Prepper's Pantry: Cheese

Let me preface this post by unequivocally stating that I love cheese. Perhaps not every single type of cheese, but the vast majority of them. (Due to a mold allergy I pay a price for enjoying some varieties, but sometimes it's worth it.)

One of the earliest methods of preserving dairy products was through cheese making. In fact, cheese production predates recorded history; every region where people lived seems to have come up with their own version of preserving milk, which brings us to the thousands of varieties of cheese available today.

Harder cheeses have a longer shelf life than softer cheeses, though adding a wax or other protective coating (called a rind) can extend storage time, potentially by years. Some cheeses even use an outer layer of mold as their protective rind. Canned cheeses with extremely long shelf lives are also available on the retail market, made both domestically and from international sources.

Many cheeses are quite plain, but others contain nuts, dried fruits, herbs, and spices. There are also cheeses that have mold layered throughout for added flavor.

While cheese is readily available in the refrigerated section of the local grocery store, this may not always be the case. With a source of milk (whether cow, sheep, goat, or many other mammals) and a few other ingredients, making a simple cheese at home doesn't have to be complicated. 

A variety of home-made cheeses

As shown in this basic recipe, the three main steps for making cheese are:

1. Heat the milk
2. Add the culture
3. Drain the curds

This recipe from Penn State Extension goes into more detail as well as adding additional tips on the process.

For those of our readers who have an Instant Pot, cheese making recipes are available for that multipurpose appliance as well.

So go forth and curd your whey to cheesy goodness.