Store bought and raw milk can both be used to make cheese at home. The benefits with raw milk are the cultures and enzymes already present, which add complexity and character to cheese. Never use UHT milk for making cheese (available usually in tetra-packs in India).

Absolutely, just be aware that you must be using a recipe that specifies goat’s milk.

Calcium chloride is a natural calcium salt solution. During pasteurisation, and the subsequent rapid cooling of store-bought milk, the calcium and protein balance is disrupted. Adding calcium chloride to store-bought milk, restores this natural balance. Its addition improves the rennet coagulation properties of the milk, resulting in a firmer curd and a higher yield of cheese.

Following may be the reasons: The starter culture health: Ensure the starter culture has been stored correctly inside the freezer upon arrival and is not past its expiry date. Time and temperature challenge: If you were unable to maintain a nice warm temperature over a time period, as specified by the recipe, the starter culture activity declines. It should still set, but may take much longer. The right milk: Ensure the correct milk has been used, as specified by the recipe. Do not use UHT Milk (available usually in tetra-packs in India). Disturbing the curd formation: You need to ensure the milk is completely still/undisturbed during the setting time. Movement of the milk will disrupt the curd formation.

Following might be the reasons: The rennet health: Ensure the rennet has been stored correctly inside the refrigerator, and is not past its expiry date. Time and temperature challenge: If you were unable to maintain a nice warm temperature over a time period, as specified by the recipe, the rennet activity declines. It should still set, but may take much longer. Non-chlorinated water: Did you dilute the rennet in tap water? Rennet must always be diluted in cool, non-chlorinated water. Disturbing the curd formation: You need to ensure the milk is completely still/undisturbed during the setting time. Movement of the milk will disrupt the curd formation. The right milk: Ensure the correct milk has been used, as specified by the recipe. Do not use UHT Milk.

They are added to balance out the Calcium Level and acidity of the brine to that of the cheese. If not added, calcium might leech out from the cheese to the brine and make cheese surface slimy.

There are many factors that influence the final yield of cheese. Yield is influenced by the milk brand, seasonal variation of the milk, the milk acidity, curd temperature, setting time, skim milk powder addition, calcium chloride addition and how the curds have been handled (amongst other factors). Ways to maximise your yield: Add calcium chloride (except mozzarella). Ensure curd setting time is followed. Use the freshest, best quality, full-fat, unhomogenised milk possible. Always handle curds with extreme care. Follow the recipe precisely!

This can be due to two factors. Either the brine solution has a lower calcium level than the feta, leeching calcium out of the cheese, causing it to become slimy, or the cheese acidity is higher than that of the brine again, leeching calcium from the cheese. Both can be fixed by adding some calcium chloride or acidity (citric acid or white vinegar) to the brine solution.

Place your cheese in some milk for 1-2 hours, the milk will draw out a portion of the salt.

Successfully getting stretchy mozzarella comes down to several factors: The quality of the milk: The milk needs to be fresh and un-homogenised. However, even some un-homogenised milk brands won’t be successful at times, due to seasonal fluctuations in the milk, or if the milk has been pasteurised at a high temperature. Do not use UHT Milk. Try to use milk from a different brand next time. Contact our Support team. The right amount of acidity: Mozzarella only stretches at the ‘perfect’ acidity (pH 5.1), therefore it’s important you ensure you pure food grade cheesemaking citric acid. Be vigilant in your measurement or get yourself some pH testing strips. Temperature: The curd needs to be approximately 75°C to become stretchy. Cheese making citric acid: Supermarket citric acid may have other additives. It’s best to use a citric acid specified for cheese making. The citric acid has to be added in COLD milk. Dosage of Rennet: Make sure you are adding the appropriate dosage of rennet as mentioned in the instructions provided by us. More Rennet = More Whey Loss = Rubbery Cheese that wont stretch.

This is most likely due to having over-worked your curd during the stretching stage. Over-stretching the curd, or squeezing it to much, results in a loss of butter fat which provides softness and creaminess in your cheese. The less you can work it, whilst still getting it glossy, is the best.

Whey contains lactose, protein, vitamins, and minerals along with traces of fat. Because it digests very rapidly, the amino acids enter the blood stream faster than other protein sources. For this reason, athletes often consume commercial whey protein shakes after workouts to help them gain muscle mass. You may soak your grains and beans in whey. or make a lemonade by filtering it and adding sweetener. It may also be used as soup stock or to replace liquids in recipes. Acid loving plants such as tomatoes thrive on whey. It will keep up to a week in the refrigerator and it may be frozen.

If your microwave is too strong, or you heat the curds too long, they can fall apart. Try microwaving for less time, start with 30 seconds, then another 30 seconds, two rounds might be enough.

This can happen when the curds are not strong enough. If you followed the directions, including cutting the curds and reheating, the problem may be the milk. Also, make sure required amount of rennet is added and at correct temperature. You can use these curds like a Ricotta, or simply add herbs and spices.

If using milk with less butterfat, your yield will be low. Or, if the curds were not firm enough, you may have lost butterfat to the whey. Another thing to notice is the amount of cream in your whey. Let the curds set until the whey is clear, both before and after cutting the curds. If the curds need more time to form at any point, give them 5 or 10 more minutes. The whey is white due to loss of butterfat from the curds into the whey. Avoid overkneading.

There are two possible causes for rubbery cheese. Excess amount of rennet is used. Use a bit less rennet next time. Cheese is overworked or overcooked, and all the butterfat runs down the drain. If you've made cheddar and it's rubbery, you may have over-cheddared. Again, while it's not exactly fixable (because you can't add butterfat back into cheese) it is edible. Rubbery cheeses taste delicious when melted. Use it for pizza, grilled cheese, or on top of veggies.

This may mean the pressure was too light during the pressing process, resulting in curds that have not combined together completely, and causing those undesirable cracks on and within the cheese. You can try increasing pressure and pressing time.

The temperature may be too high in the room in which you are air-drying your cheese, causing the fat in the cheese to rise to the surface. Move your cheese to a cooler location.

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As long as your vinegar is pasteurized (not raw) you can use apple cider. White distilled is also a great choice and rice vinegar is traditional.

Tempeh generally takes at least 30 hours to culture. Keep an eye on it for the first 12 hours to make sure the temperature stays at a fairly stable 86° to 88°F; after that, it should be able to generate its own heat. It is recommended to check it again at 24 and 36 hours. Tempeh often takes the whole 48 hours to culture, and can sometimes take a bit longer if the temperatures are a bit low.

empeh can be used in soups or stews, in place of ground meat, or on its own, steamed, fried, or grilled. Marinades are useful to impart flavor as tempeh does not have a strong flavor on its own. A simple method of preparation is to fry slices of tempeh in a pan and dip in your favorite dipping sauce.

Tempeh can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days and can be frozen up to 12 months for longer storage. Tempeh can also be dried for longer storage. To dry tempeh, slice and arrange on dehydrator sheets. You may choose to season them as well. Dry until firm or crisp. As with other foods, the more moisture is removed, the longer tempeh will store. Keep in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark location.

– The tempeh's surface is covered with mycelium. – The structure is compact and is white in color. – It is not crumble when sliced.

The only challenge that you will come across might be the problem of maintaining the correct fermentation temperature. Additionally, soy quality is should be good, and everything should be hygenically done because it can interfere with spore growth.

Wrapping tempeh using banana leaves is a traditional way that will effect on the tempeh taste which is more delicious, fresh, and smells good. However, if you don’t clean the leaves thoroughly, the leaves can be easily contaminated by unwanted microbes. Wrapping in a plastic bag is hygenic and uncomplicated . A food grade plastic bag is recommended.

- unfiltered water, - fermenatation temperature was too warm/hot, or - the soybeans were still wet when you mixed them with the starter.

While making tempeh, the temperature is very influential in determining whether or not the molds will grow. The room temperature will affect the development of the Rhizopus. So, what temperature is suitable to grow the molds? The temperature needed for the mold to grow is the space between 30°C – 36°C. If the room temperature is too low, it will inhibit the growth of fungi. Meanwhile, if the temperature is too hot, it will cause overheating in the tempeh so the soybeans will easily rot.

- the temperature is too hot during the fermentation process. - air humidity is too high. Don’t keep tempeh at a very moist place. - the beans were still wet when starter was added to them - not enough holes or very small holes were made in the plastic bag

- too little starter is used - unevenly mixing of starter with the beans - temperature during fermentation process was too low -

- fermentation process was too long - fermentation temperature was too high - very less humidity in air

- too high water content in the beans - fermentation temperature was too high - it was left to ferment for a longer period of time - unhygenic surroundings and equipments were used

- uneven mixing of beans with the starter, leading to uneven growth of the mycelium - the incubation temperature was uneven and was not appropriately maintained - the holes were small or not enough leading to uneven air circulation

We recommend using only fresh milk (pasteurized) to make yogurt. Raw milk comes with its own set of beneficial bacteria. If your milk is a few days old or wasn't chilled quickly enough, that bacterial count can be high. This means that the culture you introduce could have some hefty competition, which can lead to yogurt with an “off” flavor or yogurt that does not culture properly. For our Vegan Yogurt Cultures, you may use Homemade Peanut, Soy, Coconut, Cashew or Almond Milk.

Yogurt starter is a carefully balanced blend of bacteria which consume lactose. This converts the lactose in the milk to lactic acid, giving the yogurt that classic, deliciously tangy taste. Lactic acid production lowers the pH of the milk, which allows it to be stored longer and changes the protein structure, giving yogurt its texture. Each starter has a unique blend of bacteria, with different flavors and thicknesses.

Extra packet of yogurt starter culture must be stored in the freezer. Information on how long each type of culture lasts may be found on packaging.

Milk that is “too clean,” such as ultra-pasteurized/UHT milk, or milk that has been heated by microwave, may be too sterile for the yogurt culture to use as nourishment.

A new batch much be re-cultured at least every 7 days in order to maintain the culturing viability to be able to use the culture indefinitely.

Do not use more starter than recommended. Using too much starter can crowd the bacteria, causing the bacteria to run out of food before the yogurt completely ferments the milk. The result is often a thinner, sometimes bitter, yogurt.

The temperature for yogurt can vary within a certain range, but it is very important to stay within range of 38-44°C. Too hot and the bacteria will die. Too cool and the culturing will halt, and will likely not start again.

Yogurt that has set will be more or less uniform in appearance: one solid mass. The yogurt should appear relatively smooth and should pull away from the side of the container when tipped. Sometimes a bit of whey will separate from the yogurt during the culturing process. This is completely normal. Stir it back into the yogurt or strain it out.

To avoid interfering with the culturing process, it is best to flavor after the culturing process is complete.

Use it as a starter culture when fermenting vegetables. Make whey lemonade. Add it to smoothies and shakes to provide more vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Use as cooking liquid for potatoes, rice, grits, pasta, and grains. Or, Drink it straight!

1. Warm Oven When room temperature dips below 35º C, try setting your yogurt jars in a closed oven to culture. Turn on the light or pilot light to maintain a constant culturing temperature. 2. Hot Water Bath Set the covered yogurt jar in a large bowl, filling the bowl with hot water. The water level should be no more than one to two inches from the top of the jar. As the water cools, remove the jar gently, pour the water out, and add more hot water. 3. Thermos Culture yogurt in a beverage thermos. Wrap in a towel for added insulation, if necessary. 4. Food Dehydrator A box-style food dehydrator, with shelves removed and its door open/closed, works well to maintain the required temperature. 5. You could place the covered yogurt jar in a big large jar of wheat flour and then cover the jar. This is how our Grandmothers would make curd in the north Indian winters. 6. Counter Top Yogurt Maker If none of the above methods works for you, try any good brand of counter top yogurt makers.

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Packets of sourdough starter culture are stable at room temperature. For long term storage, place packets in the refrigerator or freezer.

Absolutely, yes!

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The better the soy milk, the better the tofu. We highly recommend making your own soy milk (recipe in the Instruction booklet) as this will ensure you get the freshest, most firm and delicious tofu. It does take a little time but most of that is letting the soy beans soak in water overnight, absolutely worth the effort and you will definitely taste the difference. Soy beans are significantly cheaper to buy than soy milk too! If you are not making your own soy milk though, make sure you are purchase fresh soy milk, the is not UHT, heat treated or has any addition ingredients. Only fresh soy milk will work to make tofu.

The main problem with packaged milk is that it contains unknown added ingredients such as oils, sweeteners or preservatives that will have a big impact on your tofu and likely cause it to fail.

The starter culture must be stored in the freezer. Information on how long each type of culture lasts is found on packaging.

Any type of raw or pasteurized dairy cream can be used. Avoid ultra-pasteurized dairy cream.

Raw cream may make sour cream that has a thinner consistency than that made with pasteurized cream. If the sour cream is a too thin, try culturing a little longer than usual, for a thicker final product.

We recommend using only fresh cream to make sour cream. Raw cream comes with its own set of beneficial bacteria. If your cream is a few days old or wasn't chilled quickly enough, the bacterial count can be high. This means that the culture you introduce could have some hefty competition, which can lead to sour cream with an “off” flavor or cream that does not culture properly.

The Creme Fraiche cultures are one-time-use cultures (DVS vultures). When culturing cream, they generally cannot be perpetuated beyond the initial batch.

Skyr is made using low-fat milk, so it has a lower fat content in general, yet has the same amount of live cultures as yogurt. A tiny amount of rennet is added to form a tighter curd which gives it a cross consistency between yogurt and cheese.

Rennet is used to speed up the process of forming curds and whey. It also aids in forming a tighter curd. If you skip it, you will be able to make a normal yogurt and not skyr.

The culture works the best at 40ºC. Their activity slows down significantly below 35ºC and they become completely inactive above 50ºC (they die).

If you have kept some of the whey from the draining step this can be mixed in a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Otherwise low fat milk also works well to help reduce the thickness of the skyr, add this 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Very important, this is the optimum temperature for the thermophilic cultures to work and produce that tangy yoghurt flavour along with probiotics.

1. Warm Oven When room temperature dips below 30º C, try setting your yogurt jars in a closed oven to culture. Turn on the light or pilot light to maintain a constant culturing temperature. 2. Hot Water Bath Set the covered yogurt jar in a large bowl, filling the bowl with hot water. The water level should be no more than one to two inches from the top of the jar. As the water cools, remove the jar gently, pour the water out, and add more hot water. 3. Thermos Culture yogurt in a beverage thermos. Wrap in a towel for added insulation, if necessary. 4. Food Dehydrator A box-style food dehydrator, with shelves removed and its door open/closed, works well to maintain the required temperature. 5. Wheat Flour Container You could place the covered yogurt jar in a big large jar of wheat flour and then cover the jar. This is how our Grandmothers would make curd in the north Indian winters. 6. Counter Top Yogurt Maker If none of the above methods works for you, try any good brand of counter top yogurt makers.