Back to Basics

Since the earliest human civilizations in the west, milk has been gathered from domesticated animals such as goats, sheep, and cows to create a wide variety of high protein and tasty foods including cheese, butter, and yogurt. With more than 3,000 kinds of cheese registered to the FDA and dozens of different recipes for butter and yogurt available, many people see great opportunities both to save money and to make a little profit in creating their own milk based products. The secret to making these products all lies in the recipes you have and the steps you take. This book was written to provide prospective cheese, butter, or yogurt makers the tools they need to prepare, create, and enjoy their favorite dairy products from the comfort of their home. You will learn everything you need to know about the various dairy products found in cheeses, butter, and yogurt to start creating your own at-home dairy goods with up to date facts, methods and processes. You will learn which ingredients are used for these assorted dairy products and what at-home equipment you will need to start benefiting from your own recipes. You will learn how to clean and care for your equipment, making sure everything remains sanitary and that your dairy products are always safe. You will learn the myriad of basic techniques necessary to understand the dairy product process, starting with raw milk and continuing until you make any number of soft, hard, or Italian cheeses. Dozens of top cheese makers and home dairy aficionados have been interviewed for this book and provided their experiences with dairy products. You will learn from them and this book the basics of creating queso blanco, fromage blanc, ricotta, feta, cheddar, gouda, Monterey jack, mozzarella, parmesan, and many other cheeses in addition to sour cream, yogurt, and butter. For anyone with a desire to start experimenting with dairy products at home, this book is the ideal starting point.