Post by Lannie on Dec 23, 2010 13:41:47 GMT -5
So on another thread someone was referring to the other cheddar method I had posted, and I realized that I don't make cheddar that way anymore (takes too much time), so I thought I'd post the quicker method. This could actually take MORE time than the other method, but this one you don't have to be doing so much with the cheese - you just let it sit while you go about doing other things. So even though it could possibly end up taking all day to make, there's not a lot of actual labor involved in it.
This actually started out as Homestead2's unwashed curd recipe, and might be closer to that now than it was when I started! LOL! Either one is pretty easy, but for the record, this is what I do now and I love the results.
2 gallons of whole milk (or partially skimmed if you have one of those CREAMY Jerseys and aren't calf-sharing
)
Approximately 1/3 cup clabber
Approximately 1/3 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon liquid calf rennet
I put the milk in my cheese pot (a 4 gallon stainless steel stock pot) and set it in the sink, then fill the sink with hot tap water up to the level of the milk or close to it. Let that sit until the water in the sink is cooled and then take the temperature of the milk. When I start with milk right out of the fridge, the first sink bath will warm it to about 70 degrees. It can be 80, it's not that critical, but somewhere around 70-ish. I whisk the starters together in a bowl until smooth, then whisk into the milk. I cover the pot and let it sit for about an hour or so, then I add the rennet (diluted in 1/4 cup cool water) to the milk and whisk it in vigorously. Cover the pot again and let sit for 20 minutes. By then you should have a firm curd.
Then I cut the curd with a curd knife into large curds, then follow that by dipping/dragging a stainless steel balloon whisk through them to break up the large curds into small bits. At this point, I take the cheese pot out of the now-cool water bath, drain the water, then put the pot back in and refill with hot tap water. You might have to do this twice, but eventually you want the temperature to get up to 90 degrees. All these temps are Fahrenheit, by the way. Meanwhile, stir the curds every 10 minutes or whenever you remember to keep them from matting. If you forget to stir for a while, and they mat together, just break them apart again, no big deal. There is NO PRESSURE here! LOL!
Now the only thing you have to do is try to keep the curds and whey at about 90 degrees for a while. 30 minutes is enough, but as I found out accidentally, 3 hours is even better! It doesn't matter if you leave them in for hours as long as the whey stays warm. Warm curds will knit together in the press - cold curds won't, so just change out your hot water bath if the temp starts dropping down below 80 or 85 degrees, and try to keep it in the 90 degree range. A little hotter than that won't hurt it, either. See how easy this is?
Once your curds have "cooked" for a while (keep notes for each batch and write it on the outside of the cheese so when you get one you really like, you'll know how long to cook them), drain them in a colander or through a cheesecloth (save the whey or toss it - up to you), put the curds into a large bowl and break them up with your fingers. Add two level tablespoons of canning salt or plain non-iodized salt and work it through the curds with your fingers, then immediately put the curds into your mold. (Have the mold ready to go before you start draining the curds - you don't want the curds to get cold.)
Once in the press, press at 25 pounds pressure for 30 minutes. Remove the cheese, rewrap (you can use the same cheesecloth) press again (this time the cheese should be upside down from the first pressing - you want the top on the bottom now) at 50 pounds for one hour. Unwrap, rewrap, flip, and press again at 50 pounds pressure for 2 hours, or go ahead and press for 18 to 24 hours. If you do the 2 hour press at this point, then the 18 to 24 hour press after that, you'll get a better formed cheese, maybe, but if you're short on time, just go ahead and leave it for the full press at that point.
This is turning out long because I'm trying to explain something that's hard to explain, but if you've made cheese before, you know what I'm trying to say! LOL!
This makes a very nice firm cheddar, and if you can resist eating it for a few months it will be a very nice SHARP cheddar. However, it's really good even fresh.
If I haven't explained something clearly, let me know.
~Lannie
This actually started out as Homestead2's unwashed curd recipe, and might be closer to that now than it was when I started! LOL! Either one is pretty easy, but for the record, this is what I do now and I love the results.
2 gallons of whole milk (or partially skimmed if you have one of those CREAMY Jerseys and aren't calf-sharing
)Approximately 1/3 cup clabber
Approximately 1/3 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon liquid calf rennet
I put the milk in my cheese pot (a 4 gallon stainless steel stock pot) and set it in the sink, then fill the sink with hot tap water up to the level of the milk or close to it. Let that sit until the water in the sink is cooled and then take the temperature of the milk. When I start with milk right out of the fridge, the first sink bath will warm it to about 70 degrees. It can be 80, it's not that critical, but somewhere around 70-ish. I whisk the starters together in a bowl until smooth, then whisk into the milk. I cover the pot and let it sit for about an hour or so, then I add the rennet (diluted in 1/4 cup cool water) to the milk and whisk it in vigorously. Cover the pot again and let sit for 20 minutes. By then you should have a firm curd.
Then I cut the curd with a curd knife into large curds, then follow that by dipping/dragging a stainless steel balloon whisk through them to break up the large curds into small bits. At this point, I take the cheese pot out of the now-cool water bath, drain the water, then put the pot back in and refill with hot tap water. You might have to do this twice, but eventually you want the temperature to get up to 90 degrees. All these temps are Fahrenheit, by the way. Meanwhile, stir the curds every 10 minutes or whenever you remember
to keep them from matting. If you forget to stir for a while, and they mat together, just break them apart again, no big deal. There is NO PRESSURE here! LOL!Now the only thing you have to do is try to keep the curds and whey at about 90 degrees for a while. 30 minutes is enough, but as I found out accidentally, 3 hours is even better! It doesn't matter if you leave them in for hours as long as the whey stays warm. Warm curds will knit together in the press - cold curds won't, so just change out your hot water bath if the temp starts dropping down below 80 or 85 degrees, and try to keep it in the 90 degree range. A little hotter than that won't hurt it, either. See how easy this is?
Once your curds have "cooked" for a while (keep notes for each batch and write it on the outside of the cheese so when you get one you really like, you'll know how long to cook them), drain them in a colander or through a cheesecloth (save the whey or toss it - up to you), put the curds into a large bowl and break them up with your fingers. Add two level tablespoons of canning salt or plain non-iodized salt and work it through the curds with your fingers, then immediately put the curds into your mold. (Have the mold ready to go before you start draining the curds - you don't want the curds to get cold.)
Once in the press, press at 25 pounds pressure for 30 minutes. Remove the cheese, rewrap (you can use the same cheesecloth) press again (this time the cheese should be upside down from the first pressing - you want the top on the bottom now) at 50 pounds for one hour. Unwrap, rewrap, flip, and press again at 50 pounds pressure for 2 hours, or go ahead and press for 18 to 24 hours. If you do the 2 hour press at this point, then the 18 to 24 hour press after that, you'll get a better formed cheese, maybe, but if you're short on time, just go ahead and leave it for the full press at that point.
This is turning out long because I'm trying to explain something that's hard to explain, but if you've made cheese before, you know what I'm trying to say! LOL!
This makes a very nice firm cheddar, and if you can resist eating it for a few months it will be a very nice SHARP cheddar. However, it's really good even fresh.
If I haven't explained something clearly, let me know.
~Lannie
***Edit: I just re-read this to make sure it's still how I make cheese, and it is. I'm not that particular about the temps during the whole process, but I've never had any problems with curd not setting unless there was a problem with high SCC in the milk. I guess every cow's milk is different, so this won't be "easy cheddar" for everyone. Technically, it's not "cheddar" at all, but it tastes like it.
I guess to be on the safe side, you should heat the milk to 90F before adding the rennet and then keep it there until you're finished. Mine has never been finicky, and I ASSUMED I had average milk. That's what happens when you ASSUME something, LOL!
I am going to try it again. 
It's nice to have all this milk to experiment with. Well, back to the laboratory!
. Can I make 4 gallons at a time? and if so do I just double everything? Thanks for your help.
