Let's Make Dream Cheese!

We have had several calls this week and one visitor who came for a day with interest in learning.  Some have contacted us from out of town.  Helping others is a fun part of what we like to do and we hope our blogs will help you with your journey until you, too, can visit us here in Hyattville.

Kefir - History

Thanks to another friend for sharing with me how Kefir arrived in the US from Russia in 1985.  The book was written by their daughter Julie Smolyansky, who became the the CEO & president of Lifeway Foods Inc., the company her parents founded.  

Because Kefir is one of the healthiest foods you can put in your mouth, we'd like to share again the making of Cattle Kate Dream Cheese, a delicious product made from Kefir.  I hope this will help our new friend with one of her projects!

Making Kefir

​Kefir is such an important part of our diet, that we dedicate 1/2 gallon fresh warm milk, seven days a week to make kefir for our group of raw milk drinkers.  



As you can see by the light over a basket, I've had to think outside the box to try and keep our kefir warm enough this winter. ​We have no wood stove in the dairy barn, no heat at all actually except the water that runs through the concrete floor.  
Under all those hand towels is a gallon jar 1/2 full; fermenting the mornings milk.  

---

Time to Drain

Each square of fine cheesecloth is filled with 1 quart of kefir.  
About 1.5 liters of whey drained into the 9x13 inch pan from 1 gallon of kefir over 24 hours.   




Ways I Use Whey:   

• Feed your plants
  
• Soak your nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc.) soaking them makes the nutrition in nuts available to your bodies, after soaking you dry at low temperature
  
• Soak grain for your cow
  
• Fertilize your yard. 
  

Another friend just picked up a couple gallons to make cheese with as they had friends visiting from Norway that shared a family recipe.   

---

Scraping & Salting

Time to scrape the sides after 24 hours of draining. 
​

---

The salt will help expel more whey. ​

---

Ready to Drain Again

After the salt is mixed in, it's ready to hang and drain for another 24 hours. ​

After the second day of draining, it's time to make Dream Cheese!
Each ball is rolled in organic Italian seasoning and emerged into organic olive oil.  Spread on rye crisps for a wonderful snack or lunch!  

Let us know if you too are ready to make your own Cattle Kate Dream Cheese​.  Kits will be available soon!