Making Fresh Cheese

There is nothing as simple yet mysterious as good cheese. And in this class, you'll learn how to make four delicious, ready-to-eat soft cheeses. Ricotta, paneer, mozzarella, and burrata are all made from the same basic ingredients and process, and you'll learn to make them all in this afternoon class. Our teacher is Rachel Meeker, a livestock manager and homesteader at an organic farm in Lompoc who taught herself to make cheese (among other things) in a quest to keep her food-sources close and her friends closer. Once you taste her cheese, you'll understand why!

What You Will Learn:

• An overview and appreciation of how milk is magically transformed into cheese
• An understanding of acid-based cheeses
• How to safely prepare cheese from raw goat milk
• The differences between these four popular soft cheeses

What You Take Home

• Handouts and recipes
• Starter kit to take home
• The knowledge and confidence to make cheese for your family and friends

Recommended for Folkies ages 14 and up (youth with adults only). Have younger children you want to bring? Kindly email us before you register.

Head Folkie for the Day

Rachel Meeker left the big city to live a simpler life. She moved from L.A. to pursue farm life and landed on an organic farm in Lompoc. She regularly teaches homesteader arts, such as cheesemaking, making balms and salves, and raising dairy goats. She also manages all the livestock on the farm (goats, chickens, ducks, and pigs), and when not taking care of animals, she oversees most of the food processing on the farm as well—including cheeses, pickles, and fruit preserves. She teaches all these skills to volunteers, interns, and guests on the farm.