Whether you are making cheese or custard from scratch then rennet is one of the essential ingredients that you will need. This is because it will help your milk to coagulate and make the process easier. Below is a store guide on where to find rennet in grocery store, carefully follow it if you intend on buying rennet. For convenience purposes, the store guide also contains a list of stores that usually sell rennet so you can always buy from there.
Contents
What is rennet?
Rennet is a substance that is commonly used in cheese making, it helps to break the solid particles in milk away from the water content so as to form a solid mass. Rennet comes from an organic substance that contains an enzyme known as renin which is extracted from the stomachs of goats, calves and lambs. This means that the majority of rennet sold in grocery stores is not vegetarian. However, it is possible to find rennet which is vegetarian and it is derived from plants or microbes. If you are buying rennet in grocery store and you want the vegan friendly version, you should always check the label to see if it is clearly labelled vegetarian or vegan friendly, this is because the majority of rennet sold in grocery stores contains animal products in it. Rennet is sold either as tablets or as a liquid.
Which section or aisle to find rennet in grocery store
Rennet can be found at the baking section in grocery store. It will be placed close to the pudding making supplies in this section so you need to look closely.
If you do not find rennet in the above stated area then the next place where you can find rennet in grocery store is at the healthy or natural foods section.
What grocery stores sell rennet?
Amazon– on Amazon you can find different varieties and brands of rennet which you can choose from. The advantage of buying on Amazon is that it is an online store so you can easily purchase everything from the comfort of your house.
Walmart– at Walmart you can find rennet. They usually have the vegetarian rennet tablets, liquid animal rennet as well as the Junket rennet tablets. You can always check their website to see what is exactly available in store before physically going there.
Kroger– you can find Junket rennet at Kroger. They also have an online store which you can use to order rennet at home.
Whole foods market– there is a chance that you will find rennet at Whole foods market and in most cases they will have the vegetarian rennet which does not contain any animal products.
Safeway– if there is a Safeway store in your area then you can always buy the Junket rennet tablets which can be found at the baking section.
Thrive market– you can find rennet at Thrive market, they usually have it in store.
King Soopers– rennet can be found at King Soopers so you can always buy from there.
H-E-B– rennet can be found at H-E-B and they usually have the Junket brand which can also be used for cheese making.
Albertsons– rennet can be found at Albertsons and they usually have the Junket rennet tablets.
Ralphs– at Ralphs you can find rennet, they usually have the Junket rennet tablets.
Fred Meyer-you can find rennet at Fred Meyer so you can always opt to buy from there.
Vons– you can find rennet at Vons and they usually have the Junket brand.
Healthy food store– there is a chance that you will find rennet at a healthy food store. This is because rennet is regarded as healthy.
How to use rennet
Use rennet when making cheese
Rennet is often used when making cheese this is because it helps the milk to separate or to form cheese curds. You can use rennet when making different types of cheese for example mozzarella or cheddar cheese.
Use rennet when making custard
Custard can also be made using rennet. This is because rennet is an enzyme which helps milk to curdle so if you mix warm milk with rennet, the milk will curdle and form a custard like dessert which you can be mixed with other ingredients and eaten.
How to store rennet
Liquid rennet should be stored in the refrigerator and it will last for up to a year. When storing liquid rennet in the refrigerator you need to ensure that the bottle is tightly sealed so as to prevent bacteria from getting inside. If you have rennet tablets then you can always store them in the freezer, they will last for up to 3 years but, you just need to ensure that they are in an air tight container.
Why rennet is used for making cheese
Rennet is used for making cheese because it helps the milk to separate and form curd which is then used in the cheese making process. If there is no type of rennet used when making cheese, the milk will not coagulate to form cheese. When using rennet to make cheese, the amount of rennet you will add to milk is highly dependent on the type of cheese you are making for example, if you are making soft cheeses like mozzarella you will need less rennet as compared to when you are making hard cheeses like cheddar.
What does rennet taste like?
Rennet is never consumed raw, it is usually mixed with other ingredients when making cheese or custard. Therefore it is hard to tell the exact taste of rennet. However, it is safe to say that plant based rennet and animal based rennet taste the same considering the fact that you cannot tell any difference between cheese that is made using animal rennet or vegetarian rennet.
Conclusion
Rennet is an essential ingredient when it comes to cheese making. It is important to know that most of the stores indicated in this article have online shopping platforms. This means that you can now buy rennet from the comfort of your house.
