I have read that Jersey cow milk won't make cheese. I have a Jersey about ready to calve, and we are looking forward to all of that wonderful milk (again). We made lots of butter before, but never tried cheese because of what I read. Does anyone know if it is really true? Has anyone made cheese from Jersey milk, and if so,could you please share a recipe or two with me?

-- Lela R. Picking (stllwtrs55@aol.com), June 03, 2001

Answers

They'll make cheese o.k. Check out some of the past forum posts on cooking and cheesemaking and etc for lots of receipes. For the most part, cheese receipes can be made using either cow or goat milk, with a few exceptions.

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), June 03, 2001.

About 40-50 years ago the largest concentration of of jersey herds per capita was here in middle Tennessee. There were cheese and butter plants everywhere. Go to Google and type in "cheese making" then click search.

-- Bill (wah@tnweb.com), June 03, 2001.

I've made cheese from a Jersey/Holstein cross with no problems. Now I make it from goat's milk.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), June 03, 2001.

What about Guernseys? We're thinking of getting one, she came from a dairy. Good butter and cheese? I have to get a large cow as my neighbors bulls are a little big for a Jersey. Thanks.

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), June 03, 2001.

Funny you should ask that today. We had a graduation celebration hog roast today. As a special treat for our guests, we cut several of our cheeses - Colby, Cheddar, Gouda, Montasio, Romano, and one I invented that is made from pure cream, also our cottate cheese -- all cheeses made from our pure Jersey milk cow. They had been aging since February. Yep, Jersey milk makes great cheese.

-- homestead2 (homestead@localnetplus.com), June 03, 2001.

Jersey milk makes great cheese! I worked for a man who made fresh mozzerela out of jersey milk and it was out of this world! (probably because it's so rich!)

-- Elizabeth (Lividia66@aol.com), June 04, 2001.

the jersy and gurnsey breeds are better fo rmaking cheese than holstien they have a higher soldids to fluid ratio oh and same with brown swiss and ashireand most of the minor breeds .guernsey are noted for thier exelent disposition jersy tend to be a little nerviose but are hardier and can pick around better guernsy needs good grazing and to have a little more shelter you can make cheese from any milk you can get

-- george darby (windwillow@fuse.net), June 05, 2001.

I make cheese every week for lasagna from Jersey milk. I pour a gallon into a pot and cook on med-high to high (depending on how big of a hurry I'm in) stirring constantly until it reachies 185 degrees. Then I add about 1 Cup of vinegar at 185 degrees and it immediately curdles. You should have an almost clear liquid. Pour thru a strainer, draining your curds in the strainer and liquid in a large bowl or another pot. The curds are your cheese for the lasagna, and the liquid is your whey to feed to the cats and chickens and they LOVE it! (Remember Miss Muffet sitting on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey? This was what she was eating!) It smells nasty, but it makes the most wonderful lasagna you've EVER had! (Unless you scorch it, which I did once and it just RUINS the flavor of lasagna.)

I've never been able to afford to buy the ricotta cheese for lasagna, so used cottage cheese instead. But, my lasagna we called lasagna soup, because you had to eat it out of a bowl. Now it slices perfectly.

You may want to add some salt or garlic salt, or powder to it and stir the curds while they're still warm. They're awful hard to separate and chop up after they cool. Not, hard, just time consuming.

-- Louise Whitley (whitley@terraworld.net), June 06, 2001.

Hi, I work for and am good friends with a man who swears that jerseys are the only way to go. He has made himself quite a business from selling jersey cheese, and I agree it is wonderful. Go to his website and I bet he'll even ship you a sample. His company is in Maine, and it is Littlebarnfarm.com . Good luck with your cheese, my cow just freshened a week ago(jersey/holstein) and I am swimming in milk. If you find any good recipes I would be glad to have new ideas for all this milk. Good Luck! cara lewis

-- cara lewis (moomaine@hotmail.com), June 27, 2001.