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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
My two favorite molds require no cheesecloth:
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.
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:
Paula B says
Thanks for including the American cheese recipe link, made it today with mutschli, pepper jack and some buttercase. Turned out great, like nacho cheese.
Ruth Cohn says
Yay! An end to failure! And yummy too!
If making cheese is a disease, I am afraid too tell you it is incurable. Just make more & more & experiment with the recipes. What the heck, be original. Try variations on known recipes, combine some or branch out on your own.
Yes Bob, There’s no vaccine for us!
Wonderful article
Ruth, I am truly inspired to have created another addict, with such wonderful energy for the ancient art of cheese making. Your story made me laugh, hearing about your trials and tribulations and hanging in until you come out the other side completely in love with the process flooded me with memories.
In another month I turn 70, thinking back a few years when I started this amazing journey I was just 23 years old with a few goats in the back yard and a lot of milk in the kitchen. Now I feel like a young great grandmother to so many generations of cheese makers, with our cheese making family increasing around the world and all connecting through curds and whey.
Thank you for your energy and being so joyfully willing to share your inspirational story with others.
In Peace, Love and Cheese
Ricki
Wow Ricki, I am so touched and honored to get a note from the Cheese Queen herself. When I read your note aloud to my husband, I admit it made me cry. Thank you!
I can only imagine how many lives you have transformed,
not to mention the larger world.Thank you also for that.
Congratulations on your 70 years. I am 66 and hope, along with you
(and all our wonderful cheeses!) to help create a whole new view of aging! Peace and love to you too!
Great article!
Ruth,
Yay, another curd nerd from California! I’m way up North, but work in S.F. during the holiday season.
I love the photos of you in this piece. They really show your joy! I’ve had successes and failures as well, and love all your practical advice. Thank you for sharing all the links! I’ll be looking them over. American cheese out of mistakes? Fantastic! I got rid of my pigs, so now I’ll have a use for the cheese we don’t want to eat!
I love learning about cheesemaking and am getting a kick out of your creative labels.
Thank you for sharing and congrats on your latest book coming out!
So nice to see you featured here, Ruth, and get an up-close look into your voyage over the last three years. Though I realize you’ve been very busy, I’ve missed your cheese photos and repartee on the ATCM chats and look forward to seeing you pop up there again. I shall reiterate Steve Benz’s sentiment here: Bon Fromage!
Hi Patricia! So good to hear from you! I have been insanely busy but shall return! I miss you all too! And I shall return! Thanks for your good wishes and Bon Fromage to you!
Nice work Ruth! It’s great to see all that equipment put to good use! Bon fromage, Steve
I feel both “jealousy” and “relief” upon reading your adventure, Ruth! “Jealousy” in that I will never see such beautiful products in my kitchen, and “relief” in that I’ve never had the luxury of having enough milk in order to become so feverishly productive!–and addicted!😅 But congratulations to YOU!
Hi Cindy, You never know what marvels may materialize in your kitchen. Beautiful products Coe in all shapes and quantities. And your relief makes a lot of sense! Thanks for your good wishes!.
I think we met at a cheese class conducted by Merryl Winstein, the author of Successful Cheesemaking.
I know I learned a great deal from Merryl as I can tell you did too. I am very pleased to see what great success you are having.
It’s a small world after all.
Cheers!
Small world indeed! Thanks for your comment.
Hoping you are very well and enjoying your cheese journey!
Thanks Charles! And same to you!
These are the best ways I know to get through trying times.
Culture and proliferate love and cheese!
Ruth
This is so fabulous. The cheese is beautiful and so is the cheese maker. Thanks for this wonderful tour and for the many gifts of cheese, courage, persistence and friendship.
Thank you Sebern!
I love your story! Mine is much the same, although I can only aspire to 8 gallon cheese! I spend a fortune (it seems) on milk from Sprouts. I’ve had my share of dings in the kitchen floor. I’m currently filling 3 cheese caves. My next goal is the marbled colby. I live just east of you in Dixon.
Thanks Victoria! Good luck with your Colby and keep cold down there!
My Best to you!
Congrats, Ruth!
Love your story. It’s great to hear about that almost single event that changes you into an obsessed cheesemaker. It truly is a therapeutic activity. Even the failures are edible in some whey. That American cheese conversion is genius.
Wow! That’s a lot of cheese caves. I hear you on the thermometer quest and laughed wholeheartedly. I think that’s a universal struggle in cheesemaking. I was also so very impressed with your cheese labels. Your creativity and passion shine through! Curd-y on!
Ruth, you truly inspire me!! Cranberries! Yes!
And labels! I need to get labels going a send more cheese to my daughters and friends!
May peace be upon you in your journey!