Melty mozzarella, a creamy schmear, a slice to go with a fresh apple; 'tis the season for eating comfort foods, and cheese is high on many people's lists. But good cheese can be pricy, and good organic or local cheese even more so. Instead of opting for cheap cheese flown half-way across the country, why not try making your own?

It's actually quite simple, and then you can choose the ingredients you want to include (or leave out). And DIY cheese means you can use local, organic milk (goat, cow, or even sheep!). 

Simple Rules for Cheesemaking:

-Don't use ultra-pasteurized milk as a base

-Be sure to order cheese cultures to add to the milk before starting (if needed)

-Use very clean cookware and storage containers to avoid early spoilage or weird flavors.

Cream Cheese

This simple recipe for cream cheese can be made plain, or you can add herb or nuts to the final product for something a bit different.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole milk
• 3 cups heavy cream
• ¼ tsp Mesophilic starter
• ¼ tsp calcium chloride
• ¼ rennet tablet

Directions:

Whisk together the milk and cream in double boiler. Slowly warm to 72 degrees.  Remove pot from heat and stir in Mesophilic-M starter. Add calcium chloride and stir.  Add rennet and stir. 

Cover pot and set in draft-free area at 70 - 74 degrees for 24 hours to ripen.  When done it will look like yogurt.Line colander with cheesecloth and place in basin to drain. Ladle cheese mixture into colander. 

Pull up ends of cheesecloth and knot them together to hang.  Hang cloth over pot for draining.  Let curds drain for 12 hours or until it no longer drips and is a solid mass. Spoon into an airtight container and stir till creamy.  You can add fruit or herbs to the cheese to blend the flavors in.  Store up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Whole Milk Ricotta

This recipe from Fias Co Farm is so simple, you don't even need a starter for it.

Ingredients:

2 Quarts Whole Milk

3 TBS White Vinegar OR

1/4 cup fresh, strained lemon juice

Directions:

In a heavy pot, over direct heat, heat 2 quarts of whole milk to 200° (sometime I accidentally heat it to boiling).  Add 3 Tablespoons of white vinegar or 1/4 Cup of fresh, strained lemon juice. Make sure to bring the temperature back up to 200*. You will see very tiny white particles (the albumin protein) floating in the whey.  The heat and acid from the ripe whey has precipitated the protein. 

Remove the pot from the heat and set it, covered, to rest undisturbed for about 15 minutes.

Line a colander with very fine cheesecloth, called "butter muslin". You must use a very fine cloth here, or your cheese will pass through the regular cloth. If you do not have fine cheesecloth, use a clean cotton cloth (like a pillow case).  Place the colander over a big pot so you can save the whey and carefully pour the whey into the colander.  Be very careful because the liquid is hot.  Tie the ends of the cheesecloth together and hang the ricotta to drain for an hour or so (the longer you hand it, the "drier" your finished cheese will be.

When it has drained, place the ricotta in a bowl, break up, stir and add salt to taste (1/4 tsp.- 1/2 tsp.).   This Ricotta will keep for about a week in the fridge.