Post by mrskk on Jan 10, 2009 5:57:46 GMT -5
I made Velveeta, Cottage Cheese, Ricotta, and a pressed cheese from this recipe. If I'd needed it, I could have ladled off some of the curd before cooking, drained it, and had a cream cheese-type product, too.
Clabber Cheese
5 gallons whole milk
2 cups clabber*
Warm milk to 85-90*. Whisk clabber until as smooth as possible, then stir into milk with an up and down motion until well blended in. Cover pot with lid, then with a warm towel. Allow to sit until clean break occurs. With house temps around 60-63*, it too approximately 12-14 hours.
Cut curd into 1 inch pieces and warm over medium low heat.
Velveeta: When curd starts to shrink, remove 1 1/2 gallons of whey and curds, drain and set aside for Velveeta recipe, per Farmwoman. Return whey to pot with rest of curds.
Continue to cook curds and whey over med-low heat until curds are about the consistency of scrambled eggs, frim but not completely shrunk. Drain whey from curds, setting aside whey for making ricotta. Put curds in a pot that can be fit inside another - fill the larger pot with hot water approximately 125*. Put lid on curd pot and cover all with warm towel. Allow to set for about 2 hours.
Cottage cheese: curd can be removed at this point and drained for dry cottage cheese. Chill. Add salt and cream, if desired, for serving.
Hard cheese: Turn stove to med-high heat under double-boiler pot. Stir curds frequently until they are hot - do not allow to melt. When hot, stir in about 1 tablespoon salt. Pack curd into cloth-lined mold and press at 15 pounds for 2 hours. Remove from mold, turn and re-dress. Press for another 10-12 hours at 15 pounds. Remove from mold and place on cheese mat. Turn twice per day until surface remains dry, then wax. Age as desired.
*Clabber: I keep a clabber "pot" going at all times. Using 2 containers (holding 2-3 gallons), I use clabber from the previous batch to innoculate a new batch, having washed out the container in between batches. This clabber makes good food for pigs and chickens and is great starter culture for cheeses. It can be drained and used for cream cheese or a sour cream type product, as well.
Clabber Cheese
5 gallons whole milk
2 cups clabber*
Warm milk to 85-90*. Whisk clabber until as smooth as possible, then stir into milk with an up and down motion until well blended in. Cover pot with lid, then with a warm towel. Allow to sit until clean break occurs. With house temps around 60-63*, it too approximately 12-14 hours.
Cut curd into 1 inch pieces and warm over medium low heat.
Velveeta: When curd starts to shrink, remove 1 1/2 gallons of whey and curds, drain and set aside for Velveeta recipe, per Farmwoman. Return whey to pot with rest of curds.
Continue to cook curds and whey over med-low heat until curds are about the consistency of scrambled eggs, frim but not completely shrunk. Drain whey from curds, setting aside whey for making ricotta. Put curds in a pot that can be fit inside another - fill the larger pot with hot water approximately 125*. Put lid on curd pot and cover all with warm towel. Allow to set for about 2 hours.
Cottage cheese: curd can be removed at this point and drained for dry cottage cheese. Chill. Add salt and cream, if desired, for serving.
Hard cheese: Turn stove to med-high heat under double-boiler pot. Stir curds frequently until they are hot - do not allow to melt. When hot, stir in about 1 tablespoon salt. Pack curd into cloth-lined mold and press at 15 pounds for 2 hours. Remove from mold, turn and re-dress. Press for another 10-12 hours at 15 pounds. Remove from mold and place on cheese mat. Turn twice per day until surface remains dry, then wax. Age as desired.
*Clabber: I keep a clabber "pot" going at all times. Using 2 containers (holding 2-3 gallons), I use clabber from the previous batch to innoculate a new batch, having washed out the container in between batches. This clabber makes good food for pigs and chickens and is great starter culture for cheeses. It can be drained and used for cream cheese or a sour cream type product, as well.
