{"id":162,"date":"2026-01-29T09:45:38","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T07:45:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/real-life-math\/?p=162"},"modified":"2026-01-29T09:45:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T07:45:39","slug":"everyday-mathematics-in-the-food-lab-for-home-economics-student-teachers-cheese-making-task","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/real-life-math\/2026\/01\/29\/everyday-mathematics-in-the-food-lab-for-home-economics-student-teachers-cheese-making-task\/","title":{"rendered":"Everyday Mathematics in the Food Lab for Home Economics Student Teachers \u2013 Cheese\u2011making Task"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This project is part of the Real Life Math project<\/strong>. The aim of my project is to increase the visibility of everyday mathematics as part of home economics teacher education<\/strong>, to develop existing mathematical tasks, and to inspire student teachers to integrate mathematics into their teaching \u2013 potentially in collaboration with mathematics teachers. \u00a0In this blog post, I will introduce the everyday mathematics that emerges in the preparation of home-made cheese.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheese making requires numeracy and basic arithmetic skills<\/strong> to measure ingredients and temperatures correctly, interpret pH values accurately, and perform basic calculations. A practical example of measurement skills is halving an egg. Half an egg is obtained by cracking an egg into a glass and whisking it until the texture is uniform. From this mixture of white and yolk, half is used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheese making involves measuring the milk temperature several times in the cheese vat. It is important to know how to measure the temperature correctly so that the thermometer is not placed on the bottom of the vat but in the middle. In addition, the milk must be stirred during heating to even out temperature differences and to prevent the milk from forming a skin or boiling over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pH value of the milk is measured cold before heating and before adding the rennet mixture (buttermilk + egg). Temperature also affects the pH value. The pH is measured a second time after adding the rennet and after the curd has separated, once the curd has cooled slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a calculation and problem solving task<\/strong>, the students were asked to determine how to calculate the total fat content of the homemade cheese. This required the teacher\u2019s assistance. The cheese was made using 5 dl of whole milk and 2 \u00bd dl of fat\u2011free buttermilk. Whole milk contains 3.5 g of fat per 100 grams. The fat content of the prepared cheese is obtained by multiplying 3.5 g by five, resulting in 17.5 g.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attached is the recipe for the homemade cheese we prepared in class with step\u2011by\u2011step photos. I recommend trying cheese making yourself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buttermilk Cheese<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n