Refill - Rennet Tablets (vegetarian, for dairy-based cheeses) (2024)

FAQs

Are rennet tablets vegetarian? ›

These vegetable rennet tablets contain no animal products, are gluten free and NON-GMO.

Notes: 1/4 tablet will set up to 2 gallons of milk. The recipes in our kits typically call for 1/4 tablet for 1 gallon of milk. Ten tablets will set a minimum of 40 gallons of milk. Crush desired portion of tablet and dissolve in 1/4 cup of cool, non-chlorinated water.

Too much rennet was used or too much butterfat, left your cheese during the process. Rubbery cheese can happen when an excess amount of rennet is used, too much rennet equals a rubber ball, too little, soup!

Many cheeses contain the animal rennet — an enzyme that helps milk separate into curds and whey. That enzyme is typically derived from the stomach of calves killed for veal, so most vegetarians see it as off-limits.

Alternatives to Animal Rennet and How They Are Made

Plant-based options like fig leaves, stinging nettle, and thistle can be easily harvested and used to coagulate milk, while microbial rennet is produced using fermentation techniques to create enzymes that break down milk proteins.

As not all cheese products will be vegetarian-friendly, it's always a good idea to check the ingredients/food label first – if the packaging states that the product contains traditional rennet (plant, thistle or vegetarian rennet is fine), pepsin, animal enzymes (or simply just 'enzymes') it won't be suitable for ...

Rennet has a limited shelf life – liquid rennet lasts for 7-8 months when refrigerated and tablets last for up to 5 years when stored in the freezer (2 years at room temp). If you are unsure how old your rennet is or whether or not it is still effective, you can do the following test: Heat one cup of milk to 90F.

Liquid and paste rennet is the easiest to work with, because it can be measured more precisely. They do have a shorter shelf life than tablet and powdered rennet but are still the top shoice for many cheese makers.

Too little rennet and you won't form curd. Too much rennet an you'll over-set your cheese, giving it an undesired texture. Too little calcium and the curd won't have the right texture – or even form at all. Too much calcium and the texture, hardness, and melting prosperities, can be wrong.

Does rennet expire? ›

Liquid rennet (both animal and vegetable types) should be stored in the refrigerator but should never be frozen. Liquid vegetable rennet has a recommended shelf life of about one year. Dry rennet varieties should also be refrigerated when stored and have a longer shelf life compared to their liquid counterparts.

Distilled White Vinegar – This is used instead of the classic citric acid and rennet ingredients. (4 to 5% acidic) Cheese salt – This is optional, you can also use flaky sea salt or kosher salt. Iodized table salt is not recommended.

Younger, soft cheeses like mozzarella, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta, goat, and provolone often are not made with rennet. However, this isn't an exhaustive list, so be sure to read your labels carefully!.

Most stomach-derived rennet is taken from the fourth stomach of young, unweaned calves. These animals are not killed expressly for their rennet; rather they are killed for meat production (in this case, veal) and the rennet is a byproduct.

Rennet is an enzyme that helps coagulate the milk during the cheesemaking process. Since 2016, we have utilized fermentation-produced rennet that has Kosher and Halal certification and is vegetarian. We believe it closely mimics the flavor and quality profiles of a traditional bovine rennet.

Animal rennet is derived from the stomach of a calf, lamb or goat while their diets are still limited to milk, this is typically 90% pure chymosin. Vegetable rennet is made from a type of mold (Mucur Miehei).

Are the Junket Rennet Tablets Vegetarian? Yes.

The animals involved in producing animal rennet need to be slaughtered before their stomachs can be used to harvest rennet, which obviously makes it not vegetarian. FPC serves as a great alternative that is vegetarian-friendly. Microbial rennet is generally considered both kosher and halal.

Rennet is a natural substance, made up of enzymes (including one called rennin) from the fourth stomach of an unweaned mammal, most commonly cow, sheep, or goat.