11 Comments
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Julie and Lurko in Mexico's avatar

Happy birthday! Glad you got to have multiple celebrations.

Lucy House's avatar

Thankyou!! multiple is good when they’re small. I have quite a wide range of friends and getting them in place at once is too tricky and too much work!

Giovanna Solimando's avatar

Happy birthday, Lucy! Sorry, I’m a bit late. Everything looks delicious, I’m so hungry. And quite jealous of all your cheese making — I really need to start doing that. Also, I’ve grown Jerusalem artichokes and they were soooo happy, I had way too many. So eventually I pulled them all out.

Lucy House's avatar

There’s a few things that grow like weeds for some people. But for me - I sometimes struggle. Jerusalem artichoke is one chokos is another! With cheese, start simple- feta, quark, fresh curd. Then move on. Happy to suggest people to follow/learn from.

Giovanna Solimando's avatar

I’d love that, thanks! I’d really like to make mozzarella and ricotta, but not using vinegar (I think that’s the quick way to make them?).

Lucy House's avatar

I meant to post the link before. I was sitting down nursing my granddaughter sleeping but she woke up not happy to be with me! Now outside watching cows.

https://cheesefromscratch.com/shop/

Lucy House's avatar

I’ve never made ricotta with vinegar. But yes that’s the easy way I believe. I have learnt a lot from Gavin webber - his e book and YouTube clips. My current favourite is Robyn Jackson from cheese from scratch. She’s more about natural cheese making but does also share how to use freeze dried cultures. Her way of making mozzarella is the best way to make it. It uses the natural acidification process to get the stretch. A lot of recipes use citric acid. I always make ricotta from the whey afterwards. I’m not sure if she has it in hers or not but the process I use for the very slow ricotta from whey comes from David Asher and his natural cheese making book. You can do small batches but you won’t get as much ricotta from a small batch. My sister makes Halumi using her Thermomix - a recipe I gave her that I got out of an Aussie Greek Thermomix recipe book. Maybe I should do a tutorial for Substack!! Whoops bay just woke up!

Giovanna Solimando's avatar

Thank you, Lucy! I took a screenshot of your reply so I don’t lose it. I’ve been trying to find someone back in Puglia who’s been making mozzarella and/or ricotta at home for many years, to get a recipe and a story, but no luck yet. Can’t wait to try!

Lucy House's avatar

Robyn is a Canadian homesteader who got into make cheese at home. I would love to learn more about traditional methods. But the old people aren’t doing it any more and it’s easier for the young ones to buy it!

Bill Oram's avatar

Happy birthday Lucy

Lucy House's avatar

Thanks Bill!