Whether you enjoy indulging in rich, high quality cheeses to pair with a fine glass of wine or you’re looking for a fine aged cheese to complement your charcuterie board to impress your dinner guests--when you choose to start making your own cheese from scratch you will always be fulfilled.
Is Cheesemaking Worth It?
If you’re on the fence about whether making your own cheese from home is worth it, this article will help you examine the pros and cons. Some factors that helped us determine whether cheesemaking is worth it ranges from affordability to practicality along with quality. Depending on personal preference and what’s important to you will determine whether making your own cheese from home is a better alternative. We’ve compiled a short list to help you make an informed decision along your cheesemaking journey! Here are our top 5 reasons why we believe making your own cheese is worth every penny and every minute.
Why Is Cheesemaking Worth It?
- It’s Cleaner & Healthier-
- It’s More Affordable-
- The Taste Is Better-
- It’s Convenient & Practical-
- You Can Make Larger Batches- If you need another reason why homemade cheesemaking is worth your while, here it is. When you choose to start making your own cheese from home, you can yield more batches that will last you longer. For example, one block of cheese from the store can last 2-4 weeks versus homemade cheese can last you up to 6 weeks sometimes and up to 2-4 months if stored properly in the freezer. To put this into perspective, you can make larger batches of cheese and pay less than if you tried to purchase that same amount at a store.
Nothing gives you more peace of mind than knowing exactly what ingredients are found in your food and in what increments. For our DIY enthusiasts and health conscious consumers, choosing to go the homemade cheese route will ensure exactly that! Making homemade cheese is a win-win activity as not only will you save more money down the line but also save yourself from all the additives that are typically found in cheeses like preservatives and other artificial ingredients that commercial cheeses use to bind and preserve their shelf life.
Contrary to popular belief, making cheese from home is a lot more inexpensive than store bought cheese, and here’s why. On average, a block of cheese at your local supermarket costs anywhere between $5-15 per pound depending on the type of cheese you’re purchasing and how many pounds you need. On the other hand, when you make your own cheese you end up paying half of that amount around $3-7 in order to make one pound of hard cheese or two pounds of soft cheese. If you’re looking for cost-effective alternatives, switching to homemade cheesemaking is the way to go!
In terms of taste, while both commercial and homemade cheese are both delicious in their own respective ways, homemade food almost always tastes better because of the fresh, organic ingredients used. Also, you get complete free reign over how much of each ingredient you want to include whether you prefer sweet or savory. This may appeal particularly to our vegan or lactose-intolerant folks who need to be wary of their diet. When you make cheese at home, you get to adjust each recipe to your liking without all the harmful stuff that comes with store bought cheeses!
When you first start off making cheese athome, you may feel intimidated by the idea of having to purchase all your ingredients, equipment, and supplies, but once you make it a habit it becomes a very simple process. On average, making your own cheese is actually more convenient once you get all the materials you need because you’ll only have to restock on three items: milk, culture, and rennet! Today, it may be a struggle to find a happymedium between authenticity and convenience when you’re always on-the-go, but when you switch over to homemade cheesemaking-- you get the best of both worlds.
The dilemma with making your own cheese from scratch often comes with concerns about affordability, inconvenience, and above all--the time commitment that many of us don’t seem to have enough of during the day, but The CheeseMaker is here to prove otherwise!
How Much Does It Cost to Make Your Own Cheese?
Now, you may be wondering how much does it cost to make my own cheese? Let’s give you the breakdown. For starters, you are going to need a few key components:
| Milk | Culture | Rennet |
|---|---|---|
 |
- Milk: $3-5
- Culture:$8-15 (The CheeseMaker)
- Rennet:$12.97- 25 (The CheeseMaker)
In order to make any kind of cheese, these are the top three ingredients you will need. However, depending on the type of cheese you want to make will determine what specific types of ingredients you need and what to modify to reach your desired results. For example, to make cheddar cheese you will need: a pH meter, Kazu mesophilic culture, natural annatto cheese coloring, rennet, cheese mould or cheese press. Cheesemaking costs will vary depending on how often you consume cheese, what you use it for, and what types of cheeses you enjoy. On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $15-30 to replenish these common household items but with upfront costs (assuming you don’t have any of these materials at home) you should expect to invest a bit more.
What Other Materials Will I Need?
For our novice cheesemakers, we highly recommend to start off with one of our user-friendly starter kits. Take the guesswork out of browsing through grocery store aisles or cheese catalogs by getting everything you need all in one neat little package. Consider The CheeseMaker as your one-stop-shop for all your cheesemaking needs--from start to finish! Our starter kits are great for long-term cheesemakers and are perfect for making both soft and hard cheese alike! If you’re looking to make a specific type of cheese like Mozzarella, Feta, Camembert, Brie, or Blue Cheese, we have starter kits for those too.
Before you decide to kickstart your cheesemaking journey from home, you also need to factor in other additional supplies and tools you will require such as: draining mats, cheese moulds, presses, thermometer, a curd knife, wraps, etc. All of which can be found conveniently in our CheeseMaker catalog. If you’re still debating whether it’s cheaper to make your own cheese, read on to learn more about what to expect and what else you will need to factor in to help you make an informed decision.
What Can I Expect From At-Home Cheesemaking?
The most challenging part of starting something new is to take the first step. Though cheesemaking from home can seem overwhelming at first--it’s actually quite the opposite! If you’re a DIY fanatic or love experimenting with new recipes every so often, then this might be the newfound hobby you were looking for! At-home cheesemaking may seem like a huge time commitment but once you get in the swing of things, it will become second nature. Plus, if you’re lactose-intolerant or vegetarian, homemade cheesemaking will give you more options! At The CheeseMaker, we also offer vegan and non-dairy products for those with dietary restrictions or lifestyle changes. We want to ensure you have the alternatives you need without missing out on your favorite foods. Feel free to browse through our vegan/vegetarian products to make vegan-friendly cheese from the comfort of your own home! All of our cheese products are made with only the highest and best quality ingredients, so be sure to check them out!
Why Should You Start Homemade Cheesemaking?
There are countless reasons to switch to artisan cheesemaking from home:
it’s cleaner and healthier, it’s more affordable, it tastes better, it’s practical and convenient, and you can make larger batches. We’ve only listed out a few but if you needed another reason-- it’s fun, easy, and enjoyable! For those who are mindful about what you fuel your body with or genuinely find enjoyment in preparing high-quality home cooked meals and foods, we encourage you to give cheesemaking a try! Once you get the hang of it and purchase all the proper starter equipment it will come as second nature. If you don’t know where to start, use our CheeseMaker starter kits as a guide or order any specific items you may need here to make your cheesemaking experience easier! From cheese presses to moulds, cultures, rennet, and everything in between--you can find everything you need to help you get started at The CheeseMaker.
Sources
https://www.thecheesemaker.com/blog/3-reasons-why-homemade-cheese-is-healthier-than-store-bought/
https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/cheese/reasons-to-make-your-own-cheese/
https://thecheesemakingworkshop.com.au/5-bonus-benefits-making-cheese/
https://milkyday.com/blog/2016/11/25/5-reasons-to-start-your-own-cheese-making-business/
https://www.thecheesemaker.com/blog/is-it-cheaper-to-make-your-own-cheese/
