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

I bought this book over a year ago and there it sat, on my shelf, looking interesting for 12 months.It was a fascinating read and I love the *idea* of making my own cheese using Kefir rather than expensive freeze dried cultures. Yet I baulked at the time investment and apparent unsanitary nature of the whole process (David Asher is not a believer in hyper-sterilised environments). One day a few weeks ago I was clearing out some old cookbooks and got around to looking at this book again. I pondered giving it away, "You haven't used it in a year..." said my significant other. She was right. Yet something about the book held my attention. "I have to at least try one recipe," I said, smiling guiltily. She rolled her eyes. I made a list.A few days later (we had to wait for the Kefir to mature) we were both enjoying fresh Mozzarella. This was a turning point for me. I had always assumed it was a complicated, expensive process. Now, much the wry amusement of those around me, I am ageing a Camembert and Elderflower Wine-washed rind cheese in my dining room. Made only for the cost of 4 pints of milk from the supermarket (About £1.40 where I am) and some Kefir (Negligible cost once it gets going). If you can find a handmade cheese for that price let me know, for comparison a nearby farm shop sells small batch cheeses and their small brie (about the size of the one I am making) is £5. So... take that however you want.The book contains recipes for goats cheese, blue cheese, hard cheeses, soft cheeses, and some other interesting ones which I won't spoil. There is a master "cheese curd" recipe that makes up the foundation of almost all the cheeses and I have found that the instructions are very accurate and easy to follow. To the fellow moaning about the need for "unpasteurised milk", have you not read the clear section highlighting the use of Kefir in place of raw milk?The only fault I have is that the book simply isn't big enough to satisfy my appetite! I want to see a follow up to this book perhaps covering some rare and usual cheeses.Overall I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a little side hobby or making impressive (and cheap) gifts. 5/5

The review above is misleading as it focuses on readability problems on the Kindle version, not on the content.I have the printed version of this book and it is simply WONDERFUL.Where other cheese books would have you rely on powders of cultures and moulds, David Asher goes back to the way cheese used to be made and allows us to connect with thousands-years-old natural processes.Everything is explained in detail (from the basics of biology to equipment and recipes from the simplest fresh cheeses to the most complicated alpine cheeses), with beautiful photos, clear instructions, a no-nonsense approach, making cheese a CRAFT again, instead of a science with direct vat inoculation magic powders and the like.This book will give you a deep understanding of the what happens in raw milk and how to control the variables in order to get the desired effect on the finished product.Look at his score and reviews on Amazon.com if you are not yet convinced.To me, this book is a revelation, and the only one in its kind.

I ordered this book to post to spain, so worked out expensive but I didn't want a kindle version, I wanted to book to refer to when necessaryI would say this book is more suited to a beginner cheese maker. I have used a couple of the recipes but I mainly bought this book hoping to find out more of working with natural rennet and that section is quite brief. It is about natural cheesemakkng and as registered cheesemakers these are methods we can't practise due to health and hygiene laws.It's a lovely book to keep for reference recipes and an interesting to read for anyone interested in cheese

The book is ver comprehensive, it has everything from milk to the final aspects of cheese. It has measurements in both metric and imperial units, the same goes for temperature, it has Celsius and Fahrenheit.The autor doesn't rely on store bought items, which is great for those of us who prefer to use the traditional way, he uses his own, home bred, fungus cultures to make the different cheeses, and teaches how to safely create those cultures too.It's a very simple to follow book, with plenty of recipes and very easy terminology.Great for both the beginners and the more advanced cheesemakers.

The book has only arrived a couple of days and I have been glued to it already.Looking forward to trying out cheese making from our goats milk in the coming months, the natural way, the way cheese was made for thousands of years.Great book.

My partner gave me this book after he saw how much I was starting to tare my hair out over the fact that it seemed like the only way possible to make cheese was to buy in a specific culture. I always had a feeling is must be possible to culture your own local/signature cheese and not rely on shop bought 'real' cheese cultures. Reading this booked proved that it is possible to be truly self sufficient with cheese making and gave me the encouragement and mind set to start experimenting. We have a small herd of dairy goats on our permaculture designed homestead and it was great that the author discusses goats and many styles of goats cheese throughout the book. I have since made several cheeses, built a cheese cave and bonded with my goats even more knowing how valuable their milk is.You can watch our experiments with natural cheese making over at the Tap o' Noth Farm Youtube Channel. Can't recommend this book enough.

Fantastic introduction to cheese making. The recipes work and work well. You do not need raw milk and it doesn't absolutely have to be unhomogenised either. You should probably get hold of some kefir grains though. I did and I haven't looked back. Simply brilliant asnd the cheese is delicious.I normally have a small surplus of kefir grains so if anyone wants some and I haven't eaten them drop me a message and I'll post you some.