Making your own cheese is a great way to connect with your food. You have complete control over the quality of ingredients you use and exactly what you put in, or more importantly what you don’t put in your food.

Great cheese begins with a starter culture. Essentially, the good bacteria which give cheese its characteristic flavour. When added to curds and left to do its thing at the right temperature it will give you cheese. The length of time you leave it and which starter culture you use will give you different results from a simple soft cheese to a mature cheddar.

Here’s how to make your starter culture…

Utensils

A thermometer

A 2 litre saucepan

A 1 litre sterilised glass jar (or 2 X 500ml)

A 1 litre jug

A whisk

A warm cupboard

Method

Sterilise your jar by putting in an ovenheated to 120 degrees C. Remember to remove any rubber seals.

Put you milk into the saucepan and heat to just under boiling point. About 90 degrees C on a thermometer or just simmering. Hold it there for around ten minutes.

Pour your milk into a clean jug and stand it in a bowl or sink of cold water to cool it down to 20 degrees C. A warm room temperature.

Now sprinkle in your cheese culture and whisk it well to incorporate it fully.

Pour into your sterilised jars and seal. Leave in a warm place between 20 - 24 degrees C for around 24 hours.

It should firm up like a well set yoghurt and smell fresh and clean when ready. It can be put into ice cube trays and frozen for future use.