It’s hard to talk about cheese making without mentioning the nursery rhyme. We all know Little Miss Muffet and her curds and whey, but they took on new meaning last week at the St. Mary’s Nutrition Center of Maine when 15 class participants explored the world of cheese with Denise Dill, community cooking educator.

From simple yogurt cheeses to homemade mozzarella, Dill shared enough information in three hours to send her students home to try their hand at this wholesome and slightly “old-fashioned” skill.

It’s the seventh time Dill has taught the cheese-making class. Cathy Gray of Lewiston and her daughter Bronwyn were repeat attendees, and have perfected their cheese-making skills enough to become “helpers” in Dill’s demonstrations.

Dill focused on soft cheeses, she said, because “they take the least amount of time to make” and are simple enough for folks to make in their home kitchens. The supplies are a little less costly and, unlike hard cheeses, need no aging process. “Since hard cheese is a bit more of an endeavor,” Dill said, she recommends taking a hard cheese class at Nezinscot Farm in Turner.

Dill first explained the basic cheese-making process, and the four main components you need to make a successful batch: milk, warmth (or heat), a curdling agent and time. Supplies include cheese cloth or the finer-woven “butter muslin,” a colander for draining, a meat or candy thermometer for measuring the temperature of the milk as it heats, and a few other items that you probably already have, such as measuring cups, glass bowls, twine, spoons (both wooden and slotted) and herbs or spices for flavoring the cheese.

Her recipes come from a book called “Home Cheese Making” by Ricki Carroll, who has become known as the Cheese Queen since it was first printed in 1978. Both her book and her website, www.cheesemaking.com, include basic cheese-making instructions for all types of cheese.

Beginners can refer to Carroll’s website for supplies, starter kits, helpful hints and recipes. Her site could be a lifesaver for the first-time cheese maker, offering trouble-shooting for such questions as “It took 24 hours for my soft cheese to set. Is it safe to eat?” or “I was making one of the soft cheeses and I ended up with a firm curd on the top of the pot and not so firm on the bottom. Now what?”

The first task at last week’s class was to whip up a batch of simple yogurt cheese. Dill recommended starting with a type of yogurt with active live cultures, which takes the place of a curdling agent such as lemon juice, citric acid, vinegar or rennet. Rennet is a milk-curdling enzyme, usually animal based, and can be found locally in the freezer section at Axis Whole Foods in Auburn.

The yogurt cheese we made was unbelievably simple and remarkably delicious: Allow one quart of yogurt to come to room temperature, pour into a square of butter muslin, tie up the corners, and hang the pouch over a bowl to drain for 12 to 24 hours. Once completely drained, remove the cheese from the muslin, sprinkle in sea salt if desired, along with herbs such as dill, garlic, rosemary or basil, according to your own taste. Voila! Use as a spread on crackers or bagels, and store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Save the clear liquid (whey) for one of multiple uses, such as the batch of ricotta made at the end of the class – yet another surprisingly easy and fabulous-tasting cheese!

The group then graduated to panir (a firmer Indian cheese similar to farmer cheese), which is cooked and uses lemon juice as the curdling agent. Dill said this is an easy cheese for beginners because it is quite forgiving. “If you don’t get the separation you want, put it back on the burner and play with it further,” she said. This cheese only takes two to three hours to drain, and is not as creamy as the yogurt-based cheese spread. The directions offer an option to create a creamier cheese, which we did not do in the class, but I will try when I make my first batch at home.

These cheeses can be made with store-bought pasteurized milks, but Dill prefers to use raw whole milk instead, because the yield tends to be higher and the cheese will be more flavorful and nutritious. The milk we used was from Caldwell Farms in Turner.

The mozzarella cheese was the most “advanced” cheese we made, incorporating citric acid, lipase powder and rennet. To prevent the curds from breaking, the stirring motion in the pot is actually up and down, versus in a circular motion. After curdling, the mozzarella needs to be heated in a microwave oven afterwards and kneaded while hot. The kneading is key to making the cheese smooth and pliable. Dill offered numerous tips on how to flavor and serve the cheese, including with pesto and sliced tomatoes, which is how we sampled it during the class. She said the mozzarella also works very well in lasagna or on pizza.

The night was topped off with a sweet batch of ricotta cheese, made with the leftover whey. The Grays said they were really looking forward to making mozzarella, because immediately after, they whip up a small batch of ricotta. They love it so much, they said, they barely wait for it to cool!

Recipes:

30-Minute Mozzarella

Ingredients:

1-1/2 level teaspoon citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water

1 gallon raw or pasteurized whole milk

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon lipase powder (see note) dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water and allowed to sit for 20 minutes, for a stronger flavor (optional)

1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet (or 1/4 rennet tablet) diluted in 1/4 cup cool, unchlorinated water

1 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

In a large pot, while stirring the milk, add citric acid to milk at 55 degrees Fahrenheit and mix thoroughly. (If using lipase, add it now.) Note: If you add lipase to this cheese, you may have to use a bit more rennet, as lipase makes the cheese softer.

Slowly heat the milk to 90 degrees over medium/low heat. The milk will start to curdle.

Gently stir in the diluted rennet with an up-and-down motion, while heating the milk to between 100 and 105 degrees. Turn off the heat. When the curds pull away from the sides of the pot, they are ready to scoop out (approximately 3 to 5 minutes for this).

The curds will look like thick yogurt and have a bit of shine to them, and the whey will be clear. If the whey is still milky white, wait a few more minutes.

Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon and put into a 2-quart microwaveable bowl. Press the curds with your hands, pouring off as much whey as possible. Reserve the whey.

Microwave the curds on high for 1 minute. Drain off all excess whey. Gently fold the cheese over and over (as in kneading bread) with your hand or a spoon. This distributes the heat evenly throughout the cheese, which will not stretch until it is too hot to touch (145 degrees inside the curd). Wear a good pair of clean rubber gloves if it is too hot to touch.

Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each; add salt to taste after the second time (optional). After each heating, knead again to distribute heat.

Knead quickly until it is smooth and elastic. When the cheese stretches like taffy, it is done. If the curds break instead of stretch, they are too cool and need to be reheated.

When the cheese is smooth and shiny, roll it into small balls and eat while warm. Or place them in a bowl of ice water for half an hour to bring the inside temperature down rapidly; this will produce a consistent, smooth texture through the cheese. Although best eaten fresh, if you must wait, cover and store in the refrigerator.

Panir

Ingredients:

1 gallon raw or pasteurized whole milk

8 tablespoons lemon juice or 2 teaspoons citric acid dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water

1 to 2 cups hot water (optional)

In a large pot, directly heat the milk to a rolling (gentle) boil, stirring often to prevent scorching.

Reduce heat to low and, before the foam subsides, drizzle in the lemon juice. Cook for 10 to 15 seconds.

Remove from heat and continue to stir gently until large curds form. If the whey is still milky instead of clear, return it to the heat and increase the temperature a bit or add more coagulant.

Once you obtain a clear separation of curds and whey, remove from heat and let set for 10 minutes. For a very soft cheese, add the hot water.

When the curds have settled below the whey, they are ready to drain. Ladle the curds into a colander lined with butter muslin. Tie the corner of the muslin into a knot and hold the bag under a gentle stream of lukewarm water for 5 to 10 seconds to rinse off the coagulating agent. Gently twist the top of the muslin to squeeze out extra whey.

At this point, either hang the bag of curds to drain for 2 to 3 hours or return the muslin-wrapped curd mass to the colander and place a bowl of water, brick or some other object weighing about 5 pounds on top and press for two hours.

Unwrap the cheese. Best to eat sliced or crumbled right away. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

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