The Art of Natural Cheesemaking

A philosophy-driven approach to cheese making that rejects industrial shortcuts in favor of traditional methods. David Asher teaches you to cultivate your own cultures, make your own rennet, and work with raw milk to produce cheeses with genuine terroir.

Why Start Here

Asher’s first book is the better entry point because it covers the full scope of his approach to natural cheesemaking. He begins with the foundations: what milk really is, how cultures work, why commercial rennet differs from traditional rennet, and how to set up a simple aging environment. These opening chapters are some of the best writing available on the science and philosophy of cheese.

The 30-plus recipes cover a wide range: fresh cheeses like paneer and chevre, brined cheeses like feta, stretched-curd cheeses like mozzarella, washed-rind varieties, alpine styles, blues, and gouda. Each recipe explains the underlying biology in accessible language. You learn not just what to do but what the bacteria and enzymes are actually doing inside the cheese.

The book asks more of you than a typical beginner guide. You will need to source raw milk, cultivate kefir grains for your starter culture, and possibly prepare your own rennet. But the payoff is cheese with a depth of flavor that store-bought cultures simply cannot produce.

What to Expect

A 320-page book with color photographs throughout. The opening sections on milk, cultures, and rennet are essential reading before you attempt any recipe. Asher writes with the conviction of someone who has built his entire life around traditional food production. The foreword is by Sandor Ellix Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation, which signals the book’s place in the broader world of traditional food crafts. Expect to invest more time and thought per cheese, but also expect more distinctive results.