Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Calcium chloride, 30% solution
When milk is pasteurized, the calcium ion balance is upset in
the milk, which can impede proper curd formation. A small
amount of calcium chloride solution diluted further in
distilled water and mixed into the milk can correct this
imbalance.
You can order food-grade calcium chloride and make the
solution yourself (percentages are by weight!), or you can
order the pre-mixed solution from various Internet stores
specializing in cheese making supplies.
Calcium chloride, incidentally, is also an ingredient in some
ice melting pellets used to melt the ice on sidewalks and
driveways. This is a very crude product that isn't suitable for
human consumption, so make sure you get food grade
calcium chloride.
Flaked or canning salt
Salt is used as a flavor enhancer, a bacteriostatic preservative,
a modulator for enzymatic action, and it helps expel water
from cheese curds through osmotic pressure. Special “flaked”
cheese salt is available, but canning salt or Celtic sea salt will
do as well.
The important thing is to avoid the ordinary salts in the
grocery store because not only do many of them contain
iodine, they often contain anti-caking agents and other
chemicals that could interfere with cheese-making. So
anything you use should be purely salt.
