Log In / Sign Up
HOME > Chowhound > Quebec (inc. Montreal) >
eoj Aug 27, 2007 07:09 PM

Cheese-making supplies

Does anyone know of a supplier in Montreal for rennet and the bacterial culture needed for making cheese? I'm not looking to buy in bulk, just enough to make a batch at home.

  1. s
    Steffiekiwi Feb 10, 2013 12:43 PM

    I found rennet at fromagerie Hamel at the Atwater market. Ask for Présure (french translation of rennet). It was $9.95 for 50ml bottle. They also had it in powder form at fromagerie Atwater, it was $3.99 for a tiny packet. I am making mozzarella and burrata so I needed citric acid, which I found at the drug store. I had to ask for it at the prescription counter.

    1 Reply
    1. re: Steffiekiwi
      hala Feb 10, 2013 08:10 PM

      Vrac du Marche (Atwater) has citric acid. Other places should also have it.

    2. s
      skinner Aug 29, 2007 05:10 PM

      I got rennet at Hamel, at Jean Talon market. It worked well. Cheese cloth was surprisingly hard to find, I ended up getting it at Provigo.

      My cheese was ok--I think one of the keys is to find good whole milk. Why go through all the trouble if your source is pasteurized and kind of de-flavoured? The milk I used was d'Antan which was the best I could find.

      I made a mistake though: after cutting the curd, I dumped the whole thing into a tub. All the beatiful little curds kind of got mashed. Made it a pain to pass through the cloth since there were now so many fine bits. In the end the cheese was tasty, but I'm waiting to find whole milk before I do it again. (btw, I followed this guy too: http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/...)

      1 Reply
      1. re: skinner
        m
        maisonbistro Aug 29, 2007 07:17 PM

        Cheese cloth is readily available at any dollar store - or at least any dollar store I have been to in the NDG area.

      2. d
        davebough Aug 29, 2007 02:10 PM

        Here's a link to recipes that use cultured buttermilk or yogurt and Junket rennet instead of the more exotic cultures you get from a cheesemaking place. All should be available in most supermarkets.
        dave
        http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/...

        1. p
          pigtowner Aug 29, 2007 01:47 PM

          I just started cheese-making and ordered a small kit from http://www.cheesemaking.com/
          It looks like they have everything you'd need in small batch quantities.

          1. p
            Paphos.SK Aug 27, 2007 10:53 PM

            Try the food co-ops or health/organic food stores for the rennet.
            If that doesn't help, did you look in a supermarket? The rennet is often sold in the aisle where "Junket" powder is sold.

            Below this is an LJ link to bulk food co-ops that also might lead you to a place that you could call for info, at least!
            http://community.livejournal.com/mont...

            The bacterial cultures sold in shops usually are Lactobacillus and are for making yoghurt. I have never seen anything for cheese, per se.

            Share with your friendsX