Wow! I have only finished the first few chapters of this book and I have learned so much about cheesemaking! If you are interested in the why and how of cheesemaking, not just recipes, this is a wonderful book.
Since Hubby has a Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, there are often chemistry words floating in the air at our house. Sometimes there are chemistry experiments sitting on the kitchen counter. Sometimes the kids have accidentally eaten some of Hubby's chemistry experiments that were sitting on the counter (nothing that would harm them, don't worry!) Two of our children are studying biochemistry at the University.
Although I am not a chemist, I am familiar with the jargon because of the house I live in, so the first few chapters weren't difficult to understand. I suppose if you have a really hard time with chemistry, then you might have some trouble. But I doubt it, the author does a great job explaining the chemistry of milk and how it affects cheesemaking.
Wonder why your cheese turns out differently in the fall than the batches you made in the spring? It's the fat to casein ratio and the mineral content.
Last week I was wondering why I needed more salt in my Feta this time of year. There is more fat in the milk in the fall!
Lots and lots of information. I haven't taken any cheesemaking courses, although one is offered at a University close by. I think I saved myself a pile of money by purchasing this book instead of taking a class.
I am thoroughly enjoying this book and can tell this is one that will be on my reference shelf!
Enjoy the tid-bits of our everyday life: dairy goats, sheep, poultry, beekeeping, gardening, cheese making, spinning and knitting, quilting, and soap making. We're not experts, but we are willing to give almost anything a try! We're learning something new everyday--drop by once in a while and see what we've learned today!
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
New Books!
Yay! I ordered some books and they came last week!
I read all the introductory part already, and some of the recipes. I'm not sure what I think about what she's saying, but I do like that she has most of what she says backed up with scientific studies and the references so the reader can look them up.
The only thing I haven't been able to find are any recipes from early cookbooks (late 1700s to early 1800s) that include preserving food with whey. I will probably give some of those recipes a try, but I can't find anyplace that document those are traditional recipes.
I haven't even started this one! But I am so excited because it talks about different aspects of cheesemaking. It isn't really a recipe book, it is more like a textbook for home cheesemaking. I hope to learn why different starters, temperatures, and pH make a difference, and what those differences are.
Lots of good reading!
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon |
The only thing I haven't been able to find are any recipes from early cookbooks (late 1700s to early 1800s) that include preserving food with whey. I will probably give some of those recipes a try, but I can't find anyplace that document those are traditional recipes.
American Farmstead Cheese by Paul Kindstedt |
Lots of good reading!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Handy Farm Devices and How to Make Them
I was searching for how to make a homemade curd cutter when I'm making cheese. It would be really nice to have my curds a little more uniform. Since I'm a cheapskate--I thought maybe there might be someone out in wwwLand that has done it before and could give me some tips.
I ran across a few people that had made some, but I don't have the skill to do it. Not even close!
But I did find a really neat book that was published in 1909 called Handy Farm Devices and How To Make Them by Rolfe Cobleigh. There are some really interesting things in that book! The link is to the book online and takes you right to the Table of Contents.
Here is the Table of Contents, just to whet your appetite!
1. Workshop and Tools
2. The Steel Square
3. In and Around the House
4. In and Around the House (part II)
5. Poultry and Bees
6 Garden and Orchard
7. Field and Wood
8. Gates and Doors
9. When We Build
9. When We Build (part II)
10. Worth Knowing
10. Worth Knowing (part II)
If you want to download the book as a PDF, you can find it here at Internet Archives.
The first link takes you to a website called, Journey To Forever. But the best part of their site (for me) is the page called, Small Farms Library.
Books found on that page include:
Common Sense Composting by the Quick Return Method
The Saccharine Disease: Conditions caused by the Taking of Refined Carbohydrates....
Weeds: Guardians of the Soil
Principles of Soil Microbiology
Soil Management
My Grandfather's Earthworm Farm
Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture
Methane Digesters for Fuel Gas and Fertilizer, With Complete Instructions for Two Working Models
That's just a short list of the titles there....all readable online! And some of the ones I looked at can also be downloaded and printed from Internet Archives!
How great is that!!
More information on farming the way your Great-grandparents did! (Mine didn't--they were bankers!)
I ran across a few people that had made some, but I don't have the skill to do it. Not even close!
But I did find a really neat book that was published in 1909 called Handy Farm Devices and How To Make Them by Rolfe Cobleigh. There are some really interesting things in that book! The link is to the book online and takes you right to the Table of Contents.
Here is the Table of Contents, just to whet your appetite!
1. Workshop and Tools
2. The Steel Square
3. In and Around the House
4. In and Around the House (part II)
5. Poultry and Bees
6 Garden and Orchard
7. Field and Wood
8. Gates and Doors
9. When We Build
9. When We Build (part II)
10. Worth Knowing
10. Worth Knowing (part II)
If you want to download the book as a PDF, you can find it here at Internet Archives.
The first link takes you to a website called, Journey To Forever. But the best part of their site (for me) is the page called, Small Farms Library.
Books found on that page include:
Common Sense Composting by the Quick Return Method
The Saccharine Disease: Conditions caused by the Taking of Refined Carbohydrates....
Weeds: Guardians of the Soil
Principles of Soil Microbiology
Soil Management
My Grandfather's Earthworm Farm
Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture
Methane Digesters for Fuel Gas and Fertilizer, With Complete Instructions for Two Working Models
That's just a short list of the titles there....all readable online! And some of the ones I looked at can also be downloaded and printed from Internet Archives!
How great is that!!
More information on farming the way your Great-grandparents did! (Mine didn't--they were bankers!)
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