| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| westernhorse51 |
Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 06:39:01 AM
Hello farmgirls, does anyone know anything about rennent for cheesemaking?/ I really want to make some soft cheeses with my many hebs. I have found many recipes. All the info I have found about rennent makes me a bit ill. Is all rennent from cows stomach? Do they kill them just for that?? Is there any rennent that works that isnt from cow guts?? I really want to try this. I am not a vegetarian, I eat very little meat just because I really never liked it that much to begin with. Just wondered if anyone could help. Thanks, Michele
"she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands". Prov. 31:13 |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| citygoatlady |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 06:47:13 AM
Thanks, Realm. It really makes me happy to be able to share things I've learned with the women on this site who are interested in knowing all this obscure stuff. I feel very rewarded seeing readers put that knowledge to use.             (My kid liked these faces) |
| realme52 |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 06:28:36 AM
Wow, citygoatlady! I'm amazed by your knowledge and experience. This place is certainly lucky to have your presence.
from this hour i ordain myself loss'd of limits and imaginary lines -Walt Whitman |
| citygoatlady |
Posted - Jul 27 2005 : 8:54:27 PM
RENNET:
There is more to it...
Animal rennet is not produced in the USA anymore, and it is not used in commercial cheeses made here, according to the lady at Hoegger Goat Supply who I spoke to a year or two ago.
Almost all commercial rennet produced USA is now a substance called Chymosin, or "non-animal rennet". This was one of the first products to ever be produced by a bioengineered bacteria, and they are still busy producing it. To my friend, a biochemist, this surprising factoid was very "old hat", it's been around so long, she said.
The molecule of rennet which is produced by the bacteria is a pretty exact match of the animal rennet, close enough that it does exactly the same thing, which is coagulate milk.
I still don't know if you would classify Chymosin as animal rennet or not, because it is not actually from an animal.
When you order "non-animal" rennet, you will get Chymosin. If you want something from a plant, you'd have to check with the catalog to make sure if it is "plant" rennet.
As you said, some rennets are derived from plant sources, and some health-food cheeses are made from these. At our health food store, you can buy "MALAVA" rennet, which says it is derived from mushrooms. It works just exactly as well as chymosin in cheese that I have made, but I am not a professional.
As you said, traditionally and originally, rennet is an enzyme from the stomach of a baby ruminant which has had nothing to eat except milk.
It can be made at home by drying the stomach of the slaughtered animal. Then, you break off a half inch piece or so, and put it in water to soften. Use the water/rennet mixture to coagulate the cheese.
It probably takes experience to figure out just how much stomach to put in the water, and how much of the dilution to use. The stomach rennet is very strong, so you only use a tiny bit.
This is described thoroughly in "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, who was born in 1865 and wrote memoirs of her pioneer childhood.
Animal rennet is the rennet of choice for "serious" cheesemakers. I guess the texture or ripening is different once you reach the gourmet level of skill.
Anyway, if you want to use actual animal rennet, you have to order it specially from a goat catalog such as www.hoeggergoatsupply.com, or www.caprinesupply.com (Caprine Goat Supplies), or www.cheesemaker.com (New England Cheesemaking Supply).
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| westernhorse51 |
Posted - Jul 22 2005 : 06:21:58 AM
thanks girls. I think I'll try enzymes from plants, cant bring myself to go the other route. Michele
"she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands". Prov. 31:13 |
| ThymeForEweFarm |
Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 6:43:48 PM
Enzymes from calves, kids and lambs can be used. I agree, it's sad. Life is usually short for male animals and most are used only for food.
Robin
Thyme For Ewe Farm
www.thymeforewe.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 4:56:10 PM
The sad thing about rennent is that it HAS to be from a baby cow that has never had anything other than milk to eat/drink. Once the cows start to eat other things the enzymes change and it no longer makes the cheese. At least if my information is correct. Veggie enzymes sound much better!
Ciao
Alee |
| ThymeForEweFarm |
Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 11:18:51 AM
It would be expensive to kill cows just for rennet. It's another product of the meat industry. I did what Melissa suggested about the health food store and it worked for me too.
Robin
Thyme For Ewe Farm
www.thymeforewe.com |
| sqrl |
Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 08:57:19 AM
Michele, I know that there are enzymes derived from plant sources actually I think it's from mushrooms that will make cheese. I am a vegetarian and I don't eat much cheese but when I do I look for cheese that is made with vegetable enzymes. If you go into any health food store they will know exactly what I'm talking about. And they make all kinds of cheese with these enzymes. We have a place here that makes all their cheese from vegetable enzymes. I know you can find them online because I was once interested in making my own cheese and went searching for where to buy veg. enzymes and found lots of places. There is definitely an alternative to rennet. Good Luck
Blessed Be
www.sqrlbee.com/artisan
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| Alee |
Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 08:21:35 AM
That is the only way to get it as far as I know.
Ciao
alee |
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