Q    Milky whey - We are fortunate enough to have our own Jersey cow, from whom we receive fabulous milk. Recently, I have been making ricotta, and the results are great, but the step that says, "be sure there is no milky whey" never arrives for me. I seem to get a fairly good yield, but the whey is always milky white. I've tried keeping it on the heat longer, raising the temperature to near 212F, but it doesn't ever clear.  

 A   To be expected - Jersey milk will always be milky looking. The fat is so high that there is not enough protein to hold it all, so some leaks into the whey. Our directions about clear whey are directed to what most of our customers have access to - pasteurized and standardized milk.  

 Q   Rennet unavailable -  It's hard to get rennet here in the Philippines, so I have been looking for alternatives. An article on your blog mentioned that papain could be a substitute for rennet. I started researching and found out that bromelain made from pineapple has similar uses. So since local store-bought meat tenderizer (looks like salt) is either papain or bromelain, I'm wondering if this powder can be used as rennet substitute for cheese production? It is easy available and very cheap here.

 A   Alternatives not the same -  Although these are all enzymes that react with proteins, similar to rennet (chymosin), they do not all behave the same way. They break the proteins at very different bonding points so the end results are quite different. The extract from papaya, pineapple, fig, etc., as well as some other plants like thistle, will cause a certain degree of coagulation, but none of these will be a firm set like rennet. These extracts have been known to be used for certain soft cheeses that are consumed in a matter of days, but not for any firm or aged cheeses.

We do ship to the Philippines. Please see our website for information on international shipping options. 

 Q    Butter from whey - I have a farmstead sheep dairy and creamery in upstate NY. I am looking to make a sheep butter product, but I need to find a use for the skimmed milk which will be leftover.  Sheep milk is much too expensive, and I can't afford to lose all of that milk to make butter.

Can I use the whey left over from cheese making to get whey cream and whey butter? I make a Manchego-ish cheese, and I think the whey from that would be the appropriate type.

 A   Yields cultured butter - Making whey cream is pretty straight forward. Simply collect the whey in sanitized containers and skim the surface after the cream sits over night and rises. (Keep the whey cool over night - less than 60F, so as not to develop too much lactic acid.)

One thing that makes a big difference is the culture you use. O-Type culture works best with little to no gas production. If you are using a D-Type or L-Type, it can become pretty gassy and your butter may have a spongy character. If using a thermophilic, such as yogurt type culture (including bulgaricus), the acid production may be a bit high.

The yield depends on your milk and how much is not held by the curd mass from the cheese. If you have a separator, your yield is more efficient. Or, you can simply skim what rises. 

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Yummy Recipes Please!
Ricki is working on another BIG project, collecting recipes for children from around the world.

The Queen is calling for your favorite recipes using soft cheese. If you are interesting in helping with this project, please send your recipe, with a photo of your dish, to: [email protected].

Your recipe might be as simple as a scrumptious grilled cheese sandwich, a spread for bagels or a smiley face using your cheese.

For a chance to win a $100 shopping spree to cheesemaking.com, send in a recipe by May 31st. The winner, along with their recipe, will be announced in our June Moos-letter.  (The winner will be randomly selected.)

Ricki thanks you in advance for your help with the gathering of this information!

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