I am interested in trying to make my own cheese, but am starting out with zero knowledge on the subject. Not having a mentor in homesteading, (I'm definately in the trial and error school), I've read all the books, and am ready to jump in. Problem is, I can't seem to find rennet anywhere. Is this a very hard-to-find item, or am I just looking in all the wrong places?

-- Julie (rjbk@together.net), July 22, 2000

Answers

I'll e-mail you some possible sources of supply as this forum doesn't allow copy and paste from Microsoft word. If you have the Sept/Oct 98 issue of Countryside look on page 102 for how to make your own. One possible source of a calf stomach is a local custom processor.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 22, 2000.

Hi,

Good luck starting out. Its pretty easy once you get everything you need and practice. I really like Mary toth's book, Goats produce Too. i get my rennet from Hoeggers, ph # is 1-800-221-4628 I think addy is http://www.goatsupply.com Hope this helps, any problems let me know.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), July 22, 2000.

Julie -- I buy my rennet in tablet form at the local health food store. If you don't have a health/natural foods store in your area, talk to the manager of whatever comes closest (i.e., grocery store). A lot of times they don't bother stocking things that they don't feel people will buy, but can order them in if you ask. If s/he hears that a customer is interested in a product, they might start stocking it regularly.

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), July 23, 2000.

In our area pharmacies carry rennet. You might try at one near you.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), July 23, 2000.

All I can add to the 'make cheese' post is, have fun! Once you have the rennet, -Have a form made! Just watch you're creation-come to be! Open the Wine, Beer, or other: and enjoy!

-- Kathy (catfish@bestweb.net), July 23, 2000.

I have some tablets I'd be glad to send me if you will give me your snail mail address. I bought these from the local mennonite community for y2k and have more than I need. I would rather give them away than throw them away.

-- Kathy6 (DavidWH6@juno.com), July 24, 2000.

For starters before you get into hard cheese try adding some buttermilk to a kettle of warm milk and let stand till it clabbers, drain, this is where you put it in a cheese cloth bag and hang over the sink. After it has drained lay the bag on an old overn rack over a kettle and press down with a weight of some sort, a big rock works well. This will give you a type of cheese similar to dry cottage cheese.

-- akp (paulal@oplin.lib.oh.us), July 24, 2000.

most of the comercial cheese making mailorder places seem to have gotten expensive the last few years i have been told not to use junket brand rennet used for making custards but it usualy works pretty good usualy make mozzerella and use it on pizzas fresh even my attempta at chedder turn out as a swiss type use the whey to feed to the chickens or on the compost heap to realy heat things up ,just dive in and start making cheese you will make good cheeses and exelent cheesesand wonder what you did different on each one and mabey even a few you will feed to the dog but he will think it was good.

-- george darby (windwillow@fuse.net), July 24, 2000.

A few links for your project list. www.cheesemaking.com http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/cheesemaker/Cheesemakers-L.htm http://dairyconnection.com/cultures.htm http://www.lunehaven.com/cheesemaking.html

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), July 25, 2000.

Lets try that again. ;-)
www.cheesemaking.com
http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/cheesemaker/Cheesemakers-L.html
http://dairyconnection.com/cultures.html
http://www.lunehaven.com/cheesemaking.html

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), July 25, 2000.