In a message dated 5/31/2005 11:45:01 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
Kefir_making@yahoogroups.com writes:
IMHO I would toss the cheesecloth as it's sooo cheap and it would
be miserable to try to clean it.
Does that mean you would use it "as is" from the store without washing and or
boiling it?
The cheese REALLY does come off quite cleanly and easily if you first rinse
it with COLD water. Dom's site has complicated instructions for washing it. I
couldn't find the kind of soap he recommended. I got some Grandma's lye
soap, (ingredients: lard, water, and lye). I HOPE this will be OK to use, with
rinse and a vinegar rinse, and then boiling. Will it?
Is all that washing, above, overkill? I think I read somewhere just rinsing
and boiling would suffice.
Is it just the hard cheeses that require sterilization?
Junket rennet from the ice cream or jello section will make firm curds. I
think it is a vegetable product. I wonder if you can get a firm cheese with just
the kefir curds.
I also wonder about using salt. It is said to help keep the cheese fresh, I
think, but I would think it would kill the live organisms, wouldn't it?
Is the cheese pressed and drained in the fridge or out, or does it matter?
Peg
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