Best Cow’s Milk To Use For Cheese Making (2024)

Cow’s milk is processed in many ways, so what is the best cow’s milk to use for cheese making at home? I get asked this question all the time on Ask the Cheeseman, my YouTube Q&A show.

No Access to a Farm?

Well, because many don’t have access to the farm gate for the ultimate in raw milk, I have produced a video tutorial explaining what cow’s milk is easily obtainable from major supermarkets and is okay for cheese making.


When in Doubt, Add Calcium Chloride

Don’t forget that if you know the milk has been pasteurised then please remember to add the equivalent amount of Calcium Chloride as you do Rennet to the milk. This will encourage better coagulation of the milk into curds and whey.

So just to recap for cow’s milk;

  • Pasteurised/hom*ogenised milk with a fat content of at least 3.25% is okay.
  • Pasteurised/Unhom*ogenised milk is much better with a fat content of at least 3.25% or higher.
  • UHT or Ultra-pasteurised milk will not set a curd, and
  • Skimmed milk is useless for making cheese.
  • Lite milk Pasteurised/hom*ogenised with a fat content of about 1.5 to 2% fat is okay to augment your milk if your recipe calls for lower fat e.g. Parmesan.
  • Half and Half, which is usually about 10% fat is too high for cheese making.

For cream;

  • Thickened cream contains thickeners or gelatine which affects curd set
  • Double cream with ~51% fat is too thick and difficult to incorporate back into the milk
  • Single Pure cream that has about 45% fat and is pourable, should be perfect for cheese making if your recipe calls for additional cream.

Let me know what you think. Do you have a favourite brand or dairy that you source your milk from?

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Best Cow’s Milk To Use For Cheese Making (2)

Gavin
Best Cow’s Milk To Use For Cheese Making (2024)

FAQs

Best Cow’s Milk To Use For Cheese Making? ›

Jess: Most cheeses, with a few specific exceptions, are made with whole milk. This can mean pasteurized milk from the grocery store, or raw milk fresh off the farm. The only milk that should not be used for cheesemaking is ULTRAPASTEURIZED milk.

Which cow's milk is best for cheese making? ›

Whole milk is the best choice for making cheese because it's high in fat and protein. It's a good option for making soft cheeses, such as cream cheese and cottage cheese. It contains about 3.5% fat, which is what gives it a creamy texture when cooked.

What is the ideal milk for cheese? ›

Pasteurized milk is your best choice if you want to make homemade cheese. Here are a few reasons why: Pasteurized milk has been heated to kill harmful bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, making it safer to work with.

What are the 4 main types of milk used in cheese making? ›

Cow's milk is the most commonly used in cheese making. However, sheep, goat, and buffalo's milk cheeses are also very popular. Each type of milk differs slightly in its fat content, overall composition, and thus each imparts a distinctive flavor.

Which type of milk produces the highest yield of cheese? ›

Sheep's Milk

Wonderful for rich, decadent cheeses like feta, manchego, and blues. Contains twice as many solids as goat's or cow's milk. The result is very high yields of most cheeses: 2 pounds of soft cheese per gallon of sheep's milk.

Can only cows milk be used to make cheese? ›

It doesn't matter if it's cow's milk, goat's milk, or even sheep's milk. But raw is best if you can find it! Furthermore, when making cheese, it's best to choose whole milk so it has as much fat content as possible.

What is the best milk to make mozzarella cheese? ›

Milk for Mozzarella: Almost any milk can be used for making mozzarella: whole, 2%, skim, cow, goat, raw, organic, or pasteurized. Pasteurized milk is fine to use, but make sure that it is not ultra high temperature (UHT) pasteurized. The proteins in UHT milk have lost their ability to set into curds.

What is the best store bought milk for making cheese? ›

Pasteurised/hom*ogenised milk with a fat content of at least 3.25% is okay. Pasteurised/Unhom*ogenised milk is much better with a fat content of at least 3.25% or higher. UHT or Ultra-pasteurised milk will not set a curd, and. Skimmed milk is useless for making cheese.

Is hom*ogenized milk OK for cheese making? ›

hom*ogenised milk will still form a curd but it is a very weak curd and the resulting cheese is much lower quality. It is for this reason that commercial cheese manufacturers the world over do not use hom*ogenised milk to make cheese.

How many gallons of milk does it take to make cheese? ›

About 10 pounds (1.25 gallons) of milk are required to make one pound of cheese.

Can all milk be turned into cheese? ›

Mammals produce milk, but not all milk can be used for making cheese. In the United States, we are most familiar with versions made from the milk of cows, sheep, goats, and even buffalo. Venture elsewhere in the world and you'll find cheeses made from the milk of donkeys, horses, and yaks.

Can you make cheese from any milk? ›

You may be familiar with goat milk cheeses and sheep milk cheeses but did you know that in some cultures cheese is made with reindeer milk, moose milk, yak milk, and even wild donkey milk? In fact, most cheeses could be made out of just about any milk.

How many gallons of milk for a pound of cheese? ›

The yield of cheese from one gallon of milk is approximately one pound for the hard cheese and two pounds for the soft cheese. The amount of butterfat in the milk will affect this.

What class of milk is used for hard cheese? ›

Milk Classification
Class IClass IIClass III
Fluid MilkCream ProductsHard Cheese
Egg NogMilk Shake MixSpreadable Cheese
Cottage & Ricotta CheeseCream Cheese
YogurtButteroil
3 more rows

Can you freeze milk before making cheese? ›

How Milk Changes When You Freeze It: The composition of it changes. Some of the fat globule membranes become damaged, resulting in: (1) Fat dissolving into the whey which makes it harder to separate the fat globules in order to make cheese.

What are the three common milks used in commercial cheese production? ›

The lion's share of cheese comes from cow's milk, as cows produce more milk than goats, sheep or water buffalo, generally resulting in a greater value. Cow milk cheeses possess a creamy, buttery & smooth quality, with less fat content than some other milk types.

What milk is used to make cheese and butter? ›

Start with fresh milk: Use fresh milk, preferably whole milk, as it contains a higher fat content, which makes it easier to separate the butterfat. Let the milk sit: Allow the milk to sit at room temperature for a few hours to allow the cream to rise to the top naturally.

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