Homestead Cheesemaking 101 | Robyn of Cheese from Scratch

Any homesteader who has a dairy animal or two knows the importance of finding a use for all of that milk. Making cheese at home is not only a great way to provide nourishing food for your family, it is also an excellent method of preserving milk. Robyn began her cheesemaking journey by using her dairy cow’s milk to make cheese for her family, and she quickly realized there was a need for cheesemaking education specifically for the homesteader. In this conversation, Robyn answers the most common questions about getting started making cheese from scratch. If learning how to make cheese is on your list of skills to master, give this episode a listen!
In this episode, we cover:
- From the start of Robyn’s cheesemaking endeavors to her successful online education business
- An ideal time of year to make cheese
- What to look for when choosing a homestead dairy animal for cheesemaking
- The best types of cheeses to start making if you are new
- How long does it take to make cheese and what is the process?
- Choosing and working with the bacteria and acid necessary for cheesemaking
- What is a clabber culture and how can you create one?
- Deciding what kind of rennet is right for your cheesemaking
- Do I need a lot of special equipment to get started making cheese?
- An overview of the process of making and aging hard cheeses
- Contamination concerns and how to avoid them
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ABOUT ROBYN
Robyn is a mom to three sweet and wild children, a wife, a rancher, a milkmaid, and a Homestead Cheesemaker. She teaches homesteaders how to turn their milk into cheese. Robyn’s cheesemaking journey began in 2014, when her husband brought home a milk cow. Since then, she has been passionate about experimenting with techniques that make home cheesemaking easier for a busy lifestyle. Robyn likens her cheesemaking to how cheese was made in the old days: she makes cheese with a baby on her hip, a toddler at her feet, and a loaf of bread in the oven. If there is a way she can take a shortcut without compromising safety or taste, she does it! Years of experimentation, trial, and error have brought her home cheesemaking to where it is today: cheese made from scratch, the simple way.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Christmas Cheeseboard ebook: cheesefromscratch.com/christm...
The Milkmaid Society: cheesefromscratch.com/milk-ma...
The Art of Natural Cheesemaking by David Asher: www.amazon.com/Art-Natural-Ch...
Inkbird: inkbird.com/
CONNECT
Robyn Jackson of Cheese from Scratch
Website: cheesefromscratch.com/
Instagram: / cheese_from_scratch_
TH-cam: / @cheesefromscratch3823
Facebook: Cheese-From-...
Homesteaders of America
Website: homesteadersofamerica.com
Instagram: / homesteadersofamerica
Facebook: / homesteadersofamerica
TH-cam: / homesteadersofamerica
Pinterest: / homesteadersusa
Join us at the Homesteaders of America Conference in October 2023: homesteadersofamerica.com/hom...
GET MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
View full show notes and transcript on the blog: homesteadersofamerica.com/e28...
Listen to this podcast episode: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh...

[@bretallica13]

This is fascinating, thanks for sharing!

[@NorthlandSLC]

Love making mozzarella then process the whey into ricotta. Two cheeses from the same volume of milk.

[@TheCountryhumans311]

This is awesome information.

[@marcus3457]

So I do have one question, not sure if you are able to answer. I heard Robyn mention a designated stainless steel cheese making pot. I did buy my wife a stainless steel All American 1930 pressure canner. Can it be used for normal canning and also occasionally for cheese making, or does the stainless steel pot need to be used only for cheese making?

[@thegoodoldways]

Ferments = a lifetime of mystery = addiction/obsession

[@SplashyCannonBall]

The homestead fad always lies hides and is secret about money. Which is an odd irony.