Mary's Homestead

NO CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE EMAIL US WITH THE ITEMS YOU WANT TO BUY. WE WILL SEND YOU A ORDER FORM.

IF YOU WANT A CATALOG WITH A LIST OF OUR PRODUCTS: SEND $2.00  OF A BANK CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: MARY'S HOMESTEAD, P.O. BOX 175, PECULIAR, MO. 64078. IF YOU WANT THE CURRENT NEWSLETTER AND YOU DO NOT HAVE A COMPUTER, PLEASE SEND US $3.00 AND WE WILL MAIL IT TO YOU. PLEASE SEND A BANK CHECK OR MONEY ORDER.

THE PRICES ON OUR SITE DO NOT INCLUDE THE S & H. IF YOU LIVE IN MO.  IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SALES TAX. 

PLEASE EMAIL US FOR THE CURRENT NEWSLETTER. IT IS ABOUT OUR HOMESTEADING EXPERIENCES. SEND US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND WE WILL SEND YOU THE NEWLETTER BY EMAIL.

 YOGOURMET FREEZE DRIED CBA PROBIOTIC YOGURT STARTER

Ablend of active casei, bifidus,and acidophilus cultures. Contains six 5-gram packs. Makes 6 quarts. Can only used with the yogourmet multi.

Yogourmet yogurt starter is meticulously manufactured and scientifically balanced to ensure that you make a smooth, creamy and great tasting yogurt every time. It is packed in sealed, double-layered envelopes for long-lasting quality.

HOMEMADE YOGURT THE EASY WAY,

YOGOURMET MULTI

A fool-proof way to make delicious yogurt every time for the health conscious gourmet.  Makes 2 quarts of yogurt  with any kind of milk in 4 1/2 hours. Yogurt comes out great because the yogourmet multi  controls  the fermentation temperature. Makes delicious  cheese spreads as pro-biotic yogurt. easy to use, includes  detailed instructions . 1 yr. warranty.

EXTRA BATCH JAR WITH LID

Unbreakable polycarbonate, dishwasher safe jar allows you to make extra yogurt  while enjoying the current batch.

THESE RECIPES ARE FOR YOUR EDUCATION AND ENJOYMENT!

CHEESE MAKING RECIPES FROM MARY'S HOMESTEAD HANDBOOK

YOGURT FROM NON-INSTANT MILK

5 1/2 CUP WATER

1 1/2 CUP NON-INSTANT POWDERED MILK 1/2 CUP GELATIN (ANY FLAVOR)

1 (12 OZ.) CAN EVAPORATED MILK

1 CUP PLAIN UNFLAVORORED YOGURT

Dissolve gelatin , 3 1/2 cup hot water and powdered milk together until blended. Pour into a pan. Add remaining 2 cup water. Add canned milk and heat to about 115 f.  Remove from heat and add yogurt. Stir it in. Pour into 3 wide-mouth jars. Put on the lids and set yogurt in a pan of warm water (125 f)  covering to the height of the yogurt. Maintain water at above temperature for 4 hours. Refrigerate.

THIS IS THE DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING MEDIUM CHEDDAR CHEESE FROM : MARY'S HOMESTEADING CHEESE MAKING HANDBOOK.

CHEESE MAKING

MEDIUM CHEDDAR CHEESE

6  cups warm water

1 cup vegetable oil

9 TB.  cheddar cheese powder (see our cheese powder)

4 1/2 cup dry milk

2 5/8 cup white vinegar

Blend all ingredients except cheese powder. Pour into a  hot grease saucepan and heat to 150 F. to form curds. Rinse the curds from the whey in warm water, then in cold. Add salt to taste and add the cheese powder and mix it well. Put into a cheesecloth and press it between two plates with a 1 pound object on top of the plate until all liquid is pressed out. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

HINTS FOR FREEZING CHEESE

Cut cheese into pieces of one pound or less before packaging.

Wrap cheese securely with plastic wrap, then overwrap with aluminum foil.

Place in freezer. It is recommended that cheese should not be held longer than 3 months in the freezer.

To thaw, take cheese from the freezer and place in the refigerator for three days.

After the third day, take cheese out of the refrigerator, For peak flavor, allow cheese to come to room temperature befor serving.

THE ABOVE  IS  PERMISSION FROM VICKI TATE.

See COOKIN WITH HOME STORAGE'

RECIPES FOR YOUR INFORMATION FROM MARY'S HOMESTEAD CHEESE MAKING HANDBOOK.

CHEESE MAKING RECIPES

Ricotta cheese

1 gallon whole milk or skim( 1 gal. wholemilk= 1 lb cheese)

White vinegar or fresh lemon juice

A large colander lined with fine cheesecloth, butter muslin is preferred, or some other substitute, a ham bag or jelly bag will work just fine.

Put the milk in a large, nonreactive sauce pan and heat slowly to 200 degrees, stiring to prevent it from scorching on the bottom. when the milk is hot enough, add about 1/4 cup of vinegar or lemon juice. If the milk is really at 200 degrees, it will instantly curdle, the milk protein and fat separating from the water in smallish white blobs and foam. If this does not happen, keep heating. Use a thermometer, dairy or candy works fine, but some of them are not quite accurate. If you put the vinegar in when the milk is close to the correct temperature, as soon as it reacts, you know it is done. It is not necessary to continue heating  once the reaction occurs, however, you will want to let it sit for a few minutes. with an occasional stir.

Place your lined colander in the sink,drain open please, and carefully pour the entire contents (do not skim anything off) of the pot into it. Take your time, and allow the water to drain through the cheesecloth. It will go pretty quickly if you have used butter. If it goes too quickly and nothing is left behind, you will know that your cheesecloth is too coarse and your cheese has gone down the drain! Do not despair, this has happened to many experienced cheese makers.  Just get finer cheesecloth and try again.

Assuming that all goes well, allow the ricotta to drain and cool until you can handle the cheesecloth comfortably. Gather the ends of the cloth up and tie into a bag which must be suspended ove the sink until it stops dripping. You can hang it on the faucet or drape it from a wooden spoon laid across the sink, whatever works. The ricotta will be finished draining in about an hour and be ready to us in any recipe that calls for this type of cheese. You can add a bit of salt if you like. Or, if the cheese is to be used in a desert, add a little cream and mix well to make a richer product.

I think of my Italian grandmother when I make this cheese. She made it for the family when I was a child. She came from Italy and my mother Mary Ricci was born in Italy in the area of Tuscany. My grandmother went to the store and asked for a "kitchen" instead of a "chicken". My mother and my aunts taught her English when they went to school and learned English themselves. 

Another recipe that is eaten by the Italians is polenta. We always ate it first with buttter and imported Parmesan  Cheese. The second helping was eaten with Tomato Sauce with  meat.  This would be a good item to store for your stored food. Another suggestion is you could grow your tomatoes to  have a salad. We grow them even in the winter with a halide light.

Please see all the information on this web site about how you homestead even if you do not have land.  CHEESE MAKING  is a homesteading art.

IF YOU WANT TO  USE THE MAIL TO

SEND  A BANK CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO:

MARY'S HOMESTEAD, P.O. BOX 175, PECULIAR, MO. 64078

PLEASE EMAIL US FOR THE TOTAL PRICE OF YOUR ORDER AND WE WILL EMAIL YOU BACK FOR THE PRICE OF IT.

MARY'S HOMESTEAD ONLY SHIPS WITHIN THE US!