Today was a normal day off for me. I did a few loads of laundry and decided to go grocery shopping, as we had nothing to eat in the house besides hamburger. So while Will was home for coffee, he helped me dress the kids and pile them into the car and we were off. Daisy was good per the usual and Delmar was well, Delmar. He can’t sit still for more than 30 seconds. He makes the trip longer than it should be, but that is the joy of boys.
Once we got home and had lunch, I decided since it was so hot outside, it would be a great day to make cheese. Will brought me four gallons of milk from the tank. I have been making random batches of fresh cheese here and there, but I really want to get started making cheddar. Since I didn’t have the right culture, I decided to make squeaky cheese curds. You know, the kind that make the squeaky clean squeak on your teeth when you bite into the creamy goodness.
Luckily Delmar took a nice long nap and I was able to get the hard parts done while he slept, and Daisy was running around outside and coming in for snacks. Making cheese is a patient process with a lot of stirring and waiting. In the midst of adding culture and rennet, I was dreaming up flavors of curds that I could make. All of a sudden it hit me, beer soaked curds! I called Will up and very nicely asked for him to run to our new family brewery, Stone Cow Brewery, and get me a growler of the Cows Out Milk Stout. It would be the best pairing with cheese! And I can tell you, I wasn’t wrong. These curds are some of the best I have ever had.
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| Milk coming up to temperature before adding the culture. |
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It was a hot day.
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| And of course this cutie who was behaving so well. |
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| Curds and whey |
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Finished curds after pressing, cheddaring, and milling
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Mmmm Cows Out Milk Stout
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| Curds soaking in the stout |
Baking, cooking, and cheesemaking take me to my happy place. I love being able to use our own milk to make products for my family to enjoy. Dairy plays a huge roll in our family and I use it any way that I possibly can, whether it be a glass of milk at a meal, cheese for a snack, or ice cream for breakfast. Part of being a mom is being able to make the rules, and although I try to make every meal balanced, but sometimes its fun to have ice cream for breakfast or dinner! Stay tuned for my next blog post on raw milk!
