I live in a small city in Northern California, just 30 minutes west of Sacramento.
Making cheese gives me a little respite from my job as an Emergency Medical Services Administrator and caregiver to my daughter (and her giant dog), who came to live with me recently.
I’ve been working at home a few days a week during the pandemic, giving me a couple hours a day that I would normally commute to spend on my cheese hobby! It makes me happy and my neighbors and co-workers sure appreciate my new hobby!
I work full time and spend a lot of weekends making cheese, and taking samples to work and giving it to neighbors. I’ve always loved cooking and baking and remodeled my kitchen several years ago, so it’s now perfect for cheesemaking.
I’ve been canning for several years and the extra space is really helpful. I enjoy being in the garden and making salsa and jam with my home grown produce. My pomegranate tree is very prolific. My daughter does the juicing and I make jelly and bbq sauce with the juice. The leftover rinds go to my friend’s pigs.
During this pandemic a friend at work gave me some sourdough starter which began my journey into sourdough bread, pancakes, pizza crust and sweet rolls.
My kids have given me books, molds and large pots for Christmas and birthdays and they know to go to your website to shop. I have Ricki Carroll’s book and Mary Karlin’s and watch Gavin Webber.
I make mostly cow’s milk cheese, since goat’s milk is very expensive here. I will occasionally buy it as I love chevre and use it for feta.
Out here, you can’t get fresh goat’s milk unless you raise the goats yourself and most stores only sell ultra-pasteurized. I have found one store where I can buy it.
I’ve made Guido’s, butterkase, blue gouda, cheddar, pepper jack, mustard ale, horseradish cheddar and lots of mozzarella, ricotta and feta to name a few.
I bought a wine cooler to age my cheese and quickly outgrew it and had to buy another!
Mostly I vacuum pack my cheese but I have also waxed and I am going to try a natural rind cheddar soon.
My son made a simple press for me after my weights toppled to the floor in the middle of the night.
I usually use 2 gallons of milk per cheese, but I have used 3 on occasion. I would really love to do a 6 gallon cheese but I don’t have a pot big enough. Yet.
I usually buy my milk from Sprouts to get a cream-top type but have used milk from Safeway. I would like to try raw milk also, but it’s hard to find.
My Goals:
My cheesemaking goals this year are to try some of the more advanced cheeses like swiss and blue, provolone and asiago. I made my first swiss last weekend.
I would also like to try my hand at smoking cheese.
One mozzarella class has turned into a hobby and passion! A friend mentioned to me that she knew a lot of people who took up crocheting and quilting during the pandemic but I was the only one she knew of who makes cheese.
Kim Mack says
Vickie – Hi! I am in Sacramento and do I have good news for you. There is a raw milk source out of Modesto and they sell cow, A2, sheep and goat milk! I run a business called Scratch Made Life and the majority of our classes are in cheesemaking. We have partnered with Valley Milk Simply Bottled for our cheesemaking classes. If you are interested in where and when you can get the milk let me know.
Victoria Jasinsky says
I’m really excited to hear that! Yes, I am interested.
Hello from your next door neighbor in Vacaville! Your cheeses are inspiring. I’m just starting down the cheese making path. Wanted to give it a shot before jumping into the idea of raising a couple of Nigerian Dwarf goats for our dairy needs. Thanks for the tip about a wine cooler as your cheese cave and getting cream top milk from Sprouts.
I’m so excited to hear from a neighbor! I don’t have the space for goats but if I did I would sure have a couple. Good luck and I would love to hear from you about your adventures in cheesemaking.
So fun to read about you there in Dixon! I am in Chico and my niece is soon to relocate to y our town, so I will visit there this year almost for sure. Disappointed that “Lamb Town” fiber arts events were cancelled last year and hope to go in 2021.
As a cheese maker, you MUST add some ewe’s milk to your experience — if you do, you won’t regret it… cheers!
That’s a fabulous idea! Maybe I’ll make a contact at the next Lamb Town event. I too, missed it.
If you think of it, send me an email when Lamb Town events are firming up and we can meet there… my 20-plus years of small-scale commercial cheese making may be over now, but I still love to TALK THE TALK even though I no longer walk the walk !
I absolutely will do that!
Thanks for sharing your story! I love all the cheeses you made! Love your new kitchen, too!
Can you fit full sheet pans in the new ovens? We are trying find oven that will replace our 85 year old ones but they have to be full sheet size and not commercial ovens.
What kind of ovens are they?
I love Asiago cheese and I have had good success making it. It’s not too hard to make.
I’ve also learned not to be afraid of making “blue” cheese!
Hi Sister Mary Catharine,
My ovens can fit full sheet pans. The double ovens are electric, not gas like my previous oven, however, there isn’t any difference in results at all. They are made by Frigidaire.
Your son did a wonderful job on the cheese press. I am going to try and copy it
Hello there, I am new at beginning cheeses. What is the difference between using a wine fridge or a small freezer ( changed over) for the cheese caves?
Wine fridges are made to keep wine at a closer temperature to a cave. Or, you can use a fridge or freezer with a refrigerator thermostat.
Hi Vickie, A truly great blog. How about a shared cheese cave? Could you try tillame? A cheese to love but impossible to get. Congratulations 🎉
I am impressed by the Manchego! That is a beautiful cheese you made! You mentioned being limited by the size of your pots, I have found that a five gallon bucket works quite well for a large batch of cheddar or swiss. I regularly make a 5-6 gallon bucket cheddar and since they only require low temp I heat it with a water bath in the sink. Just an idea!
That’s a great idea! I’m going to try it.
Great idea! I am going to look into that.
Hi Vicky, GREAT kitchen!. Would like to ask you about vacuum sealing. At which point, specifically, can you vacuum pack the cheese?
Hi Patti,
After pressing and brining (if required) it usually requires 2-3 days of drying at room temperature. After that it can be vac packed or waxed.
Let me just recommend buying the powder if you use horseradish!
Vickie, you have a wonderful gift in your cheese making, and you are blessing those around you with your expertise! Your flavoring your cheeses is inspiring! And pomegranate juice! I would like some to work with in my kitchen!
Keep up the good work, and many blessings upon you!
Wonderful story! I love your use of different herbs and additives. I am also trying to discover new additives to enhance the flavors of cheeses.
Let me just recommend buying the powder if you use horseradish!