Make
sure all jars, pots and mixing implements are sterilized with boiling water.
Heat
your 1lt milk to 85’C for 30 minutes and then cool to 42’C.
*Or
if you prefer to use Long Life (UHT) milk you only need to heat the milk to
working temperature of 42’C.
When
the milk is cooled, add 50-100ml of shop bought yoghurt to the milk,
mix thoroughly, pour milk into jars and
incubate over night at approx. 38’C in you stoves warming drawer. Should you not have a warming drawer, you can place the jars in a cooler
box with a jar of hot water (hot water bottle) to keep the temperature overnight.
Make
sure the temp doesn’t go much colder than 35’C, but generally, keep it warm and
draft free as the thermophile culture needs the heat to be active.
Next
morning – take it out of the warm drawer/cooler box and then chill in the
fridge for a few hours. To serve spoon it out of the jar.
**Remember
that homemade yoghurt is not as thick as shop bought yoghurt due to the fact
that there are no stabilisers included.
You
are welcome to use gelatin or Maizina if you so wish to thicken, but then do so
before adding the shop bought yoghurt as the gelatin/maizina must first be
cooked before the culture can be added. If this is what you prefer you can add
some gelatin (0.5%= 5gr per 1lt milk) or starch (1%=10gr per 1lt milk) to your
process when cooking out at 85’C for 30 minutes to thicken your yoghurt.
Homemade
yoghurt is a joy to eat.
Just
add some fruit or pulps/jams before eating.
You
can even use some milk cold drink blends (e.g.Cabana) to flavor and colour it
for the kids J
The following testimonial was submitted by Jeanne that came on our Feb 2019 Hartebeespoortdam Cheese Course at the Black Fox.
These are the things in life that make it worthwhile to teach. And then after a while the students start to specialize and they start to teach me 🙂Thanks, Jeanne!!
“It’s not just science. It’s alchemy!
Three years ago I bought a kit to make feta at home from www.cheesemaking.co.za.
Three years later I decided to attend a course to learn how to use it.
I wanted Leon the Milkman to teach me because he seemed like a force to be reckoned with. He is.
And then I met Elaine!
In an intensive 2 day course at Harties in February this powerful and expert duo pushed my concentration to its limits as they drummed the principles and practical basics of making cheese into this beginner.
They were determined to produce thinking, reasoning cheese makers of each one in the group. And they succeeded.
Within 2 weeks of attending the course my husband and I stopped buying cheese. We have been enjoying and appreciating the miracle of freshly made cheese since then. There are 9 types of homemade cheese in my fridge as I write this, including camembert, ricotta and gouda with cumin.
The day before the course Elaine set up a ‘Whatsapp’ group connecting all of us in order to provide full ongoing support and assistance. One Friday Leon spent 7 hours helping me make mozarella step by step. He sent me 70 ‘Whatsapp’ messages. When I finally stretched mozarella for the first time on my own at 5pm I felt like I was an Olympic gold medallist. Making cheese has become my therapy.
So whatever it takes – save up and make the time to attend a cheese making course with this passionate, dedicated and fun couple.
It may just change your life the way it has changed mine.”
For info on upcoming courses, dates and venues, please mail Elaine oninfo@cheesemaking.co.za
If you are an online visitor to our shop that stays in the USA or Canada, then please visit the Cheese Making Shop at https://Cheesemaking.Shop to buy local cheese ingredients and other supplies.
Browse the site for rennet, cheese cultures, yoghurt cultures, cheese cloth, calcium chloride and more!
Thank you to another wonderfully varied group of people! We had representation from Thailand, Zambia and Zimbabwe, besides locals traveling from as far as Johannesburg!
If you are interested in attending a cheese making course, please contact Elaine on info@cheesemaking.co.za for upcoming dates and venues in South Africa.
LEON
“THE MILKMAN” AND ELAINE VAN DER WESTHUIZEN’S CHEESE COURSE
On the 4th March
2019 Elaine mailed the following:
“From
this year it seems that people are inundated with too much info. We get people
commenting that the course seems too difficult for them or that it seems too
simplistic and they do not think that they will learn anything….”
I
attended this cheese course. I had never made cheese before. The urge to make
cheese was induced by 4 glasses of wine and it seemed a pretty good idea at the
time! I immediately did nothing. Talked about it. Thought about it. Did
nothing. Basically, I was afraid I would embarrass myself. I envisaged a room
of cheese making fundi’s all talking cheese techno and having fun. At the
expense of my ignorance. My wife had just about enough and enrolled me on their
course.
ABOUT
THE COURSE…
Yes
– 2 days of fun and friendly people. Nobody laughed at my silly questions or
sometimes lofty, opinions. The course manual is 92 pages long and I defy anyone
to memorise it in 2 days!
The
course is subtitled “CREATING THINKING CHEESE
MAKERS”. So the challenge is to think. The manual has 2 facets. Facts about
making cheese, milk, cows, components etc and then practical recipes, which you
do along with Leon in class. So think when you attend – you can swot as much of
the facts about cheesemaking AFTER the course. Pay particular attention to the
practical side because your teachers will not be there in person when you make
your fist cheese! This approach clears your head and allows you to leave
properly informed and reasonable confident.
ADVANTAGES
OF DOING THE COURSE WITH LEON AND ELAINE
You
are immediately included on a WhatsApp group with Elaine and your peers. You
can ask questions from Elaine which are answered lightning quick and you can
see how your group peers are fairing – share their successes and learn from
their failures
You
have access to Leon’s vast knowledge too
Your
cultures and equipment can all be purchased on – line from their site.
Deliveries are charged at reasonable rates and super quick – 2 days!
Your
manual is an incredible tool and gives far more in depth help and information
than most “recipe books”
If
you purchase the starter kit, along with the manual you are off to a good start
DISADVANTAGES
OF DOING THE COURSE WITH LEON AND ELAINE
Frankly,
I can’t think of any…
OKAY
– WHAT TRANSPIRED WITH ME AFTER COMPLETING MY COURSE…
I
made my 1st cheese, Feta, which I flavoured with coriander and red
chili – an unmitigated success that gave me a huge rush of pride and
enthusiasm! You simply have no idea how good it felt!
I
made my second batch and created rubber that Goodyear would have given me a
medal for. I stored the self pity and self rejection and Mailed Elaine. She not
only told me what I had done wrong but how to fix it. Enthusiasm back on track.
I learned my most valuable lesson as a cheesemaker – THINK!
Within
3 months my creamery, Kokerboom Kaas was born and I had Yoghurt waxed along
with 17 different cheeses. No Cheddar, no Gouda. My milk costs R8-50 a liter so
10 liters yields 1kg of cheese. You can buy Cheddar for R70 / kg. The cheeses I
make are not easily found – in the style of Stilton, Camembert, Manchego,
Gruyere, Caerphilly to name a few. I have several signature cheeses that I
“invented” that are unique to me. I supply restaurants and walk in clients
wanting cheese tasting.
There
is no pretentious equipment in my cheese room, save for my fridge. I convert 15
liter batches of milk into various cheeses daily.
Reading
recipe books and watching You Tube demonstrations suddenly made sense. Using the “thinking” concept, a whole new
world of creativity has opened.
THE
BOTTOM LINE…
I
am a very average person. I listened to
both Leon and Elaine intently during the course – they are fantastic. If they
were not, how could I be doing what I am with cheese in a mere 3 months?
This
is your chance – subscribe to their course now!
Thanks to all participants – we had a great time with you all!
Richard came all the way from Zambia and Oom Jurie was our oldest attendant at 78. Thank you Braam for bringing your Dad for such a great Father’s Day gift 🙂
