"Parmesan" from clabber
Jan 27, 2013 9:25:37 GMT -5
simplynaturalfarm, grammagrace, and 2 more like this
Post by lew92 on Jan 27, 2013 9:25:37 GMT -5
I posted this in a thread asking about clabber, but thought it would be easier to find in the future if it were in this section.
I make my version of parmesan by just clabbering milk until it is super thick, nearly to clean break. To do it "quickly", I add a cup of clabber per gallon of milk warmed to 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit, then leave it wrapped in a blanket overnight and it is usually ready to cook the next morning.
I put the kettle on the stove on low heat and very gently stir - more like gentle agitation/moving the curds around, until they shrink way down. It takes a long time and doesn't need to be stirred non-stop, especially if the stove is on very low heat. When the cooked curds seem "done" - like firm cottage cheese curds - I drain them through cheesecloth, then pack it into a cloth-lined mold and press at 40 lbs pressure for an hour. Turn and redress the cheese, then press at 60 lbs for an hour. Turn and redress and if the curds are knitting well (surface is smooth) I'll continue at 60 lbs for 18-24 hours. If the cheese doesn't have a smooth surface, I'll increase the weight to about 80 lbs and check it in a couple of hours, turning and redressing the wheel again. Final press should be for 18-24 hours.
Soak the wheel of cheese in brine for 12 hours, turning midway through brining. Dry the cheese on a mat at room temperature for 3-4 days, turning twice a day, until it is only slightly damp to the touch and the bottom is no longer wet when you turn it. I then age it in a ripening container in the cheese fridge for the first week or so. Make a ripening container using a plastic container that is large enough to leave at least one inch of space on all sides of the cheese, placing the cheese on a mat over a grid on the bottom of the container to keep the cheese out of any moisture that may be expelled. I use plastic "egg crate", made for covering fluorescent light fixtures, as it is easy to cut. Again, turn the cheese twice daily.
After a week or two in the ripening container, when a natural rind has started to form, remove the cheese to the cave on a cheese mat. If any mold forms at any time in the process, use coarse salt to "sand" off the mold, then wipe down with raw apple cider vinegar, then allow to dry at room temp before returning to the cave.
Within two to three months, you will have a tasty, sharp but dry parmesan-like cheese that tastes awesome on spaghetti, pizza, lasagna, etc. Many people can't tell the difference.
I make my version of parmesan by just clabbering milk until it is super thick, nearly to clean break. To do it "quickly", I add a cup of clabber per gallon of milk warmed to 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit, then leave it wrapped in a blanket overnight and it is usually ready to cook the next morning.
I put the kettle on the stove on low heat and very gently stir - more like gentle agitation/moving the curds around, until they shrink way down. It takes a long time and doesn't need to be stirred non-stop, especially if the stove is on very low heat. When the cooked curds seem "done" - like firm cottage cheese curds - I drain them through cheesecloth, then pack it into a cloth-lined mold and press at 40 lbs pressure for an hour. Turn and redress the cheese, then press at 60 lbs for an hour. Turn and redress and if the curds are knitting well (surface is smooth) I'll continue at 60 lbs for 18-24 hours. If the cheese doesn't have a smooth surface, I'll increase the weight to about 80 lbs and check it in a couple of hours, turning and redressing the wheel again. Final press should be for 18-24 hours.
Soak the wheel of cheese in brine for 12 hours, turning midway through brining. Dry the cheese on a mat at room temperature for 3-4 days, turning twice a day, until it is only slightly damp to the touch and the bottom is no longer wet when you turn it. I then age it in a ripening container in the cheese fridge for the first week or so. Make a ripening container using a plastic container that is large enough to leave at least one inch of space on all sides of the cheese, placing the cheese on a mat over a grid on the bottom of the container to keep the cheese out of any moisture that may be expelled. I use plastic "egg crate", made for covering fluorescent light fixtures, as it is easy to cut. Again, turn the cheese twice daily.
After a week or two in the ripening container, when a natural rind has started to form, remove the cheese to the cave on a cheese mat. If any mold forms at any time in the process, use coarse salt to "sand" off the mold, then wipe down with raw apple cider vinegar, then allow to dry at room temp before returning to the cave.
Within two to three months, you will have a tasty, sharp but dry parmesan-like cheese that tastes awesome on spaghetti, pizza, lasagna, etc. Many people can't tell the difference.
