It started with a 30-minute mozzarella-making kit that Orange resident
Heather Stoltzfus bought in 2005 to tackle at home. Now, she’s winning awards for her cheeses and is teaching the classes herself.
“I don’t really want to sell cheese, I want to teach it,” Stoltzfus says. “That’s the part I enjoy. Just sharing it with others.”
You might have seen her “Mozzarella in Under an Hour” classes at Whole Foods stores or if you’re a member of Slow Food Orange County. Stoltzfus also works private parties. So why mozzarella? “Most cheeses have to age. But with fresh mozzarella, it’s like instant gratification,” she says. For mozzarella, you heat the milk, add in a starter to separate the curds from the whey, and later, you pull the cheese apart like taffy. “All cheese starts with pretty much the same technique,” Stoltzfus says. “It’s how you treat the curds is the main difference between them.”
Currently, she’s experimenting with goat’s milk cheeses – although certain types of goat milk have been difficult to find. “Sometimes I’ll find someone who has goats and who’s selling milk on Craigslist,” Stoltzfus says. Craiglist for goat milk? Now we’ve heard everything. For more info on Stoltzfus’ cheese making classes, visit www.occheesemaker.com