We're all looking for ways to save money and eat healthier, and surely this is why the sales of Ball canning jars are up 30% this year over last year!  I recently stumbled across some information on line on how to make your own cheese and yogurt, and I have decided to give it a try.

Why make your own?  Aside from being a fun and interesting science project, homemade yogurt lets you control all of the ingredients.  If you have bought flavored yogurt at the store recently, you may have noticed that the ingredients list is… a little scary.  Skip all the chemicals and weird preservatives, and just put a spoonful of jam into a bowl of your own homemade yogurt!  

The case for homemade cheese is a lot more strong than the case for homemade yogurt.  Even I have to admit that making your own yogurt isn't going to cut into your monthly grocery bill by much.  But have you seen the price of fresh mozzarella lately?  Last time I checked, it was going for about twelve dollars a pound here.  And sadly (wonderfully) most recipes use a lot of mozzarella - it's not something where you use a little tiny bit as garnish.

There is a lot of advice about what kind of milk to use for your cheese.  Obviously you want to use the best milk that you can find.  Locally I purchase milk from Golden Glen Dairy, which is about 15 miles from my house.  They sell milk which is minimally processed, and also delicious!  If you have no choice but to buy regular milk from the grocery store, look for milk which is not "ultra pasteurized."  If you can't find any, then you may need to make the trip to your nearest health/specialty food store to find some decent milk.

(Traditional mozzarella cheese is made with buffalo milk.  I have yet to find a local source for buffalo milk, but you may have better luck!)

Most recipes also require either rennet or citric acid or both.  You can buy both of these things on Amazon, or scout around locally for them.  I found rennet near the pudding and canning supplies at Fred Meyer.  I was able to buy citric acid from a nearby homebrew store.  (Some people report having purchased citric acid from the bulk spices section of their local health food stores, but I haven't found it there myself.)

Lastly, when making cheese, be sure to use only "non-reactive" pans and equipment.  Proto-cheese is very acidic, and can do bad things to aluminum cookware.  Use stainless steel, Pyrex, or enameled cookware, and be sure to stir and handle the cheese with stainless steel, wood, or plastic utensils.

And a word to the wise: you WILL want to wear rubber gloves for the "taffy pull" stage of making mozzarella cheese!  It's important that the cheese be hot enough while you moosh it around in your hands, so it's best to wear some hand protection to avoid the ouchies!

Some DIY yogurt and mozzarella recipes:

Mother Earth News

Fankhauser - Mozzarella

Fankhauser - Yogurt

Cheesemaking.com - Mozzarella