Ruth Cohn making a marbled cheese. She told us, “Stirring two pots at once, is like kayaking in Kona – the rhythmic, circular motion of both arms, and the wonderful calming effect!”
When Ruth Cohn started making cheese 3 years ago, it hit her hard! In fact, when a friend asked her how she got into cheesemaking, she said, “It is not a hobby, it’s an illness!”
If it is an illness, she should know… Ruth is a psychotherapist with 2 books in print – Coming Home to Passion and her latest, due to be released 8/31 – Working With the Developmental Trauma of Childhood Neglect.
You can find out more about her work at her website, Ruthcohnmft.com. There, she has a blog with interesting articles she has written about her work and, most importantly, one about her relationship with making cheese (click here). (Hint: It’s a good relationship!)
When she isn’t making cheese, she bicycles and bakes sourdough bread. She has been married for 28 years.
Ruth’s Story
I have always loved cheese, and always imagined learning to make cheese someday. But a busy and demanding life as a trauma psychotherapist and sex therapist kept me so busy, that I never got to it.
Almost 3 years ago, at the ripe age of 63, someone loaned me Ricki Carroll’s first book (now Home Cheese Making). I never asked for it, she just brought it over. So I looked at it, and thought I might try something.
I made my first batch of 30 minute mozzarella, and quickly bought my own copy. It bit me like a bug. So, like with many of us, Ricki Carroll is “to blame” for this wonderful obsession.
Mozzarella making, way too much fun.
Soon, I was all over Youtube looking for instructional vids. I discovered a few wonderful teachers (like Gavin Webber) and followed them.
And I started fiendishly reading. I am a bookworm anyway, but for a whole year, I read nothing but books about cheese.
Every weekend I made something. With a failure rate of abut 60% it took me a while to find my way. All the rest is history.
I call it KandyCorn, after the Halloween candy of the same colors.
Cheddar with a kiss of cranberries
First Edam
Appenzellar
Montasio
Saffron infused
Cheddar marbled with saffron infused
Making cheese keeps me calm and happy, and certainly got me through this past crazy year and a half. I devotedly read the Monday Morning Moos, and most of the monthly recipes have kept me and all of my friends and family adventurous. I am very grateful to you all!
Cambozola. (More labels*)
Morbier
Morbier taste test
Was it easy sailing? I would say most certainly not! More like a rollercoaster! My failure rate was around 50-60% for at least the first 6-8 months. My husband was most gracious in joining me in eating my mistakes! I remember Ricki Carroll’s book said that 80% of cheesemaking failures were due to issues of cleanliness. I worked hard to keep things scrupulously sanitized.
For me, that was not the apparent issue. It took me a while to find the right milk, and to understand why some did or did not work for cheesemaking.
Finding a trustworthy thermometer was another journey, and admittedly I have a cupboard littered with the array of accumulated rejects. Oy vey.
My favorite thermometer
I similarly struggled with finding the right press, after too many crashes of toppled gym weights and a few gashes in the tile kitchen floor. An understanding spouse is required.
Thankfully, he felt duly rewarded when my percentages began to improve. Now that homemade cheese is a staple of our daily diet, he is grateful that he hung in through all that!
Favorite press
I got this press when the other one got too small. I have worked my way up to eight gallon batches. Oy vey!
My two favorite molds require no cheesecloth:
My very expensive block cheddar mold from Holland.
My beloved Manchego mold from cheesemaking.com
Over time, as the “illness” became more intense, the caves began to take over my “WomanCave” (room.) I now have 6 wine fridges/caves working.
My curd cutter was made by Steve Benz (a comrade from Gavin Webber’s chat community). I call it the Mercedes Benz of cheese cutters. Steve sells it on Etsy (click here). When I started working with bigger pots, I had Steve make me this longer one.
Horizontal curd cutter (harp).
Thankfully, also, I discovered the “Got a Question?” button in many of my NECS emails. I really should have paid Jim Wallace a retainer for pummeling him with questions at least weekly, sometimes more. Thank you Jim! (Jim is our technical advisor who is always there to answer questions – jim@cheesemaking.com.)
I tried once to travel out for one of Jim’s workshops. Sadly I ended up spending the night hugging my suitcase at my boarding gate in Chicago O’Hare due to storms that shut the airport in both directions. I was lucky to get home in a barely reasonable amount of time, after sadly missing the workshop. Now, as the pandemic begins to allow, I am hoping to cash in my credit and attend a live training.
I have since learned from a genius named Larry from Deep South Texas, how to make “American cheese” out of cheese failures, by melting them and adding sodium citrate, which is a simple organic compound that can be made with citric acid, water and salt, or bought online.
In his video, he shows you both how to make the sodium citrate yourself, and also how to make the processed cheese – (click here). The American cheese is actually good and melts beautifully, and sweetens the disappointment about the originally intended cheese!
Meanwhile, it is all worth it! My success rate is pretty good now, as long as I do not get totally swept away and forget to be a good mom to my cheeses and stay on the affinage. Needless to say, cheesemaking, and sending love packages to friends, family and colleagues, carried me through this trying year and a half!
Advice for Beginners
Expect to fail! And hang in there though the failure. Practice is the key.
And most importantly, I always tell myself:
1. Find the best teachers;
2. Tell them everything! And most importantly,
3. Do what I’m told! The rewards will come!
*I have a blast making cheese labels:
My signature label
