The Art of Natural Cheesemaking: Using Traditional, Non-Industrial Methods and Raw Ingredients to Make the World's Best Cheeses

Truly as advertised, the bible of home cheesemaking. The explanations, clear and concise instructions, and simplicity all advertise the fact that the author has a person living a real life in mind as the intended audience. A standard, almost memorizable formula, easy to maintain temperatures, clear concise instructions, and no need to sterilize - these make cheesemaking something easy to fit into a busy schedule. No more wondering if I have the correct culture or if that packet in the freezer is out of date, and waiting for some day when I can make sure the kitchen is super sanitary and sterilized, and trying to make my way through mind-numbing instructions that seem to have subtly or vastly different times and temperatures. Thank goodness - with spring time, the goat milk comes in faster than I can handle it. I had already figured out that farmers used cheese as a way to preserve all of it, and knew that they surely didn't buy all of their cultures on line, use fancy equipment, and sterilize everything. Now I know how. After religiously putting my excess fresh milk in the freezer because, " You must cool it to 40 degrees," I just put out a quart of milk to clabber a over 24 hours ago in relatively warm weather - and it still tastes like ... fresh milk. I shouldn't have been surprised now that this book has explained the natural biome of raw milk. Although it is a bit sad, I am feeling a little better about capretta - especially now that I can try making my own rennet.

I write this review on the day of release, after having read through the book somewhat thoroughly. Obviously, It's hard to write a review on a recipe book without having tried a few recipes from it at least, this being a cheesemaking book and having most of the recipes require months, I hope you'll humor me. I have many cheesemaking books. I've had successes making various cheeses, but I've never gotten serious about the craft. I just may after reading this. The reason? Everything is so APPROACHABLE. David Asher is to cheesemaking as Sandor Katz is to fermentation (a point further made since Mr. Katz wrote the foreword.) He takes something that's been done for ages that's been so sterilized to be unrecognizable, and takes it back to how it's been done for ages. I'm sure many of you who are interested in cheesemaking have looked at recipes for a cheese and thought "how did they get a thermophilic culture, keep it at exactly 82 degrees for 80 minutes over a wooden fire, and keep it in a sterile cheese cave?" Of course they didn't, they had tradition. What we have now is meticulous and repeatable, but I'd argue is a bit soulless. What Mr. Asher is bringing back is the soul. He steps you logically through every step. He even shows you how to HARVEST YOUR OWN RENNET. Think about that for a second. When was the last time you saw a cheesemaking book go into more than a page of info about rennet? I actually happened upon David's (very infrequently updated) blog by happenstance, looking for a recipe for homemade blue cheese. I loved the way he wrote, and the passion he clearly held for cheesemaking. It carried over well in this book. It's an absolute joy, and so approachable. If you're anything like I am, a lot of cheesemaking is a mystery. Why should I get this culture over that one? How did these cultures come about? Why can't I use what's floating around my house? It's all explained here, simple enough for a dummy like me to be excited to try it out. Blue cheese culture? He shows you how to cultivate it on your own. It's amazing. Who'd have thought a moldy piece of sourdough bread was something you didn't want to throw out? I've learned more in this book in one day of owning it than I have reading my (I think 8 now) other cheesemaking books over years. Perhaps they primed me to know what Mr. Asher is talking about a bit better. I've had several "aha" moments though, things I didn't even know I didn't know suddenly making a whole lot of sense. I know I've said it before, but again, the word of the day here is "approachable". It takes away the mystery and puts the power of cheesemaking in your hands. I haven't been so excited about a cookbook in a long time. He discusses and shows how to make pretty much any cheese I can think of. From fresh cheeses such as paneer and mozz, to goat cheeses (chevre) to blue cheeses, to swiss cheeses. Common standbys like cheddar are obviously included as well. He takes you through all the important parts of cheesemaking, from his chapter on why he wrote this book and why natural cheesemaking is something worth pursuing, to milk and how to source it (raw, please!). He talks about all the different cultures and how to...culture them (a real eye opener for me. Honestly, this is worth buying the book for alone, knowing how all this stuff comes about). Tools you need, making a cheese cave, even goes over salt and it's importance over a whole chapter. Guys, if you skipped down to the bottom of this review, I don't blame you. I'm rarely long winded or as verbose as I have been here. I only get that way when I'm excited about something, and I rarely get excited. Get this book. Get it if you love cheese. Get it if you hate factory cheese and want to shove some artisinal gouda up their factory's tailpipe. Get it if you're curious about how cheese USED to be made before you could buy a packet of "thermophilic A". Get it if you want to support a passionate author seemingly reviving the craft singlehandedly. The point is: Buy. This. Book.

I learned many things from this book, the types of cheeses, the quality of the milk, the instructions for the process, temperatures, what to expect, the mistakes, the procedure, the tools, the accessories, the additional products for perfect cheese making, etc,,, But after experimenting (and watching many videos), I learned the most important lesson of them all, the understanding of the milk and the temperature are the key ingredients, I have been making my own cheese for about a year, I buy raw milk from the local farm and the cheese I produce will differ every time, the main reason is temperature during the heating of the milk and time you take it out and the ambient temperature after it is placed in the form. Alkalinity and acidity are highly sensitive and will affect the taste. The size and the firmness of curds also depend on the temperature. To produce cheese, requires experience and fill. That being said, the book is good and is exactly what is promised to be. But for me it made me realize, that if you want to learn cheese making, you have to forget everything you know and observe the behavior of the milk. It will tell you everything, if you are ready to listen. I did not mention the humidity factor, but it will affect the cheese during the aging process. I also did not mention the salt, which is a lot more important than I initially realized. It use it a lot and it always changes the taste for the better.

Yes. Just yes. Each year I expand my little suburban homestead and old world skills A little more and this year seemed right to add home cheese making to the roster. What can I say.... I like feta and it's bloody expensive and likely made by a machine and full of chemicals.... I can always do better at home. When I first started consulting the Internet on my endeavor it was all calcium chloride, dyes, citric acid. I did buy a small kit full of these things and had an attempt with so so results. As I was approaching my second attempt with a different cheese the itch in the back of my mind became stronger..... There has to be a better way.... People have been making cheese for thousands of years without online cheese making suppliers and why do I need dye! I came back to Amazon again in search of an 'off the grid' book and here it was! The answer to my cheesy problems! I ordered the book and (I'm a prime member) it arrived right away. I read the entire book that evening...at least as far until the recipes began. This was the book that had been looking for. This had the background on cheese, what it really is, how it forms, the information about the animalls and heavy focus on non commercial production and really....about the milk. We are a family that has already made the change away from commercial production....I have a pig farmer, a cow farmer, a local dairy, a vegetable farm and an extensive home garden. I preserve and prepare almost all that we eat from scratch. It's a big undertaking but gets easier with time and skill. Due to these skills and a basic understanding of farming (the right way)I was able to easily absorb the information in this book and understand everything fairly easily. It made much more sense than the ultra sterilization techniques and chemical additives found on YouTube. I don't think it's necessary to have these skills and experiences in order to understand this pool and use it successfully.... But you might have a few shocking moments if you do not already know the basic principals of where cheese comes from and how it comes to be. I'm a firm believer that people should know where their food comes from and how it is produced so that they can make informed and ethical decisions to source their food and this book accomplishes that from the cheese perspective. There is a very heavy focus on raw milk. Most people will not be able to have access to this or like me are still not convinced of its safety....now if I were an organic farmer and owned the cow and was a part of every single minute of its care and processed it myself would I feel differently about raw milk? Probably...but the fact is I'm an event planner with a small suburban back yard homestead and my milk comes from somewhere else so I feel safer on the side of pasteurization. Even with that the writer gives you all of the information you need to work with and source appropriate good milk. Personally I already have home delivery from a local dairy and know that the milk is from local pastured animals raised in a respectful conscious ways...what I didn't know is that there is a difference between pasteurized and ultra pasteurized as well as what homogenized is. After this book I now know and can order the right product for cheese making for my home delivery... Before this book I would not have know to get the organic cream line non-UHT milk...cause I had no idea what that meant! I'm already on to sourcing kefir grains so I can get started on some REAL cheese! Thank your for an amazing book.

I think 30 or so cheeses from simple to more complicated (the author states his cheddar recipe, 5 gallons of milk/4 pounds of cheese, is the smallest you can make a "real" cheddar cheese. I think I could make it with the provided instructions but would like a bit more curd handling detail). The more complicated cheeses seem to be larger and require larger, 5 gallons vs. 1 for the "easy" cheeses, quantities of milk. Mr. Asher goes into a lot of background detail before he even gets to the cheese, providing information on milk (raw is best but pasteurized can work due to culturing with kefir), rennet (including a section on how to make it. He uses a ready made brand- I think you can get it here at Amazon) and kefir (grain form the way to go, it's here at Amazon). I liked the idea of using kefir cultures as a basis for the cheeses, like that better than buying a different one for every cheese. I thought it was interesting that blue cheese mold can be cultured on sourdough bread, you're shown how to make the bread and develop/handle/use the mold. Don't have a cave or other cool enough location ? You'll get some vague detail on using a modified refrigerator or a wine refrigerator. The book could give a little more detail sometimes but on the whole I think it's a good book, I'll have to try it out someday. Ricki Carroll's "Home Cheesemaking" is listed in the bibliography, called an introduction to industrial Cheesemaking on a small scale. Gianaclis Caldwell is listed too, I'll be getting her Artisanal Cheesemaking book and her new, not listed, introductory Cheesemaking book sometime.

Every so often you come across a book that is totally revolutionary. It makes every other tome on the subject irrelevant. Such is "The Art of Natural Cheesemaking". Sharing his journey to discover the origin and manufacturing secrets of centuries old cheesemaking, especially from Europe, David Asher reveals the shortcomings of modern DVI cultures and practices. The basis of nearly every other artisan cheesemaking book out there is suddenly revealed as heavily flawed. The evolution of cheesemaking as we relocated to massive cities is described along with the consequent basis of modern methods. A strong call for access to raw milk and being able to sell short maturation soft cheeses made from raw milk is made. At the same time Dave Asher, with detailed thoroughness, reveals how anyone can produce the huge variety of cheeses out there that we know of and a number we may not. Apart from truly replicating two or three cheeses based on huge volumes of base milk. Even these can be imitated quite accurately. That and to understand that even if we cannot access fresh raw milk, that with milk kefir we can still make superb cheese. He begins with the simple and shortest time frame to make, going on to ones requiring rennet and then those needing significant maturation. From soft to hard, from cheddar to blue cheeses, natural strategies are revealed that allow anyone to produce their own versions of renowned cheeses. At each stage he gives a general overview, then a more detailed explanation, followed by a full recipe. At the end of the book are a sequence of problems that you may find occurring with each process. The solutions and causes are revealed. Having just begun making our own softer cheeses, more by playing around, this useful book gives a pathway to progress. As Dave says it forms the written detail to his Black Sheep School cheesemaking classes he gives from time to time at various places in North America. An indispensable guide!

I buy a lot of cookbooks and most of the time i'll skim through it, find one or two recipes and the book goes on the shelf for awhile. This book was different. I sat down and read through the entire thing in one sitting. Ok I skimmed some of the stuff I knew but the rest just drew me in. This isn't just a how-to guide. There's a lot of depth and detail about the cheese you're about to make which i really appreciate. The author also isn't shy about telling you how there are just some cheeses you won't be able to make at home. The book was refreshing, honest and well done. The main thing that drew me to buying this book was the information on Rennet. You can scour the web but only come up with a handful of sites that tell you how to make your own Rennet. And of those sites, the information is usually vague. Mr. Asher explains it very well in this book. What I never expected from this book was discovering how versatile Kefir is. I knew it was great for drinking and using in smoothies but never knew that I could use it to make yogurt! This was great news to me because there have been times when I forgot to save a little bit of yogurt to make my next batch and i'd have to pay to get a new culture. Now, I can just use my Kefir. The taste is a little tangier but I can adjust. There's a wealth of knowledge in this book and, to me, it was money well spent. I would HIGHLY recommend this book!

“The Art of Natural Cheesemaking” by David Asher is an incredibly in-depth exploration of making cheese the natural way, contrasting traditional methods with industrial approaches. The book delves deeply into the history and philosophy behind natural cheesemaking, which can feel like a full-blown class rather than just a recipe book. While it does include a handful of recipes, one even for sourdough bread, the recipes are scattered within the broader narrative. Personally, I would have preferred the recipes to be more accessible, perhaps presented upfront, leaving the history and in-depth discussions for later. This is a book you’ll read several times over, each time gaining additional wisdom. Asher shares a wealth of knowledge that brings together everything you’d hope to find online, but it’s all conveniently compiled in one place, allowing you to learn at your own pace. If you’re looking for a simple, straightforward recipe book, this may not be the right fit. However, if you’re interested in understanding not only how but why these processes work, this book delivers a comprehensive guide. It’s akin to reading a cookbook that delves into food science, explaining the chemistry behind the results. For those with the patience and curiosity to dive into the full context of cheesemaking, this book is an excellent resource. Just be prepared—it’s not a quick read but a deep dive into the art and science of cheesemaking.

Super Buch! Ausführlich, trotzdem leicht verständlich, interessant und anschaulich! Macht sehr Spaß, Käse selber zu machen! Unbedingt zu empfehlen

I saw this book talked about on Permies(dot)com. it is an amazing book containing all the knowledge you'll need to start making your own natural cheeses. I am now using Milk Kefir as my starter culture which saves me buying separate cultures for each type of chess, plus it's safer (buy the book and find out why!) What I particularly like about this book is that it is not simply a collection of recipes, it's a full course on what why and how. David Asher is passionate about his cheeses and he explains in a very readable way what to do and why to do it so you gain a deeper understanding of how to achieve success. The proof is in the pudding(or the cheese) in the past month I've made clabber, ricotta, basic rennet cheeses and am currently raging some camembert and a 4lb Cheddar. This book demystifies the process, dispels a lot of myths and gives you the confidence to make wholesome, tasty high nutrient no additive cheeses. What more could you want. Oh, and my cheese loving husband thinks I'm wonderful!

excellent book :: must have

So very informative, even fun to read! I learnt so much about raw milk, yoghurts and cheeses culturally, traditionally and functionally. All recipes are easy to follow and laid out from easiest to more challenging. I don’t tend toward recipe books as most recipes I won’t use but this will be a staple to go to on my shelf.

I consider this to be the best available book on the subject of natural cheesemaking. It is a very good book which covers a surprising amount of detail, it even explains how to make your own rennet from a calf's stomach if you wish to do this. I have learned a lot from this book, and I have been a curd nerd for quite some time. I love cheeses, especially hard cheeses. I now also, thanks to this book have a new understanding of kefir and it's importance to the cheesemaker, as it can be used as a cheese starter instead of a frozen culture. I love this book and am eternally grateful to David for writing it. It is apparent that the secret ingredient in Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano is raw milk and the fact that the starter is whey from the previous day's cheese production and not some frozen culture starter. Any cheese lover can learn a lot from this book.