Post by Lannie on Feb 17, 2009 14:33:06 GMT -5
Mary wanted me to post this recipe, so here goes. First off, I should say that it's a conglomeration of several different recipes and methods I read about when I was trying to figure out how to "cheddar" a cheese. I read a bunch of websites for companies that make cheddar en masse, commercially. Obviously, I had to tone it down to accomodate my little two-gallon batches. I'm going to put the actual instructions in bold, and my comments underneath, OK? I thought that would be an easier way to read it.
Warm 2 gallons of whole milk to 70 degrees (F) in a hot water bath.
(I filled my sink with hot tap water and set my cheese pot in it, stirring occasionally and taking its temperature. By the time my milk was 70 degrees, the water was too, so I didn't have to do a water change. Also my milk only has 1.5 to 2 inches of cream on each gallon, so your cow's cream content might vary the finished cheese a bit.)
Whisk together 5 tablespoons yogurt and 5 tablespoons clabber (or cultured buttermilk), add a bit of the warmed milk, whisk until smooth, then pour into the warmed milk and whisk or stir briskly until thoroughly incorporated.
(I didn't use measuring tablespoons, just soupspoons. And I used clabber, not cultured buttermilk. The exact amount of starter isn't critical, you just want something in there to start acidifying the milk.)
Leave the pot of milk in the water bath in the sink for 1 hour. Don't stir.
(I put a lid on my cheese pot to keep the temperature constant and to prevent any "foreign objects" (stray bacteria, cat hairs, etc.) from landing in there.)
Stir 1/2 teaspoon liquid calf rennet into 1/2 cup cool water and add to the warmed milk, stirring thoroughly. Cover and let set for 30 minutes, until a firm curd has formed.
Cut the curd into 1/2" cubes. Let curds rest for 10 minutes after cutting.
(I can NEVER make cubes, much less exactly 1/2"! LOL! Just cut them the best you can, and the smaller the better. You can cut any larger curds you find later.)
Place the cheesepot on the stove at very low heat and gradually, with constant stirring, raise the temperature to 100 degrees.
(Dry off the bottom of your pan first! Stir the curds gently at first, breaking up any larger chunks, then you can stir more forcefully as the curds start to shrink and get stronger. You don't have to stir constantly, either, but the curds will want to mat together, so stir at least every couple of minutes. It should take about 20 minutes, maybe 30, to get to 100 degrees. Keep the heat low so the bottom doesn't scorch.)
Drain the curd.
(I have a large colander that's made of mesh, like a sieve, that I can drain my curds in. If you have a colander with holes, use a cheesecloth or linen dish towel inside so you don't lose curds through the holes.)
"Cheddar" the cheese curds by letting them sit on a flat, tilted surface. Cut the curd mass and stack the pieces on top of each other. This will take about an hour.
(I have a marble slab that I propped up one side of and the whey drained off the slab and into the sink, but a baking sheet or cutting board of some type would also work. Also, because my little batch was so small, I only cut my curd mass in half and stacked one half on top of the other. I don't know if they HAVE to be stacked, but that's what all the websites said, so I did! LOL!)
Now that the curd mass has drained, place in a large bowl and "mill" it into small pieces.
(The big cheese places have a grinder-type thing to mill the cheese, but I just washed my hands and got in there and squished it all into little bits resembling cottage cheese.)
Add 2 tablespoons salt to the curds and mix well.
(I used slightly less than 2 tablespoons, just because it looked like it was going to be too much, and mixed it all in with my hands, like I was mixing up meatloaf.)
Place salted curd in cheesecloth-lined mold and press at 50 pounds for 18 to 24 hours.
(I pressed at *around* 50 pounds - it might even have been more - for about 18 hours. I didn't turn the cheese partway through, although you can do that for better uniformity.)
Remove cheese from mold, unwrap and air dry (in the refrigerator) for 4 days, turning once a day, then wax. Age for 60 to 90 days (or longer for a sharper cheddar).
(I air dry my cheeses on a folded paper towel set right on the fridge shelf. I turn it every day, and replace the damp paper towel with a fresh one at each turning. By 4 days, there should be a nice rind. I then waxed and stored in the fridge. This SHOULD age for at least 60 days, but this particular cheese I made was the one that got poofy, so we unwaxed it after less than 30 days. Even though it was poofy, it tasted fantastic, and neither one of us got sick or died! LOL! Hopefully, if you make this, it won't poof on you. I'm sure I got a contaminant in mine somewhere along the line...)
Happy cheesemaking! ;D
~Lannie
Warm 2 gallons of whole milk to 70 degrees (F) in a hot water bath.
(I filled my sink with hot tap water and set my cheese pot in it, stirring occasionally and taking its temperature. By the time my milk was 70 degrees, the water was too, so I didn't have to do a water change. Also my milk only has 1.5 to 2 inches of cream on each gallon, so your cow's cream content might vary the finished cheese a bit.)
Whisk together 5 tablespoons yogurt and 5 tablespoons clabber (or cultured buttermilk), add a bit of the warmed milk, whisk until smooth, then pour into the warmed milk and whisk or stir briskly until thoroughly incorporated.
(I didn't use measuring tablespoons, just soupspoons. And I used clabber, not cultured buttermilk. The exact amount of starter isn't critical, you just want something in there to start acidifying the milk.)
Leave the pot of milk in the water bath in the sink for 1 hour. Don't stir.
(I put a lid on my cheese pot to keep the temperature constant and to prevent any "foreign objects" (stray bacteria, cat hairs, etc.) from landing in there.)
Stir 1/2 teaspoon liquid calf rennet into 1/2 cup cool water and add to the warmed milk, stirring thoroughly. Cover and let set for 30 minutes, until a firm curd has formed.
Cut the curd into 1/2" cubes. Let curds rest for 10 minutes after cutting.
(I can NEVER make cubes, much less exactly 1/2"! LOL! Just cut them the best you can, and the smaller the better. You can cut any larger curds you find later.)
Place the cheesepot on the stove at very low heat and gradually, with constant stirring, raise the temperature to 100 degrees.
(Dry off the bottom of your pan first! Stir the curds gently at first, breaking up any larger chunks, then you can stir more forcefully as the curds start to shrink and get stronger. You don't have to stir constantly, either, but the curds will want to mat together, so stir at least every couple of minutes. It should take about 20 minutes, maybe 30, to get to 100 degrees. Keep the heat low so the bottom doesn't scorch.)
Drain the curd.
(I have a large colander that's made of mesh, like a sieve, that I can drain my curds in. If you have a colander with holes, use a cheesecloth or linen dish towel inside so you don't lose curds through the holes.)
"Cheddar" the cheese curds by letting them sit on a flat, tilted surface. Cut the curd mass and stack the pieces on top of each other. This will take about an hour.
(I have a marble slab that I propped up one side of and the whey drained off the slab and into the sink, but a baking sheet or cutting board of some type would also work. Also, because my little batch was so small, I only cut my curd mass in half and stacked one half on top of the other. I don't know if they HAVE to be stacked, but that's what all the websites said, so I did! LOL!)
Now that the curd mass has drained, place in a large bowl and "mill" it into small pieces.
(The big cheese places have a grinder-type thing to mill the cheese, but I just washed my hands and got in there and squished it all into little bits resembling cottage cheese.)
Add 2 tablespoons salt to the curds and mix well.
(I used slightly less than 2 tablespoons, just because it looked like it was going to be too much, and mixed it all in with my hands, like I was mixing up meatloaf.)
Place salted curd in cheesecloth-lined mold and press at 50 pounds for 18 to 24 hours.
(I pressed at *around* 50 pounds - it might even have been more - for about 18 hours. I didn't turn the cheese partway through, although you can do that for better uniformity.)
Remove cheese from mold, unwrap and air dry (in the refrigerator) for 4 days, turning once a day, then wax. Age for 60 to 90 days (or longer for a sharper cheddar).
(I air dry my cheeses on a folded paper towel set right on the fridge shelf. I turn it every day, and replace the damp paper towel with a fresh one at each turning. By 4 days, there should be a nice rind. I then waxed and stored in the fridge. This SHOULD age for at least 60 days, but this particular cheese I made was the one that got poofy, so we unwaxed it after less than 30 days. Even though it was poofy, it tasted fantastic, and neither one of us got sick or died! LOL! Hopefully, if you make this, it won't poof on you. I'm sure I got a contaminant in mine somewhere along the line...)
Happy cheesemaking! ;D
~Lannie
so if I can give it a little head start by cheddaring the curds a bit longer, so much the better. ;D I just have to find the TIME! LOL!
