We had the chance to work on an Urban Cheesecraft review over the last few weeks and I have to rave to you about it. My kids LOVED IT! We started off with two kits – One was the Deluxe Cheese Kit with instructions and ingredients to make Mozzarella, Ricotta, Goat Cheese and more. The other was the Dairy Free Cheddar, Mozzarella & Ricotta kit. In addition, we also had the One-Hour Cheese book, written by Claudia Lucero, the creator of Urban Cheesecraft.
Let’s get started on the Urban Cheesecraft review of the deluxe kit (pictured below). The kids and I decided we would make goat cheese first. A bit ambitious, but the kids have really started to like goat cheese more than any other cheese we normally buy. They were excited at the chance to make it themselves.
The kids and I laid everything out on the counter and looked through all of the ingredients supplied, as well as the list of needed items. I immediately panicked because although we were excited to make goat cheese, I had NO IDEA where to get goat’s milk! Have no fear though, because there were instructions on where to find goat’s milk locally, and even in a rural place like our small town, it was easy to find.
We rushed off to the grocery store on our weekly trip and picked up all of the groceries for the week, in addition to the goat’s milk. We also decided to add in some fresh herbs into one of the batches, so the kids picked out their favorite (Note, mostly everything is included – except the milk of course, and some herbs if you want to add them). We also got some olives and crackers to add to our cheese plate, when we were all finished. My daughter, who has been watching cooking shows a lot lately, was very excited about “plating” the cheese after we were done.
Once we arrived back home, the kids quickly put the groceries away and started reading the instructions included in the box. We were ready to get this Urban Cheesecraft review done! We laid everything out, including all ingredients and got straight to work.
It took us about 30 minutes, start to finish, and then a few minutes of time to cool the cheese and put it in the refrigerator. We then started on the dairy-free Mozzarella Urban Cheesecraft review.
Two of my kids are lactose intolerant, so I really appreciated the fact that there was a dairy free box we could order so that some of my kids didn’t feel left out. The Mozzarella was a bit harder and more labor intensive than the goat cheese, which surprised myself and the kids. You really have to watch the stove when you’re cooking so it doesn’t overcook. The kids had a blast watching the science behind what they were doing and once we were done making the cheese, my oldest started to look up the science behind why Mozzarella stretches. It was really fascinating.
After getting the consistency right on the Mozzarella, it was time to put it into the cheese mold and let it cool. While the cheese was in the fridge cooling, we did more research on the science behind cheese making and found some fun blogs that teach you more than you’ll ever need to know. Just google!
After about 15 minutes in the fridge, my daughter started the plating of our new creations. The three small pieces of cheese at the top are the goat cheese variations, and the large cheese ball is the Mozzarella (along with a smaller piece that we all took bites of before we plated. You can also see the lovely crackers we bought, as well as the Castelvetrano Olives that my kids love (seriously – they actually eat these green olives. I think it is because they are fairly sweet).
My husband was stunned at how beautiful everything came out – especially on our first try, with 4 kids in the kitchen to boot! It also tasted DELICIOUS and didn’t take much time at all. We are already planning another cheese making day in the near future as Urban Cheesecraft has numerous options to choose from – including a Dairy Free Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Ricotta cheese kit. I’ve heard the Cheddar cheese melts and you can make mac and cheese (and so much more) with it. My kids will LOVE that! In addition to having a blast, I was SO THANKFUL that nearly everything I needed was included in this kit. It was so easy. It was an incredible family bonding experience and something that I anticipate we will be doing multiple times a month. We are so thankful that we were able to write this Urban Cheesecraft review for you so that you can see how amazing this product is.
In addition to all of the fun we had, it was academic. The website offers Fun Facts and Cheese Tasting info, plus we learned all about PH levels, casein and so much more. We are also starting to introduce more baking and cooking into our homeschool lessons because of this.
We didn’t need it – but the company does offer unlimited email support to all their customers – so if you have any problems making their cheese, they’re available to help – that’s nice!
PS. Want to be the star mom at the next birthday party you attend? Get them the Urban Cheesecraft box. My 11 year old daughter got one for her friend’s birthday present and I got a call from the family a few days later telling me how much fun they are having with it. 🙂 Super mom points for the win.
PPS. The company if offering homeschool parents free shipping from now until end of October (2017). Just use discount code HOMESCHOOL.
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Did you like this Urban Cheesecraft review? You can view our other reviews here: https://howtohomeschool.com/curriculum-reviews
- Urban Cheesecraft Review
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