Cheese from UHT Milk
I live in a town where fresh or whole milk is not readily available. I was wondering if I could make cheese from UHT Milk. If so, what kind of cheese and what method I should use? Or rather, Should I?
Best Answer
You can use UHT milk in cheeses that don't contain rennet, basically cheeses that are formed by adding acid to milk, allowing it to curdle, and then separating the whey. Quark, Paneer, Queso Fresco and Ricotta are all cheeses of this type. Opinions differ on whether UHT milk can make good cheese of this type, but it's clear that you can achieve cheese. Serious Eats discusses the use of UHT in Ricotta here. "UHT milk does not work as well as regular pasteurized milk. It has a smaller yield, and the curds do not cling together properly. The results weren't terrible, and would do in a pinch."
Even though Mozzarella can be made without rennet, it has a reputation for being particularly troublesome with UHT milk. Pictures of UHT Mozzarella Fail
UHT Pasteurization denatures the proteins in milk to the point that they can no longer hold the curd shape, they can't fully solidify. So you can certainly try UHT in Ricotta type cheese, you may find it perfectly tasty, but I'd recommend not even trying to make rennet cheese or Mozzarella.
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Quick Answer about "Cheese from UHT Milk"
Ultra-pasteurized Milk (UP) or ultra-high temperature milk (UHT), is milk heated to 275°F or higher for about one second. Milk that has been ultra-pasteurized does not work well in cheesemaking because the proteins have been destabilized. As a result, the calcium in the milk does not bond properly to make a good curd.Can I use UHT milk to make mozzarella cheese?
Milk for Mozzarella: Almost any milk can be used for making mozzarella: whole, 2%, skim, cow, goat, raw, organic, or pasteurized. Pasteurized milk is fine to use, but make sure that it is not ultra high temperature (UHT) pasteurized. The proteins in UHT milk have lost their ability to set into curds.Can I make cheese from store bought milk?
When making cheese, it is important to start with fresh milk from a healthy animal. 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.What can you make with UHT milk?
The process works best with whole milk, but can also work with 2%. Avoid using skim and non-fat milk varieties as well as UHT ( ultra pasteurized milk), as the skim types don't have enough fat to separate into curds, and the UHT milk has been treated in a way that will stop it separating easily.Pantry Prep Farmers Cheese UHT Milk
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Answer 2
The self-appointed Cheese Queen, Ricky, recommends making mozzarella from dry-milk powder and added cream if you're in an area where you can only get UHT milk: Mozzarella from Instant Nonfat Dry Milk and Cream.
That may be a better option that trying Mozzarella from UHT milk. Which, as @Jolenealaska points out, is known to be pretty bad.
Alternately, you could try non-rennet cheese -- but my personal experience has been that mozzarella is a lot more fun.
Answer 3
I forged ahead with my uht milk (and citric acid and rennet) because that’s what I had just bought (without realizing it was uht). I added 3 litres of uht whole organic milk and some cream and some other 2% milk to see if I could improve the odds. Then I tossed in quite a bit of dried milk thinking this might help counteract the effect of the uht. In the end it wasn’t a flexible mozzarella. I strained it through a fine cloth and then pressed it for about an hour. Tastes fine but it’s not really what I had in mind when I started. Lesson learned!
Answer 4
Yes, you can use UHT mik to make a rennet cheese.
You would need to use calcium chloride and the double amount of rennet.
Then the curds will be like rice.
You press it, and you have cheese.
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