| Making Cheese in the Southern Highlands |
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WHERE: Uniting Church Bowral
Cheesemaking is one of those skills from yesteryear that is making a comeback in popularity.
Nine enthusiastic participants gathered at the Uniting Church hall to learn how to make fetta cheese, quarg and yoghurt on a sunny winter's morning. Some had cheesemaking experience already and some were newcomers, so there were some interesting tips to pick up. This event was the third of a series of four cheesemaking workshops made possible by the Moss Vale Community Garden Growing For Good Grant from the New South Wales Environmental Education Trust.
Nathan, our cheesemaker in residence, explained the importance of sterile utensils and personal cleanliness when handling milk, to prevent any rogue bacteria from tainting the end product. The beauty of cheesemaking is that you really don't need a great deal in the way of specialized equipment - most utensils are common kitchen implements. A digital thermometer is a useful addition however, as is a digital stopwatch/clock. So it doesn't have to be an expensive hobby.
After starting the process of heating the milk adding the rennet and culture and then keeping it warm and snuggly in several layers of beach towel for as long as possible, the group moved on to make yoghurt and later, quarg - a delicious cream cheese.
For lunch we had a pot-luck meal provided by participants, always a varied, very tasty and enjoyable experience as there is nothing quite like home cooking. We also had a taste of some of the milk products (yoghurt & quarg) Nathan had made at home. Mmmm
Watch this space for the final cheesemaking workshop in the series - blue brie.
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