then you can also talk her through the importance of sanitation and how to do a second ferment. She’ll appreciate the time with you as well as her bubbly brew! 3. Create some tasty treats with the additional Mad Millie recipes Getting really into your kits and finding you have Mad Millie creations coming out of your ears? Gift them, or better yet gift them in a different form. We have a ton of recipes on our Mad Millie website that you can use to take your Mad Millie creations one step further. Fresh labneh from your Greek yoghurt or a vegan ricotta go so well with some homemade sourdough flatbread. 4. Make her some marinated feta One of our favourite things to gift people and equally delicious if it’s dairy or vegan! Marinated feta is the best kind of surprise as your mum will be able to see the love and care that has gone into creating it just for her. You can get creative and include different things that she enjoys so it’s personalised, olives, roasted peppers and aubergine, garlic, preserved lemons, artichoke, the options are endless. 5. Gift her one of your best aged cheeses, specialty or hard If you’re making aged cheeses regularly then this one is for you, gift your mum a hard or specialty cheese that is just about ready to enjoy. She’ll love getting something that took some time, care and effort. If you’re not quite that organised invite her round for a cheese making day and do it together. She’ll love getting to spend time with you doing a fun activity, and you can send her away with a treat to be enjoyed in 6 weeks’ time, that will really test her patience!
Easter eating - Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne
Easter is upon us and with it a delicious long weekend of relaxing, eating copious amounts of chocolate, chatting over a glass of wine and having an all-round good time. This pumpkin, spinach, and ricotta lasagne will have everyone scrambling back for more, plus it can easily be prepared a few days in advance, so it just needs a re-heat in the oven. The other great thing about this one? It can be made gluten-free by picking up some gluten-free pasta sheets so caters to all taste buds. With a few minor alterations, it can cater to all your vegan buddies too! If your children are around, take the time to show them how to make their own ricotta. Whether it’s dairy or vegan ricotta, teaching them about where food comes from is an important thing, particularly as we become more disconnected and focused on convenience. Let them take charge, ricotta is almost no-fail, what could possibly go wrong? Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne Ingredients ½ medium Pumpkin, peeled and diced 375 g Mad Millie Ricotta, dairy or vegan 300 g frozen Spinach, thawed 4 Spring onions, sliced 2 cloves Garlic, minced or sliced very finely 800 g Tomato pasta sauce 250 g Lasagne sheets Salt and pepper to taste A handful of fresh basil to serve Dairy version only ¼ cup Parmesan, grated 1 cup grated cheddar Vegan version only 200 g Mad Millie Vegan Soft Mozzarella Method Preheat oven on fan bake to 180oC (356oF). Put the diced pumpkin into a pot filled with water and boil until soft. Drain the water and mash the pumpkin, add some salt and pepper to taste. In a bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan (dairy only), spinach, spring onions, garlic and salt and pepper, stir until well combined. Grease your lasagne dish and place a layer of lasagne sheets on the bottom. Spoon over half of the cheesy spinach followed a layer of half of the mashed pumpkin. Top with another layer of lasagne sheets, add half of the tomato sauce and spread it around evenly. Add another layer of the rest of the cheesy spinach and then a layer of the rest of the mashed pumpkin. Top with the final layer of lasagne sheets and pour over the remainder of the pasta sauce. Spread the pasta sauce around and top with either the grated cheddar (dairy only) or the soft mozzarella (vegan) spread evenly over top. Bake at 180oC (356oF) for 45 – 50 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Stand for 10 minutes before tossing the basil leaves on top and serving. Bon Appetit!
Cheese making with raw, goat's or sheep's milk
Using different types of milk to make cheese is a great way to experiment with flavours and textures. If you’re lucky enough to have a supply of raw milk or want to try goat or sheep’s milk instead of cow, then you’re in the right place. Below are a few of the questions we commonly hear regarding moving away from the conventional supermarket refrigerator. Raw milk – is it safe? Yes, raw milk is generally safe to use for cheese making. The biggest concern with raw milk is the bacteria present in it. This bacteria can come from the cow or be picked up throughout the process of milking. It doesn’t mean it’s all bad bacteria, it’s just an unknown which you need to be aware of. If you are comfortable with your milk source, then it is your choice. Raw milk does make deliciously creamy cheese! One watch out is that the bacteria already present in the milk might compete with your cheese culture. If this happens you might not see a curd forming as the milk bacteria are more likely to win the battle. Raw milk (cow, goat or sheep) is also best to be used within 3 days of milking for the best results, the fresher the better. If you’re not 100% sure, then we recommend you pasteurise your milk before getting into cheese making. You will still have delicious cheese but also peace of mind that you’re not going to have issues down the line. How do I pasteurise my milk? There are two methods to pasteurise your milk, both will achieve the same results but make sure your temperature remains consistent. Heat milk to 68°C or 154°F and hold for 2 mins. Heat milk to 63°C or 146°F and hold for 30 mins If the milk temperature goes higher that is ok but you are likely to get some flavour change and more caramelised notes in your milk. Do I still need to use calcium chloride with raw milk? Absolutely! In fact, it is even more important with raw milk. The addition of calcium chloride helps to standardise the level of calcium in the milk, which is needed for consistency in the cheese making process. With seasonal changes the composition of the milk will change slightly, this is natural. Normally this would be standardised in a factory but if you’re using raw milk the calcium chloride will help with this. What is the difference between cow, sheep and goat’s milk, other than the animal it comes from? The diet and digestion of the animal has a big impact on the final composition of the milk. Cow’s milk has bigger fat molecules which means your homemade cows cheese has a heavier feeling in your mouth. It has a similar level of protein to goat’s milk but has very little flavour profile, other than what is generally known as milky. Goat’s milk picks up the acrid flavours of their diet, which equates to anything they can get their mouth on including brambles and thorny grasses. This come through in goat’s cheese as the ‘goaty’ flavour that can be quite polarising. The fat molecules in goat’s milk are small which means it has a smaller and softer curd, which can sometimes be difficult to handle when making cheese. Sheep’s milk is significantly higher in fat and protein than either cow or goat’s milk. This means the solid content is much higher in the milk and it makes the best buttery, rich cheese. Some nutty flavours might be picked up from sheep’s cheese but less so than with goat milk flavours. Can I use sheep’s milk in all Mad Millie cheese recipes? Almost, mozzarella won’t work particularly well so we recommend you sticking with cow’s milk for that one. For everything else definitely give it a try! Some tips below: Sheep's milk is very high in butterfat - you will need to stir the top layer into the milk before adding the rennet. Using sheep's milk, you might find that you will need increase the rennet, add the advised amount first and if a curd is not forming then add the same amount again. When cutting the curds, make larger cubes to avoid losing butterfat. Reduce the pressing weight if making hard cheese as the curd is more fragile. You may need to lower the ripening temperature of hard and specialty cheese to 3-5°C (37-41°F). Can I use goat’s milk in all Mad Millie cheese recipes? Yes, goat’s milk can be used in any of our recipes. With the composition of goat’s milk, it has a more delicate curd and may take a while to form. If you’re having trouble, try doubling the amount of rennet added and then be a little bit patient!
St Patrick's Day Guinness and Cheese Dip
Make sure you’ve got your green dress or shirt ready, Saint Patrick’s Day is nearly here! Held to commemorate the patron saint of Ireland, this cultural and religious festival is celebrated with fervour. We all love the Irish, with their great sense of humour and ‘tree tree’s’ (that’s three three’s for those that aren’t used to an Irish accent) they make the world a better place. We’re not the only ones that think this with Saint Patrick’s Day being celebrated in more countries around the world than any other national festival. We thought it was only appropriate to come up with a little something to show off your Mad Millie creations, while still having the Irish influence being the hero of the dish. Guinness is synonymous with Ireland and having been started way back in 1759 in Dublin, it’s no wonder we always picture the Irish with a Guinness in hand. Whip up this creation in no time and get your friends around for a pint or two! Guinness and Cheese Dip Servings: 4 cups, or about 8 friends Ingredients 100 mL/3.3 fl oz Guinness 2.5 cups (320 g/10 oz) Mad Millie Cheddar Cheese, grated 250 g/8.8 oz Mad Millie Cream Cheese 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 Onion, finely chopped 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped ½ tsp Paprika 2 Tbsp Parsley, fresh and chopped Salt and Pepper to taste Method Pour the Guinness into a bowl and give it a stir to remove some of the carbonation, this will help if you have a smaller blender too! Add the cheddar, cream cheese, Guinness and mustard into a blender, blend until smooth. Add the onion, garlic, paprika and parsley into the blender and mix until thoroughly mixed through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put your Guinness and Cheese Dip into a bowl and chill for an hour prior to serving, this can also be made a few days in advance to save time. Serve with crackers or left over, toasted sourdough pieces. Enjoy!
Hard Cheese tips and tricks
Slicing into the wax covering your homemade hard cheese is a great feeling. After a tedious few weeks or months while you wait to taste your success, that first peek of delicious, flavoursome cheese is a glorious sight. We have heard a few murmurings that the thought of making hard cheese can seem a bit overwhelming for the budding cheese maker. Not wanting you to miss out on the satisfaction of your own cheddar, gouda or Havarti we’ve put together some tips to get you started. 1. Sanitise your work area and equipment really well. We cannot say it enough, sanitise, sanitise, sanitise! With hard cheeses this is particularly important as you’re leaving them out at room temperature for a prolonged period of time. If any microorganisms have even the slightest chance of getting into your milk through equipment or the general work area, they will do their damnedest to survive. By making sure everything is clean, sanitised and ready to go before you start pouring your milk into the pot, you’re already doing well. One tip that people don’t often think about is making sure there aren’t any open windows or doors around the area that your hard cheese is draining or drying. With moving air you’re more likely to have microorganisms swirling around the place and landing on your cheese, which is the perfect environment for them to grow. 2. Use good quality milk The quality of your milk will have a significant impact on the cheese making process and the final cheese flavour. For hard cheeses it must always be full fat, unhomogenised milk and fresh is best. If you can, try and use more organic brands or local suppliers to increase the likelihood of getting a full, creamy, rich flavour at the end. 3. Make sure you follow the recipe Hard cheeses are a bit less forgiving to make, this is why it’s so important to follow the recipe closely. Whichever recipe you are following it will have specific amounts of milk, calcium chloride, rennet and culture and will follow a set time and temperature process. This has all been defined by cheese makers and found to work, unless you are an experienced cheese maker and are ready to start experimenting, we recommend following the recipe. We do encourage as much experimentation as possible, but we also want you to succeed! With each deviation you make there is a chance of ending up with hard, dry, cracked or crumbly cheese. Make sure you’ve had a few successful goes at the specific cheese you’re making before making any changes. 4. Cheese pressing tips Pressing pushes the whey out of the curd to give a smooth, uniform texture to your cheese. The amount of pressure that is applied and the time depends on the cheese and the desired moisture content at the end. Some tips to help get the best results: - Use a slightly damp cheesecloth to line your mould as this will help it stay in place as you spoon in the curd. - When transferring your curds to the press make sure you distribute them in an even manner and bang the mould of the press firmly on the bench every so often. This will help move the curd around so it’s more tightly fitted into the mould. - As each spoonful of curd is added gently pull on the cheesecloth lining to get rid of any little bunches or folds that may have snuck in. - Always put the disc on top of the cheese, then fold down the cheesecloth lining before pressing, this will ensure an even surface that is being pressed into the curd. - Be very careful when flipping the curds, they will be delicate and may come apart during the first few turns. Utilise your cheesecloth lining to help with this. 5. Store in the right conditions or as close as you can get Hard cheeses need to be properly dried and aged to develop the full flavour you’re after. Specific temperatures and humidity levels will be given in the recipe, however for the average cheese maker achieving this can be the hardest part. If you’re lucky enough to have a cheese refrigerator, a cool basement/cellar or a cold storage shed then that’s great! If you’re like the rest of us and aren’t so set up the below could be a good start. - Store your cheese in a maturation box in the coolest place you can find. Line the bottom of the container (can just be a sealed plastic container, make sure it’s clean!) with wet paper towels or put in a glass of water for humidity. Sit your cheese on the cheese mat and put the sealed container in the back of a cupboard or wardrobe where it is likely to stay relatively cool. This method needs to be checked every few days to allow a bit of airflow. - Use a drawer in your refrigerator, make sure you give it a really good clean first. Line the drawer with paper towels to gain a little bit of insulation and put a glass of water alongside the cheese to give some humidity. If you’re comfortable turning your refrigerator temperature up then put it on the highest setting, but not at the expense of your other food and drinks! The maturing step will take longer as it is probably colder than the recommended temperature. - If you’re serious about cheese making have a look for a small wine or drinks refrigerator. These can be found second hand relatively cheaply and make the perfect controlled environment for storing your cheese. If it’s not temperature controlled, using a Mad Millie thermometer will work so you know what temperature your cheese is sitting at. Additionally, for humidity putting a bowl or glass of cool water inside will be enough to ensure your cheese doesn’t dry out. 6. Trouble shooting tips Some issues that you might come across and their solutions are below, with cheese making every batch will have slight variations due to the type of milk, temperature of storage or you might have been distracted and left the curds too long. It’s best just to embrace these variations of the creative process, fix what you can and make notes for next time. - Cracking in the surface of your cheese – multiple possible causes Your storage area isn’t humid enough, causing drying to happen too quickly and the cheese to shrink and crack. To help with this wrap your cheese in a damp cheesecloth. It won’t make the cracks go away but will stop them getting worse. Also place a wet paper towel in the bottom of your maturing box to help increase the humidity. The curds were too cold when put into the press, if they’re not warm enough they won’t knit together properly. It may be too late for this little cheese to be crack-less but remember to follow all time and temperature instructions in the recipe next time. The pressure in the press wasn’t high enough, this has led to the curds not moulding together completely and squashing out any air gaps. Next time make sure you check the press regularly as it will need to be tightened as the size of the cheese reduces under pressure. - Oil is coming up onto your cheeses surface Your storage temperature is too high, the oil is the fat in the cheese rising to the surface. Find a cooler spot for it and expect a slightly harder cheese once you get to the eating step. - Mould has formed on the surface or in the cracks. Scrape/cut off the unwanted mould and use a salt solution (ideally around 6%) to thoroughly rub the area and the entirety of the hard cheese to avoid further growth. Let the cheese dry completely and then continue ageing it. If you’re concerned, rub with a salt solution every 3 days for a week to reduce the risk. For more info on why this has happened refer to our blogs and FAQs. - Your cheese is excessively dry This is due to either insufficient rennet which can happen if you are using liquid rennet; it may also be due to the curds being cut too small or stirred too much causing too much whey to be released. This can’t be fixed now but crumbly hard cheese goes great on a salad!
All there is to know about Mad Millie Cultures
Fermentation and cultures go hand in hand, but do you actually know the details of your culture and how to get the most out of it? Let us walk you through the different types of cultures, the best way to store them and why we love Mad Millie cultures so much. Within the Mad Millie range, we have eight different types of cultures, with one of them being our kombucha SCOBY. Each culture blend has been specifically formulated to make sure you get the best results out of your foodie creations. Whether you’re making cheese, kefir or sauerkraut, there is a specific combination of good bacteria in that little packet to get you started on the right foot. The main purpose of adding the culture is so that fermentation can happen. This is where the culture that you add feeds on the delicious, nourishing ingredients you have given it (milk, juice, sweetened tea) and makes by-products. These by-products bring about a desirable change in the food which includes increasing/enhancing flavour, preserving food and providing some gut health benefits. During our development process, specific bacterial strains are selected for specific kits e.g. yoghurt, kefir or cheese. The cultures work in similar ways but elements such as temperature during fermentation and acidity of the end product will vary. Different cheeses require different temperatures during the process, and therefore different cultures are used to provide different textures and tastes across the range of cheeses. It is possible to use different cultures for different products but unless you have an in-depth understanding of bacterial strains it isn’t advised. The cultures themselves will be mesophilic or thermophilic. Mesophilic means medium-temperature loving bacteria which will ferment the best at temperatures up to 30oC or 90oF. Thermophilic is a heat-loving bacteria which will ferment best when above 30oC or 90oF. The best way to tell which kind your cultures are is to follow the instructions! We will specifically tell you what temperature your delicious creation needs to be held at to make the best product. This is also why it’s so important to maintain the temperature of your bacteria as otherwise, they will struggle to do their job. The culture you receive in your Mad Millie Kit is dehydrated (apart from the kombucha SCOBY, this is processed differently). When the cultures are dehydrated this involves removing all of the moisture from the microorganisms and effectively puts them on hold so they can be kept and used as needed. We’re all about convenience and with dehydrated cultures, it takes away the hassle of having to maintain your cultures constantly – this is particularly helpful around the holiday period! When you get your cultures they will be at room temperature unless you are getting blue or white cheese mould cultures, these will be refrigerated and should always be refrigerated. The rest of the microorganisms will be fine for their whole shelf life at room temperature if the warmest they get is around 25oC or 78oF, but there is a trick to this – the cooler you are able to store them, the longer they will remain active. All our cultures are freeze-dried which means that the environment inside the packet is perfect for freezing without any negative impact. Once in the freezer, this will extend their shelf life by one whole year! A top tip is to write the date you put them into the freezer on the sachet, this makes it easier to track the actual shelf life if you have stored them frozen. If you have opened a packet and only used a small amount, this can still be frozen, but you need to make sure this is put in a sealed container to avoid moisture. Some tape across the opening can help with this! We may be biased but we tend to think that Mad Millie cultures are pretty great, particularly if you’re wanting to get creative and need a convenient solution. If you have any questions on the different types of cultures, their storage or the process don’t hesitate to get in touch, we’re always here to help.
Tips for making the best mozzarella
The satisfaction that comes from stretching out your own homemade, fresh mozzarella is hard to beat. Hot curd morphing into a delightfully smooth and shiny ball. There are some important factors when making mozzarella that can help significantly with your success, and we want to share them with you! The satisfaction that comes from stretching out your own homemade, fresh mozzarella is hard to beat. Hot curd morphing into a delightfully smooth and shiny ball. There are some important factors when making mozzarella that can help significantly with your success, and we want to share them with you! Tip 1: Use full fat, unhomogenised milk Full fat, unhomogenised milk is the first step. If you try and use homogenised milk you won’t be able to create a good strong curd structure as the proteins have been altered during the milk processing. And don’t forget the fat, it needs to be full fat as this helps with the very important stretching and melting factors. The milk composition will change depending on the type of milk you are using and your milk supply. Cow and buffalo milk have a higher protein concentration than sheep and goats’ milk. This means they’re better at holding their structure and can hold onto moisture, therefore producing a more stretchy, melty mozzarella. The mineral content of your milk will also have an impact on the structure, this is why Mad Millie Kits have the addition of calcium chloride, to try and ensure success! Tip 2: Use milk that is as fresh as possible The pH or acidity of your milk is one of the biggest game changers with mozzarella and this can be influenced by the age of the milk. Milk is very slightly acidic (pH 6.7 – 6.9) due to the naturally occurring lactic acid. Over time the lactose sugar in the milk is converted to lactic acid and the acidity gradually increases, this is why your milk will go sour if left past its use by date. For mozzarella to stretch well it needs a pH of approximately 5.2. Following the Mad Millie recipe, the accurate addition of citric acid will increase the acidity of your milk and give you the right pH. However, if you are using old milk that is close to its use by date then it will already be quite acidic, and the addition of citric acid may cause it to curdle. The best way to avoid this is to use the freshest milk you can find! If you are making bigger batches or using raw milk and want to be really precise, pH strips can be used to measure the exact pH. You can adjust the pH using small amounts of lemon juice or white vinegar and a pipette. Tip 3: Heat is key for getting the perfect stretch The heating can seem like the easiest piece but may be the difference between success or not! The temperature of the curds before stretching should be 70-77°C (158-170°F). Make sure the temperature of the water in your pot is at this temperature if not slightly higher before submerging your curd. We highly recommend using a wooden spoon and some gloves as this is HOT and we don’t want you burning your hands. The best technique is to put a piece of curd the size of your palm onto a draining spoon and lower it into the hot water, just let it sit there. When the curd is heated correctly it will look like it’s melting. At this point leave it a little bit longer as you are just seeing the outside melting and the heat needs to reach right into the middle of your curd. Tip 4: Don’t overstretch Once your curd is melting gently pick it up and let it stretch back down towards the heated water of its own accord. Fold the curd over onto itself and repeat the self-stretching until the texture becomes smooth and shiny. If it’s having trouble stretching don’t be scared to put it back into the hot water to heat up some more. After four or five stretches you should be seeing a shiny mozzarella curd, at which point shape it gently into a ball. Be careful not to overstretch it as this will break the structure of the curd, releasing more whey and give you hard rubber-like mozzarella balls. If you’re not getting a smooth texture, it’s probably because your curd isn’t hot enough. Put it back into the water to heat up and once it’s melting pick up the stretching where you left off. Many cheese makers have had trouble making mozzarella, as with most skills it often takes overcoming failure to really learn the tricks of the trade. Following these tips and watching the Mad Millie video for making mozzarella should get you started on the right track! Any further questions or issues get in touch, we’re here to help and love hearing about your cheese making adventures.
Good and bad moulds/molds in cheese making
Mould and cheese go hand in hand, what would camembert, brie or blue vein cheese be without the mould? A chunk of curd, that’s what. Unfortunately, from time to time you’ll open your cheese fridge or ageing box and find some sneaky scoundrels have worked their way in there and infected your precious creations. Pink, orange, red and green, sometimes even black! While these moulds aren’t ideal, we’ve given you a few guidelines below on how to avoid them in the future and what to do about them right now. Mould and cheese go hand in hand, what would a camembert, brie or blue vein cheese be without the mould? A chunk of curd, that’s what. Unfortunately, from time to time you’ll open your cheese fridge or ageing box and find some sneaky scoundrels have worked their way in there and infected your precious creations. Pink, orange, red and green, sometimes even black! While these moulds aren’t ideal, we’ve given you a few guidelines below on how to avoid them in the future and what to do about them right now. Mould management The dreaded mould has been spotted but how best to deal with it. Total disclaimer to begin with, we do not recommend eating any mould on your cheese that is not intentionally added. We will advise on how best to deal with it, but do not eat the unwanted mould that has grown. It will be small enough amounts that it won’t be toxic but without testing and proper identification, you’re best to avoid it at all costs. As a general rule unwanted blue, green, white and grey moulds are spoilage moulds and should be fine. Pink, red, orange and black moulds aren’t as good. Depending on how early you catch the mould you may be able to eliminate them with the below instructions, but if they grow more than once during the ageing process, we encourage you to throw the cheese out and start again. Watch out for those black moulds too as they make the cheese taste terrible! The first question is what type of cheese are you making? Generally, the softer the cheese, the easier it is for the mould to penetrate and therefore the more contaminated it will be. The below is a guide for spots of mould; should you find that mould has penetrated the cheese and isn’t just on the surface then it is a preparation issue and can’t be fixed. Unaged cheeses from the Fresh and Italian Cheese Kits Sorry but you need to get rid of it! There is a lot of moisture in these cheeses and therefore more risk that harmful bacteria may be present as well as the mould. It’s not worth the risk. Soft aged cheeses If it is just one spot of mould carefully cut it out until it’s totally gone, cut at least 1cm around the mould. Rub salt directly onto this area and then continue the ageing process but keep a close eye on it. If you can control the moisture in your ageing environment then try and reduce it slightly as this will help reduce mould growth. Hard aged cheeses Scrape/cut off the unwanted mould and use a salt solution (ideally around 6%) to thoroughly rub the area and the entirety of the hard cheese to avoid further growth. Let the cheese dry completely and then continue ageing it. If you’re concerned, rub with a salt solution every 3 days for a week to reduce the risk. Mould troubleshooting You followed all the instructions to a tee, but there are still little mould dots growing on your homemade cheese. What went wrong?? The main reasons for unwanted mould growth are: - Poor sanitation of the ageing area or handling equipment, this is really important for cheese. - Poor sanitation of your hands when handling the cheese. - Mould needs air to grow and this should be eliminated if the cheese is correctly prepared, drained and pressed. If the curds are the correct temperature when added to the cheese press or cheese mould they should knit together so there are no internal air bubbles. Pressing will help reduce potential air bubbles further. - The cheese isn’t dry enough before ageing, make sure it’s a completely dry surface before putting into your cheese fridge or ageing box. It’s better to leave it for an extra day or two to dry out properly than have mould issues. - Not enough air circulation, the ageing box needs to be opened every day to allow some fresh air to circulate. - Cross-contamination of cheeses, moulds are airborne so if you have two mouldy cheeses (blue and white mould) in the same environment they will likely contaminate each other. - Not enough salt, whether it’s added in the curd or sprinkled on the surface it’s the main inhibitor of mould growth in cheese. Cheese is the perfect place for mould growth; curd to grow on, possibly a little bit moist and not much else in there to stop them proliferating. Don’t worry lots of people have mould issues from time to time, even the big manufacturers. It’s what you do next time you are cheese making that will make the difference.
Tips for making the perfect feta
Feta cheese is one of those homemade creations that can prove to be a bit tricky. No matter how many times we’ve made it, it’s slightly different almost every time. This is the beauty of homemade creations though, we just put it down to the ‘artisan effect’. Whether you are a seasoned professional feta maker or just getting started, below are some tips and tricks that might help along the way. Feta cheese is one of those homemade creations that can prove to be a bit tricky. No matter how many times we’ve made it, it’s slightly different almost every time. This is the beauty of homemade creations though, we just put it down to the ‘artisan effect’. Whether you are a seasoned professional feta maker or just getting started, below are some tips and tricks that might help along the way. Milk The first factor for feta cheese making is the milk. Traditionally feta is made with goat’s or sheep’s milk. The goat’s milk gives a harder texture and milky flavour but can be a little temperamental and require more rennet to get a firm curd. The sheep milk gives a rich, buttery flavour and forms a curd well. These can be hard to find unless you have a good health food store nearby, so cow’s milk is a great substitute. Cow’s milk tends to go slightly more slimy/mushy but with the below tips you will be on your way to success in no time. Texture Texture – this is the make or break point with feta. You get all excited about pulling your homemade feta out of its brine and …. it’s so slimy it slips right through your fingers with a plop into the container. Slimy feta is caused by the calcium in the feta leeching out into the brine. The leaching is caused by two possible reasons. - The brine solution has a lower calcium level than the feta - The cheese acidity is higher than the brine solution Both issues are fixed by adding either calcium chloride or acidity (white vinegar) to the brine solution. With cheese making it can take some trial and error to get the perfect result. We recommend first starting with 1mL of calcium chloride into your brine solution to see if this helps. If you’re still not seeing the desired results, try adding 1 tsp of white vinegar instead of the ½ tsp that is in the How to Guide. Also, get in touch with us if you need any further assistance, we’re here to help! If you prefer dry feta for using in salads, there are some easy changes you can make to help reduce the moisture content in your cheese. - Cut smaller cubes when cutting the curd (step 3 Mad Millie recipe), the bigger surface area of the curds the more whey that can escape from the curd and the drier your cheese. - Stir the curds for longer (step 4 Mad Millie recipe), the stirring helps remove more whey from the curds. - Drain the feta for longer (steps 5 and 6 Mad Millie recipe). To start, increase step 5 to 6 hours and step 6 to 18 hours. Keep trialling different times until you get your perfect texture. - Leave it in the brine for longer, the salt content of the brine will draw more moisture out of the feta. Brine If you want your feta really dry you might consider not even making a brine. While brining feta is the more traditional approach it doesn’t necessarily mean it will give the product you want. For dry feta try tossing your feta blocks in 1 Tbsp salt per 1 L (1 US qt) of milk used in the recipe. Seal the feta in an airtight container and refrigerate. The extra salt will leech out the moisture, pour this moisture out of the bag over the first 5 days so you don’t end up with a half slimy, half dry feta. The salt will also add significantly to the flavour. Rinsing the feta before you use it is an option, but we recommend you taste it first as you might find it’s the perfect flavour for you. Another way to use your feta is to whip it! Whether your feta has the perfect texture or not it can always be whipped into deliciousness. This is one of our favourites as it can quickly turn a slightly disappointing slime block into a divine creation that we happily eat by the spoonful. Add 250 g (9 oz) of Mad Millie Feta into a blender. Add 100 g (3.5 oz) of Mad Millie Cream Cheese (or store-bought if you don’t have any homemade) to the blender and whip until smooth. Enjoy! Making your own cheese is all about trial and error, everyone must have some failures to really appreciate the wins. Even if you’ve only had success every time (which we hope you have), we recommend you try some of the above options to figure out what works best for you. You might decide your favourite feta is actually the slimy whipped variety after all. And if you still have any questions or issues just ask us, we’re here to help you with your cheese making journey!
Different types of milk
Good quality milk is where all cheese making starts. Along with quality, it’s so important to make sure you’re buying the right type of milk, otherwise, you may find your cheese making doesn’t work out quite as expected. There are three main types of milk that you will find in the supermarket, they are all pasteurised but use slightly different methods during the production process. Good quality milk is where all cheese making starts. Along with quality, it’s so important to make sure you’re buying the right type of milk, otherwise, you may find your cheese doesn’t work out quite as expected. There are three main types of milk that you will find in the supermarket, they are all pasteurised but use slightly different methods during the production process. Pasteurisation is the process of heating the milk to kill all the nasty bugs that are naturally present. Unpasteurised milk is often referred to as ‘raw’ milk and it is illegal to sell this in supermarkets due to the high risk of microbial contamination. If you know someone who can provide you with raw milk straight from a farm, we strongly recommend you pasteurise this prior to cheese making. Below are some details around the three different types of milk that are regularly found on the shelf, why they are different and what cheese you can make with them. Homogenised milk This is the most common milk on New Zealand, Australian and UK supermarket shelves. The process of homogenisation is when the fat globules that are naturally present in the milk are broken up into tiny little molecules. Once this is done, the fat is evenly distributed throughout the milk and you have a homogenous milk product where the texture is the same throughout. When Mad Millie products specify homogenised milk, we are referring to fresh, homogenised milk and not UHT milk (see below for UHT milk). Fresh, homogenised milk will normally be in a plastic bottle and have a shelf life of fewer than 3 weeks. Make sure you go for the full-fat version for the best cheese-making results. Cheeses that require fresh, homogenised milk include cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark and ricotta. Unhomogenised milk This is the best milk for cheese making. With unhomogenised milk the fat globules aren’t broken up and the milk may form a layer of cream at the top of the bottle. This is the least processed milk you can buy in a store and will always be found in the refrigerator with a relatively short shelf life. This milk is more common in gourmet or organic supermarkets, keep an eye out as it will state on the label that it is unhomogenised. If the cheese recipe you are making requires unhomogenised milk, then it will only work with unhomogenised milk. Cheeses that require unhomogenised milk include mozzarella, specialty cheeses like camembert, brie and blue cheese, all hard cheeses. Feta and halloumi will also work better with unhomogenised milk. UHT Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) milk has been heated very quickly to high temperatures for a short period of time. Due to the high temperatures during processing, this milk is not very good for cheese making as all the proteins have been denatured (broken up). UHT milk is usually found in a cardboard carton at room temperature, as it’s sterile so it doesn’t require refrigeration. Some supermarkets will store UHT milk in the refrigerator to encourage you to purchase it. If you’re not sure, check the best before date; a shelf life greater than 1 month is probably UHT. We do not recommend UHT for cheese making.
Time for a refresh!
You’ve had a sneak peek at the new and improved Mad Millie designs with the release of some products this year, we hope you like what you’ve seen so far. The focus was to make the kits all about you, our consumer. We wanted you to easily see what each kit makes when it’s sitting on the shelf. Then once you get it home the How to Guides needed to be as simplified and easy to use as possible. We want you to have success each and every time you use Mad Millie. A refresh, a transformation, a rebrand; label it what you will. We’re pretty sure everyone enjoys a little bit of a freshen up from time to time. Sometimes a new haircut or piece of clothing is enough to do it. Other times something a little more drastic might be called for. Towards the end of last year, Mad Millie was feeling the same way. Wanting to maintain the fun, quirky, creative vibes but quietly creeping towards double digits (10 years old next year!). It was time for a change. Back in the day Mad Millie launched with bright purple packaging wrapped around our cheese kits. The first fans may even have some of those beautiful cartons still lurking in the back of their cupboards. Fun and punchy, the first kits of their kind, we were starting the do it yourself movement! The brand and products evolved over time to include all types of gourmet, artisan, and health food kits including vegan cheese, sauerkraut, and kimchi, coconut yoghurt and sourdough. The purple was abandoned as Mad Millie matured and realised that bright purple just wasn’t cool anymore. A more neutral design was released that seemed to hit the spot. Before we knew it, we were nudging 10 years and felt like a wardrobe update was due. We wanted Mad Millie to really show off on shelf, we know it’s a great product and we wanted everyone to see that too. The packaging should represent the fun you can have with Mad Millie; that getting creative can be surprisingly easy with a little bit of help. So, we set to work! You’ve had a sneak peek at the new and improved Mad Millie designs with the release of some products this year, we hope you like what you’ve seen so far. The focus was to make the kits all about you, our consumer. We wanted you to easily see what each kit makes when it’s sitting on the shelf. Then once you get it home the How to Guides needed to be as simplified and easy to use as possible. We want you to have success each and every time you use Mad Millie. Side note: the packaging and instructions are changing but it’s still the same great product inside. You’ll see more of the new designs coming out over the next 6 months as we roll out the old and move into the new. We hope you like it!