Cheesemaking Resources Review (Cheesemaking Part 2)

When I started cheesemaking I had no idea which books and resource I’d need, so I bought all of them, I hope to spare you that expense unless you just want lots of cheesemaking books 🙂

I’ve reviewed and highlighted my favorites in this video and post below. Enjoy! 🙂

BOOK: Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking: The Ultimate Guide for Home-Scale and Market Producers by G. Caldwell. If you want to invest in one cheesemaking book, this is it.  I wish Ms. Caldwell’s book had been around when I started cheesemaking, I would have avoided so many errors and cheese flops! When this book came in the mail I didn’t put it down until I had read through every page and the whole book was highlighted and marked up. It’s my new go to recipe and info book. The author has an easy to read writing style that is not pretentious or confusing. Ms. Caldwell’s book is like having a master cheesemaker in your home kitchen giving you the full 4-1-1 on how to get your cheese to turn out exceptional.

BOOK: Cheesemaking at Home: A Guide to Making Soft & Hard Cheeses by the Center For Essential Education. You must get this book. It covers soft cheeses, hard cheese, blooming rinds and smeared ripped cheeses. If you get one cheesemaking book, get this one. You can’t buy it on the internet. You have to pick up the phone and call Homestead Heritage in Waco, TX. It’s wroth the trouble. The book is awesome. Their order number is 254-754-9600, ask for the gift barn.

CLASS: I highly recommend the two day soft and hard cheeses taught by Brazos Valley Cheese’s at Homestead Heritage in Waco, TX. Even if you don’t live close to Waco, TX consider flying, this class is worth it. You can learn more about  classes at Homestead Heritage  soft and hard cheese classes at SustainLife.org.  The best part of the class is the instructors and you’ll get a tour of their real cheese cave (that’s in the ground) and their cheese make room (which is AWESOME). They make and sell cheese commercially on a small scale. Take this class if you can, it’s worth it.

BOOK: The Cheesemaker’s Manual by Margaret Peters-Morris. This book is also a must buy. It’s expensive, but necessary. You can buy this book from the author’s company in Canada, Glengarry Cheesemaking or from New England Cheesemaking Supply Company. The binding of this book isn’t good for making cheese. It doesn’t hold up with lots of use. Take the book to a office supply shop with a copy center, they’ll put the whole book in a spiral bound with a cover and backing for around $5. A spiral bound makes it so you can keep the book flat when making cheese and the plastic front and back help when your counter is wet with whey.

DVD: Home Cheesemaking with Margaret Morris This is another must buy. My cheeses didn’t start turning out until I bought this book and Ms. Morrs’ DVD. You will see Ms. Morris make four cheeses, Feta, Camembert, Gouda, & Cheddar. Cheesemaking success comes from learning first hand from others, not just reading a recipe book.

BOOK: Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Homemade Cheeses by Ricki Carroll. This is your book if you want to make small batch cheeses, use existing kitchen equipment, and if you want to get all your cheese cultures from New England Cheesemaking Company. Because the recipes just call for a packet of XYZ instead of specific amounts and culture types. I found this book to be a good first cheesemaking book. It’s for beginner cheesemakers who want to use small batches of milk. I do love the authors website, New England Cheesemaking Company I  buy most of my cheesemaking supplies from them.

CLASS: If you live within driving distance to Winnsboro, Texas, sign up for Nancy Falster’s Cheesemaking class, taught from her home. Nancy’s class was the first introduction I had to cheesemaking. I never would have dreamed of making cheese if it wasn’t for attending this class back in 2009. Nancy is married to Carl Falster and they run miniature cattle ranch, Falster Farm. Nancy also is a professional Chef with Southern Grace.

BOOK: Cheese: Exploring Taste and Tradition by Patricia Michelson. This book will be a beautiful inspiration to you as a cheesemaker. Once you have made several cheese, you’re going to wonder what their counter parts around the world should look like.  I didn’t know what my cheese were suppose to do in the cave, having a picture of the finished product help me know what molds to wipe off and what to keep. This book is especially helpful if you get into cloth bound, smeared wiped rinds, natural rinds, & blooming cheese rind cheeses. This book has incredible pictures and info on so many cheeses. There’s a great interview with the author, Patricia Michelson, on a iTunes podcast called Cutting the Curd by Anne Saxalby. Look up episode 36 for Patricia Michelson’s interview. This book will be your inspiration and will get you back in the kitchen to try and perfect a cheese you made and try something new. A great book.

If you type in Cheesemaking on an Amazon search, I think I must own most of them! The above resources are my favorites, here are some more cheese resources…

The Cheese Nun by PBS starring Sister Noella Marcellino

Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoisseurship from a Maître Fromager

Artisan Cheese Making at Home: Techniques & Recipes for Mastering World-Class Cheeses by Mary Karlin

The Joy of Cheesemaking by Jody M. Farnham and Marc Druart

The Cheesemaker’s Apprentice by Sasha Davies and David Bleckmann

Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll

Cheese and Culture: A History of Cheese and its Place in Western Civilization by Paul Kindstedt

American Farmstead Cheese: The Complete Guide To Making and Selling Artisan Cheeses by Paul Kindstedt

Cheese & Fermented Milk Foods (2 volume set) by Frank Kosikowski and Vikram Mistry. I bought this set from New England Cheese Making Supply Company online.

Cheese Slices Volume 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 Staring Will Studd. I bought this set from New England Cheesemaking Company Online.

Click HERE for Part 3, Cheesemaking Equipment!