Which Cheeses Require Rennet, and Which Do Not?

Admin/ March 25, 2023/ Cheese/ 2 comments

Which cheeses require rennet, and which don’t? There are plenty of cheeses out there that need rennet in order to be made, but also a handful that don’t. If you are starting out your cheesemaking, and want to get an idea of what’s what, you’re in the right place.  

Here, we will go through everything you need to know about which popular cheeses need rennet in order to be made, and which ones do not. You might be surprised by which ones use other ingredients when being made, so stick around and find out. 

Which Cheeses Require Rennet, and Which Do Not?

It will be useful to know which cheeses are going to need rennet, whether it’s vegetarian or non-vegetarian rennet. Chances are, if you want to make a cheese that doesn’t need rennet, you already have everything you need sitting around the house! So, these cheeses could be a great introduction to the world of cheesemaking.

Cheeses are usually categorised into two types: rennet or acid coagulated. The acids that are often used to make some kinds of cheeses include things like vinegar or lemon juice. Rennet coagulated cheeses can be made with two different kinds of rennet: animal or plant-based. 

Products made with the animal-based rennet are not vegetarian-friendly, but the plant based ones are. In most cases, cheeses that are expected to have a longer shelf life will be made with animal-based rennet. This is just useful to know in case you were wondering! 

The Cheeses That Require Rennet

Unfortunately, a lot of our favourite cheeses do use rennet in some capacity (whether that’s plant or animal based). So, if you were hoping to make any of these cheeses without getting out there and buying some rennet, we have bad news for you.  

Cheeses that are made using animal-based rennet

• Mimolette
• Parmesan cheese
• Pecorino Romano
• Gruyère
• Parmigiano Reggiano
• Vacherin
• Gorgonzola
• Emmenthaler
• Grana Padano
• Boucheron
• Camembert
• Manchego
  

Plant-based rennet is used to make these cheeses:

• Provolone
• Mozzarella
• Swiss
• Cottage Cheese
• Colby
• Cream Cheese
• Cheddar
• Feta
• Monterey Jack
• Ricotta Cheese
  

The Cheeses That Do Not Require Rennet

Luckily, however, there are a number of soft cheeses that can be made without rennet! You might notice in some cases that a handful of cheeses, like ricotta, cream cheese, and cottage cheese, can be made with or without rennet. 

Traditionally, these cheeses have been made without rennet, but it is possible to go with ways. So, if you really wanted to experiment with rennet vs non-rennet cheeses, these might be some good options to do some side-by-side tests with. 

Here are some popular cheeses that do not require rennet:

• Byaslag
• Chhena
• Ayib
• Paneer
• Ricotta Cheese
• Cottage Cheese
• Cream cheese
• Queso Blanco
• Mozzarella
  

What Can be Used Instead of Rennet?

As we mentioned before, you can use lemon juice, vinegar and a host of other acids to make rennet-free cheese. Let’s take a quick look at the options you can use to make acid coagulated cheeses below. 

There is usually no set option to go with when you are making acid coagulated cheeses. You can typically use any kind of acid that works, so don’t feel like you need to only use lemon juice if a recipe calls for it. It will be absolutely fine to use vinegar or citric acid as a substitute – it does the same thing!

Lemon Juice

You can use either fresh or bottled lemon juice to get the job done. Of course, when it comes to used lemon juice, it is important that there are no seeds or bits in the juice. Other than that, all you really need to do is throw it in and let it do its thing. 

Vinegar

White distilled vinegar is the recommended option for this. Vinegar will do the exact same thing that lemon juice or other citric acids will do – make the curds and whey separate. 

Citric Acid

Citric acid, as the name suggests, some from various citrus fruits. This is a popular voice for cheesemaking since it is usually easy to come by and is affordable. Just make sure you are using food grade citric acid in your cheesemaking endeavours!

Final Thoughts

There are lots of fantastic cheeses out there. Some always need rennet to be made, while others do not. In some cases, you can make cheeses (like cream cheese, ricotta, and even mozzarella) with or without rennet. It might take some experimenting, but it can be done! 

So, if you wanted to make some cheese in the comfort of your own home, and be that little bit more self-sufficient, why not try it out? Rennet, no rennet, just pick your favourite cheese and try. 

Soft cheeses like ricotta will be the easiest, but mozzarella is also simple and fun (not to mention, everyone loves it). 

Now, get out there and get some cheese on the go! Don’t forget to keep the whey, because that has lots of great uses, too.