Ordinary Wisdom
[MM] I just found a great sale on junket, and I’m thinking of stocking up. Can Junket be used for making cheese? Junket is the brand name.
Â
[MB] Junket is the brand name, but it is also descriptive of the type of rennet. The following is from the website of The New England Cheesemaking Company (where I bought my cheesemaking equipment):
Â
“Rennet for cheese making is 80% chymosin and 20% pepsin. Junket is 80% pepsin, so it is weaker than rennet used for cheese making. Even if you use more junket to compensate, the added pepsin in junket increases protein breakdown and can cause problems when aging cheese.
Â
“Junket was originally made for custards and contains many additives. In spite of this, and despite the price of junket, not inexpensive, there are many recipes online for making cheese with junket. We think this originated when cheese making supplies were hard to find for home cheese making. Cheese making supplies are now widely available, so there is less reason to use junket.”
Â
You can get regular rennet (in liquid or tablet form) from The New England Cheesemaking Companyor from The Cheesemaker Cheese Maker.
Â
[KM] Rennet can also be made from stinging nettle.
Â
[MB] Yes, vegetable rennet can be made from plants like nettles and the flowers of the purple-flowered thistles. And vegetable rennet is fine for certain soft cheeses. However, it is not recommended for hard cheeses like cheddar and colby. Here’s some more information from the website of the New England Cheesemaking Company: “Some cheese makers also make their own vegetable rennet from nettles, figs, etc. This can work for sheep milk and soft cheese, but not for aged, hard cheese.”
Â
[K] Non GMO rennet for cheese making. I just opened my email from Lifeline Farm here in MT. They use a Non GMO rennet. Here’s the email:
Â
Kelly,
Â
I’ve had this question multiple times today. I have included the rennet we use in our cheese.
hopefully this answered your question.
Â
Kayla
Â
Here’s the response from Sierra Nevada Cheese Co, that I bought through Azure:
Â
Good Morning Kelly,
Â
Thank you for your inquiry and for your continued support of our Graziers Raw Milk Cheese. We appreciate the opportunity to clarify the source of the enzyme used in our cheese.
Â
We’re pleased to confirm that the microbial enzyme we utilize in our cheese does not originate from a genetically modified source. Additionally, the raw materials used in the production of this microbial rennet have not undergone genetic modification.
Â
Furthermore, it’s important to note that the microbial rennet we source is approved by the USDA National Organic Program, ensuring that it meets stringent organic standards and aligns with our commitment to providing high-quality products to our customers.
Â
We understand the importance of transparency and integrity in food sourcing and production, and we’re dedicated to upholding these principles in every aspect of our operations.
Â
Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or if there’s anything else we can assist you with. We value your trust in our brand and remain committed to delivering exceptional products that meet your standards.
Â
Warm regards,
Â
Paige
Â
[MM] Queso fresco/queso blanco is super fast and easy. You could also make cottage cheese or something very much like cream cheese if you got some mesophilic starter and some rennet. You don’t need a cheese press for these, just some really basic stuff like a pot and some cheesecloth. If you’d like to try hard cheeses, you’d need a good press (and unfortunately, a lot of the presses out there aren’t very good).
Â
[NW] Not only do I not have mesophilic starter, I can barely say it, it sounds like something from Jurassic World –
And over here, we have the Medophilic Starter – he was one of our first but he’s kinda long in the tooth now.
Â
[MB] Hahahaha! Oh, NW, you crack me up! Here’s where I get all of my starters for yogurt, soft cheeses, and hard cheeses; and they also sell good presses: Product reviews.
Â
KM: This post is for you, MM!
Â
[MB] Cool, KM! I had seen this recipe before but never made it. Here is a link for a recipe for queso fresco, a “fresh cheese” similar to the cheese in the recipe that you sent. The differences are that this recipe has three ingredients (no egg), and the “starter” is vinegar rather than sour cream. My daughter and I have been making this cheese for over a decade, and my kids like it a lot. Read more >
0 Comments