cheese whiz

If you´ve had a conversation with me within the past 6 months, chances are that I have mentioned cheese. Inspired by Barbara Kingsolver´s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” and Argentina´s lack of good inexpensive cheese, I have been on a mission to make my own homemade cheese. The goal, which was once daunting and doubtful, came closer and closer to a reality when my father miraculously smuggled a cheese making kit (including cheese cultures of two varieties and rennet tablets) through Argentinean customs. Then the search for milk epically began.

Everyone I talked to had their brain picked for information on where I could obtain milk. You see, not just any milk will suffice. Most milk in the supermarket has undergone severe ultra-pasteurization or similar procedures to prolong shelf-life. Pasteurized milk or fresh unpasteurized was ok, ultra-pasteurized was not. People I hitchhiked with gave me some hints. Carlos, the verdulero, was and continues to be a big help. My friends exhausted their contacts. Leads turned into dead-ends and for months the search continued. I was ready to go all in and buy a cow.

With now a week left in Bariloche and the cheese cultures still left untouched in the freezer, Randy and I set off to the Anonima, a supermarket chain, to buy whatever they had tooffer. Ultra-pasteurized milk was the only kind they carried, but I couldn´t leave Bariloche without so much as trying to make cheese. Three liters of milk and one liter of chunky cream, we began the process.

Heat milk. Add cultures. Add calcium chloride. Add rennet. Let sit.

Sarah and Matias soon joined and we all sipped mate and ate torta frita with our fingers crossed.

45 minutes later! No curds. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. More rennet! 30 minutes later. Nothing. Still nothing.

But none of us was willing to give up so easily. We piled into Randy´s car and with a few shaky directions from Carlos, we set off and out of Bariloche. A few side roads led to some dead ends. Past the roundabout. Turned right at the train tracks. Bumpy road.

Estancia Pasoflores!!!!!!!

What a place. What an amazing place. Chickens, hens and roosters. Donkeys. Bees for honey. Cows. Pigs. White, black and gray rabbits. Dogs (and 2-week-old puppies!). Cats. Long rows of peas, strawberries, beets, lettuce, raspberries, radishes, swiss chard, and more I couldn´t identify. A greenhouse full of tomatoes. I found some parsley that had gone to seed and, when I munched on it, it produced a full rich flavor.

After we poured out 6 liters of fresh cow´s milk, we were allowed to roam the property untethered. It was what I wanted. I loved it.

Back on the road towards home, I was giddy! It was actually going to happen! Not only was I going to make cheese, but I had been on an awesome adventure to get the ingredients!

We pasteurized the milk, keeping it at 145 degrees F with help from my handy cheese thermometer for 30 minutes. Cooled it to 85 degrees and added the monophillic cultures keeping it at 85 degrees for another 30 min. The rennet tablet was dissolved in water that we had boiled the chlorine out of and added to the milk.

Then the waiting. 45 minutes later we had curds and whey!!!! It didn´t produce a clean cut, and we had many willing fingers! After cutting the curds we heated it up to 115 degrees slowly to separate the curds and whey again. 1.25 hours later we drained the curds, salted them and into the fridge!!!

The results were more like ricotta than the intended large curd cottage cheese, but I´d consider it a success. If we make more today, we may have enough for lasagna! Or we may try the slightly more difficult feta recipe. So exciting!