Cheese Cultures

[Tammy]

 

Hi! I have recently wanted to make cottage cheese and other recipe's that call for cultures.  However, after looking at the dairy connection web site, I am amazed at how expensive it can be.  Has anybody had this problem? Are there other places to purchase cheaper cultures?

Thanks, Tammy

[Tammy]

Thanks so much. I will try them. Tammy

Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:

Dairy Connection prices are actually not bad. If you read the descriptions, you'll see that one packet makes a LOT of cheese. New England Cheesemaking (cheesemaking.com) is more expensive, but still not bad when you consider that a $1.19 packet of chevre starter (5 packets are $5.95) makes a quantity of chevre that would sell for $30-40 in the store, and you've only added a gallon of your milk. There are also cultures that are reculturable, so although the initial investment is $5 or so, you can make dozens of batches of cheese from it. I always recommend that new cheesemakers start with the goat cheese kit on cheesemaking.com, because it has cultures and instruction on how to make a number of different cheeses, and you get a very good deal on the cheese molds. (Or at least you used to; haven't checked prices lately.) Actually, I'd recommend cheesemaking.com over Dairy Connection for beginning cheesemakers, because their cultures are packaged for individual batches. Most of the Dairy Connection packets are made for commercial cheesemakers and not easy to divide up for small batches.

Good luck and have fun!

[Deborah Niemann-Boehle]

Dairy Connection prices are actually not bad. If you read the descriptions, you'll see that one packet makes a LOT of cheese. New England Cheesemaking (cheesemaking.com) is more expensive, but still not bad when you consider that a $1.19 packet of chevre starter (5 packets are $5.95) makes a quantity of chevre that would sell for $30-40 in the store, and you've only added a gallon of your milk. There are also cultures that are reculturable, so although the initial investment is $5 or so, you can make dozens of batches of cheese from it. I always recommend that new cheesemakers start with the goat cheese kit on cheesemaking.com, because it has cultures and instruction on how to make a number of different cheeses, and you get a very good deal on the cheese molds. (Or at least you used to; haven't checked prices lately.) Actually, I'd recommend cheesemaking.com over Dairy Connection for beginning cheesemakers, because their cultures are packaged for individual batches. Most of the Dairy Connection packets are made for commercial cheesemakers and not easy to divide up for small batches.

Good luck and have fun!