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| How
Do I Make ... ? |
Basket Cheese |
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Basket cheese is a very
simple soft cheese that should be eaten fresh. It is
a lot easier to make than hard cheese, so if this is
your first time, you may want to start here
A large variety of imported cheese is available in China,
whilst this country also make over 200 of it's own.
You will not find Chinese made cheese in a Guangdong
supermarket, and imported ones are extremely expensive,
and availability varies.
Recipe Source:
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Patricia Bryant Resnick, Mojave, USA |
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| Websites: |
| eHow.com |
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How to Make Basket Cheese
eHow Contributing Writer
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Firm basket cheese - Introduction
The first cheeses were made at home for fresh consumption,
and basket cheese is one version of this simple food.
Basket cheese is named simply after the container it
is put in to drain and ripen. Most basket cheese is
eaten fresh, soft and unsalted, but you can also salt
it lightly and let it set for a longer time to obtain
a firmer cheese. Both result in a more or less soft,
spreadable cheese.
Cultures all over the world have their own version of
this mild cheese. Cream cheese and Italian ricotta are
variations on this theme, so is Mexican queso panela
or queso de la canasta. India has paneer and Canada
has its poutine, made with the unpressed fresh curds.
Even yogurt is a form of soft, unripened cheese. Middle
Eastern lebne straddles the line between the two. Once
you get the knack, you'll be able to keep this delicious
spreadable cheese on hand for whenever you want it.
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| Let's get started: |
| Things You'll Need:: |
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• Large kettle, at least 6 quarts
• Cooking thermometer
• 1
gallon milk
• 2 tsp. rennet
• 1 tbsp. kosher or sea salt (optional)
• Cheesecloth
• Basket
to hold about two quarts
• Small
plate, slightly less wide than the basket
• 1 to 2 lb. of weight
(can of tomatoes or any heavy object of the right
size) |
Picture Courtesy: jugalbandi.info/ |
Method:
Step 1
Heat the milk to lukewarm, between 85 and 90 degrees
F. Stir in the rennet. Turn off heat and let set for
about 40 minutes.
Step 2
Turn the heat back on low and heat milk again for about
2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to pull the curds to
the side of the pot. Keep gently separating the curds
with the spoon for about 10 minutes
Step 3
Line the basket with three to four layers of cheesecloth.
Use the spoon to remove the curds from the pot with
the slotted spoon and place into the lined basket. Fold
the cheesecloth over the top of the basket from all
sides to cover.
Step 4
Place the basket and curds in it back into the pan with
the whey. Immerse in the whey and press the curds firmly
into the basket with your hands.
Step 5
Remove the basket from the whey. Place basket in the
sink so it can drain. Set the plate on top of the wrapped
cheese. Place the weight on top of the plate. Press
this way for 2 hours.
Step 6
Remove the cheese and unwrap it. Turn over, sprinkle
with salt to taste, and rewrap. Return, top side down,
to the basket and continue pressing for 1 1/2 hours
longer. Remove the cheese from the press, remove the
cheesecloth, place cheese in a closed container and
refrigerate.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Tips
& Warnings
• Rinse
the cheesecloth well before using.
• Heavier
and longer pressing will produce a firmer cheese.
• Try mixing various herbs and flavorings
into your finished cheese. Garlic, chopped onion and
herbs is a classic.
• This cheese can
also be made sweet. Add citrus rind while pressing,
then drizzle with honey before serving with fresh fruit.
• Rennet is available in most large supermarkets
or over the Internet.
Note: Rennet
is not so easy to find in South East China, so click
here to learn how to make your own! (Excellent external
Link with picture walkthrough).
• Try
using this cheese in your favorite cheesecake recipe.
• This cheese is very perishable. Don't try
to keep it more than three days.
• The
differences between many cheeses are just in the cooking
temperature. Use a thermometer to be accurate.
Copyright:
Portions of this page are modifications based on work
created and shared by Google and used according to terms
described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.
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| Additional Recipes
and Information: |
|
 |
Gourmet
Sleuth
A brilliant page featuring links to 20 cheese recipes
and video walkthrough's. This website also has loads
of other recipes and food related information. |
| |
FANKHAUSER'S
CHEESE PAGE
©David B. Fankhauser, Ph.D.,
Professor of Biology and Chemistry
University of Cincinnati Clermont College,
Batavia OH 45103 |
Another fantastic website that links
to dozens of cheese recipes - this guy is a real cheese
guru!
Dotted in amongst the cheese recipes are also other
for diverse things such as root beer. Enjoy! |
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| FANKHAUSER'S
RENNET PAGE |
The same website again, this time
with a very detailed pictorial about making rennet
(Not for the squeamish or faint-hearted!) |
|
A Junkyard.wordpress.com
This page can take ages to open, and sometimes doesn't.
However, keep trying as it is a very valuable addition
to all the information that is above. |
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Related Pages:
•
How do I make Cheese
(Cheddar)
• How
do I make Butter |
| |
This information is as supplied by ourselves, and ably
supported by our friends and various internet portals.
In addition we personally wish to thank Patricia
Bryant Resnick and David
B. Fankhauser, Ph.D. for sharing with us all their
excellent skills and recipes. |
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