Cultures are an important part of the cheese making process.
Cultures for cheese making are called ‘starter cultures’ and are used to acidify your milk during the cheese making process before you add rennet.
Depending upon the recipe you might use a “Mesophilic”, “Thermophilic”, or a
blend of both types.
They are comprised of specific strains of bacteria that break down lactose and produce lactic acid, and the type of culture is dependent upon the type of cheese you’ll be making and the recipe you are using that will provide the temperature for the milk during the cheese making process.
We offer a wide variety of cultures from different manufacturers, including
Danisco® , theMilkMan®, LyoPro® , Biena® and CHR-Hansen® .
There are also 'ripening' cultures, molds, and adjunct cultures which can contribute to forming a white rind on cheese, (think Brie), adding distinct characteristics such as with Blue Cheese or in forming 'eyeholes' such as with Swiss and Jarlsberg cheeses.
If you are not sure which cultures you should consider feel free to call or email us for direction or recommendations.
NOTE: if you are looking for cultures that are vegan / vegetarian for Plant Based Cheese Making there is a tab for Plant Based Cheese Making featuring Vegan and Lactose/Dairy free cultures by the MinusMilk® brand.
Cultures are Freeze Dried and ship well outside of refrigeration, so you don't have to worry about them during transit or shipping times.
We recommend storing them 'long term' once received in the freezer - this will keep cultures viable for as long as 2 years.