Cheesemaking 101: The Easy Cheeses, Chevre and Ricotta

Sweetwater Organic Community Farm is hosting a cheesemaking class on Sunday, November 22, from 1 PM to 3 PM. It's called Cheesemaking 101: The Easy Cheeses, Chevre and Ricotta, and it's led by home cheesemaker Dan Durica, who'll walk you through the basics and show you how to make chevre and ricotta using store-bought cow's milk.

Chevre—the French word for goat—is one of the simplest cheeses to make, and ricotta is traditionally made from the whey byproduct that comes off during the cheesemaking process. Since you're working with store-bought milk, you don't need to have a dairy operation of your own to get started. It's a hands-on session, so you'll be doing the work rather than just watching.

Durica comes to the class with a fair amount of experience behind him. He lives at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Missouri, where he grows many of his own ingredients and has access to fresh raw goat and cow milk produced in the village. He's been making his own cheeses for over 18 years and has taught numerous classes on food, drink, and gardening, and you can find his work on the Hardcore Sustainable YouTube channel.

The workshop is part of Sweetwater's broader program of practical sessions, which range from growing food in fabric grow bags to making home remedies like Fire Cider and Elderberry Syrup. The farm bills itself as Florida's oldest organic community farm, and it runs a CSA, a Sunday farmers market, a cafe, a campground, field trips, and volunteer opportunities. The class runs from 1 PM to 3 PM on Sunday, November 22, at 6942 West Comanche Ave., Tampa, Florida 33634.