Learning how to make cheese? Awesome. Being in Hawaii? Awesome. Doing both together? Amazing! Writer Lisa Truesdale tells us how the two came together. Then, try your hand at cheese making wherever you may be with the recipe we share, below.

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Hungry for more? Hear our podcast about a man who became a cheesemaker at mid-life.

Cheese Making in Paradise

There are two things Kate Johnson really loves: cheese and Hawaii. Recently, the Colorado-based goat farmer and cheesemaking instructor found a way to combine both—she temporarily moved her in-person classes to the Big Island, where she organized 6-day cheesemaking retreats in Kona and Hilo.

I was fortunate to be able to attend Kate’s retreat in Hilo at the end of February. When I landed late at night, the rain was pouring down. “I hope you like rain,” laughed my Uber driver. “This is the rainy side of the island.” He whisked me off to meet Kate at our accommodations, the historic Thomas Guard House. This gorgeous, spacious Neoclassical home, on the National Register of Historic Places, would be my home (with eight others) for the next week.

I drifted off to sleep that night to an orchestra croaking outside my window: “Co-KEE! Co-KEE! Co-KEE!” I learned the next morning that it was coqui frogs, whose name sounds exactly like the noise they make. As I peeked out the shades, I discovered an amazing sight that wasn’t visible in the darkness the previous night—the lushest, greenest yard I had ever seen, with a river rushing past below the brick wall. Why yes, I do like rain, since that was clearly the reason for the stunning landscape.

Instructor and cheesemaker, Kate Johnson, in the kitchen during the cheesemaking classes in Hawaii.

After a breakfast of local fruit, fresh-baked bread, and famous Kona coffee, Kate and I wandered into town to explore the Farmers’ Market in Hilo’s historic downtown. It’s open every day but includes additional vendors on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Since we were shopping for the entire group for the whole week, we loaded up on all the produce we could carry before heading to the grocery store for more essentials. Back at the house, we prepared for the other guests to arrive (from all over the US) and set up the lanai for the welcoming reception featuring wine and—what else?—cheese. Kate had saved some homemade cheeses from her retreat in Kona the previous week and had also purchased some local varieties. It was nice getting to know my fellow attendees while also sampling cheeses just like the ones we were about to learn how to make. Kate also explained that we would be having three full days of classes, with a day off between each to explore the beautiful island.

Richardson Beach in Hawaii.

Hungry for more? Get the recipe for homemade goat cheese (chevre).

Three Days of Cheesemaking: Learning the fascinating differences and techniques

Day 1: Beginner Cheese
On the first day, before we could even think about making cheese, we had to learn the basics, like the ingredients and equipment we would need. Most cheese making recipes list just four ingredients—milk, culture, rennet, and salt. That means that just about every type of cheese you can think of basically starts the same way, but the “magic” happens when you alter the amounts of the ingredients you use, the times and temperatures (for heating, for cooling, for resting, and for aging), and the techniques.

Then we started on some Beginner cheeses. These are the ones that are fairly quick and easy to make; some are even ready to eat within a few hours or the next day. Thanks to Kate, we were even able to eat some cheese immediately. That’s because she had prepared the different stages of the process ahead of time. So when we got to the part in the Chevre (goat cheese) recipe that said we had to let something sit for 12-20 hours, that didn’t apply to us; beautifully formed curds magically appeared before us. Besides goat cheese, we also made Quark, Yogurt, three types of Feta, Mozzarella, and Burrata.

Pressing liquid out of cheese curds in a colander is part of the cheesemaking process for some cheese varieties.

Day 2: Intermediate Cheese
The second day of classes was devoted to Intermediate cheeses—these take just a bit more skill, and a bit more time. Intermediate cheeses include pressed and aged cheeses; washed-curd cheeses like Colby, Gouda, and Havarti; surface-ripened cheeses like Brie, Camembert, and Saint Maure; and Spanish cheeses like Manchego, Hispanico, and Iberico.

If you’ve tried these last three and always wondered why they taste so similar, I’ll tell you: They all use the same recipe, and the only difference is which milk you use. Manchego is made with sheep’s milk, Hispanico is made with cow’s milk, and Iberico is made with a blend of sheep, goat, and cow’s milk. Which brings up another important point that Kate discussed with us—all milk will make cheese, and all cheeses could really be made with any milk. However, there are differences in milk that can change the taste and texture of the cheese, including the animal it’s from, whether it’s raw or pasteurized, and whether it’s farm-fresh or from the grocery store.

For some types of cheese, curds must be stirred as they form.

Hungry for more? Cheese goes great with pie like the ones at this shop.

Day 3: Advanced Cheese
On the third day of classes, we learned about Advanced cheeses. These are cheeses that require several hours of hands-on work, advanced techniques like pressing, and months or years of aging. Again, Kate had prepared some of the steps ahead of time, so we got to try our hand at Cheddars; Alpine cheeses like Jarlsberg and Gruyere; Blue-Veined Cheeses (Gorgonzola and Castle Blue); and Washed-Rind cheese (Taleggio). We even waxed a wheel of Colby and, after a few layers of wax were in place, we pressed on some colorful Hawaiian flower petals before coating with a final layer of wax.

Kate developed an in-house certification program for her cheesemaking classes—after three classes, you earn the Bronze level; after six, Silver; and after nine, Gold. Our three full days of classes equaled nine of her regular in-person classes (held in Longmont, Colorado and the Denver/Boulder area), so we all got Bronze, Silver, and Gold certificates.

Marinated feta cheese, top and an herbed goat cheese (chevre) log, below.

Hungry for more? Explore the restaurant scene in nearby Kauai.

And… Three Days of Exploring

We worked hard for our certificates, but our retreat wasn’t all work; we all made the most of our three days off. On one of the days, most of the group drove over to the Kona side of the island for a ukulele lesson, then staged a “mini concert” on the lanai that evening after dinner. A few toured the Honomu Goat Dairy (where much of our fresh milk came from during the retreat), followed by the Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve & Garden and the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center. I think my favorite non-cheese activity, though, was our beach walk at Richardson Ocean Park, where we spotted majestic sea turtles sunbathing on the rocks and swimming in the tide pools.

A sea turtle on the rocks, on the beach.

When I first signed up for this retreat, I already knew that I love Hawaii and I love cheese, just like Kate. But what I didn’t know then was how easy it is to learn how to make homemade cheese. It always seemed intimidating to me: Cheese? In my own kitchen? But it’s true, you can make cheese at home… especially when you have an amazing cheesemaking instructor like Kate.

In-person classes in the Longmont area will resume when it’s safe to do so. But even if you don’t live in Colorado, or can’t make it to in-person classes, Kate now offers online, virtual, and DVD classes through her cheesemaking school, The Art of Cheese. She also graciously shared one of her recipes with us that you can try at home. Stay tuned for that!

You’ll find more recipes in Kate’s newest book, Tiny Goat, Big Cheese, an engaging memoir featuring instructions for several varieties of cheese.

— Story and photos by Lisa Truesdale

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