How To Make Cheese At Home Without Rennet - Food - OneHOWTO

If you don’t have access to rennet, can’t afford it or don’t want to use it in your cheese, you can use acids from vinegar or citrus for the as a substitute. Rennet becomes active when it 85 to 140°F of temperature. It is most potent when it reaches 105°F. Once the acidity of milk falls to 4.6 in pH level, and when its temperature increases to 165°F, the mixture suspends and separates into curd.

Follow these steps to achieve the same effect while using citric acid or vinegar:

Ingredients required: milk, fresh lemon juice or distilled vinegar, and salt. The more fat your milk contains, the better cheese quality you will have. But stay away from UHT milk. This kind of milk is sterilized by heating to 280°F, due to which its protein structure is modified and it does not separate.

How to make paneer cheese

Paneer is a mild cheese traditionally used in Indian dishes and does not contain rennet:

1. Heat milk in a pan. Do not boil it. Let it foam but don’t allow it to burn.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Add some lemon juice or vinegar (little at a time).
4. Keep stirring the milk while adding vinegar or lemon juice.
5. When the right balance is achieved, the milk will start to curdle.
6. Leave and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. During this time, it will separate completely.
7. Use a cheesecloth laid in a sieve or colander to strain the curds.
8. Squeeze any excess liquid out.
9. Lay the cheesecloth flat, sprinkle some salt in it, wrap the cheesecloth and make a tight bundle with it.
10. Press the bundle in between two plates.
11. Leave for an hour to let it dry. And voilà, it is ready to be enjoyed! This kind of cheese does not require any aging, and is good to consume immediately.

How to make queso fresco

This is a Latin-American type of paneer that can be made by adding distilled vinegar in warm milk gradually. Most people prefer using vinegar, because lemon juice adds a tangy flavor to the cheese which they may not like.

Making cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is made by draining but not pressing cheese. You can make it at home by heating up buttermilk and milk with salt. Buttermilk is acidic as it is fermented. When you heat buttermilk, the milk will separated into curds. The fattier the buttermilk, the higher temperature it will need to curdle.

Making mascarpone

Mascarpone resembles cream and it is a main ingredient used when making tiramisu. You will need to use lemon juice and a heavier or whipping cream to make this kind of cheese. Because it has high fat content, you may need to increase the temperature to as high as 190°F. The liquid will not separate as cleanly as milk would. You don’t however need to squeeze this cheese, as it normally carries a custard-like consistency.