Few store-bought cheddar cheeses can compare to homemade cheddar cheese. The process of making cheese is very time consuming, but on the other hand making it is not difficult. Here's what you need to do.
Ingredients
Produces approximately 900 grams of cheddar cheese
- 8 L raw fresh milk
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) mesophilic culture
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) liquid animal rennet dissolved in 1/2 cup (125 ml) cold, unchlorinated water
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fine sea salt
Step
Part 1 of 4: Cooking Cheese
Step 1. Heat the milk in a large saucepan
Pour the milk in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until it reaches an even temperature of 32.2 degrees Celsius.
- You can use goat's milk or cow's milk, but whichever is used, the milk must be raw.
- The temperature can be as low as 29.4 degrees Celsius when you start. Check the temperature with an instant food thermometer.
Step 2. Enter the mesophilic culture
Sprinkle the culture over the surface of the milk and stir, making sure it's even and dissolved.
- Let the milk mature culture for 1 hour.
- Note that you can also use 1 pack of single-use mesophilic cultures instead of taking from large packs of mesophilic cultures.
Step 3. Add the rennet solution
Slowly pour the liquid rennet into the milk, stirring constantly while adding until about 5 minutes after the rennet is added.
- Let the milk thicken for 1 to 2 hours. The curd should form by this time, and should be firm enough to cut with a knife.
- If you don't want to use animal rennet, you can use tsp (1.25 ml) double-strength liquid vegetable rennet found in cup (125 ml) water or tablet vegetable rennet dissolved in cup (125 ml) water.
Step 4. Cut the curd into cubes or dice
Use a long knife to cut the curd into 1/4-inch (6.5-mm) cubes. The cube doesn't have to be perfectly flat, but at least it's the same size on average.
Let the curd sit for another 15 minutes, or until it becomes slightly firmer
Step 5. Raise the temperature and continue cooking
Slowly increase the temperature of the milk until it reaches (37.8 to 38.8 degrees Celsius). Stir the curds with a long spoon every few minutes to prevent them from becoming shiny or lumpy.
- It usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes for the curd to reach that temperature.
- Once the curd has reached the desired temperature, continue to cook for 30 to 45 minutes. Again, stir gently every few minutes to prevent loss of shine.
- Keep the curd away from the heat if it gets too hot.
- As the curd is cooked, it will shrink in volume.
Step 6. Cover the sieve with cheesecloth
Place the strainer over a large clean sink or basin, and cover it with just enough light cloth to cover the edges completely.
Meanwhile, let the curd settle to the bottom of the pan for 20 minutes
Step 7. Drain the curd
Pour the contents of the pan onto a cloth-lined sieve. Place the strainer over a sink, clean basin or empty pot.
Drain for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the curd from becoming too lumpy or not glossy
Part 2 of 4: Cheddaring Cheese
Step 1. Remove the curd and transfer it to a cutting board
Cut into five equal-sized pieces.
- When you transfer the curd to a cutting board, it should be semi-solid. The consistency is similar to that of jelly or gelatin.
- Place the curd pieces back into the drained empty pan. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
Step 2. Fill the basin with hot water
The water temperature should be about 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.8 degrees Celsius).
Make sure the basin or sink is at least as high as the pot used for cooking, and fill it 1/2 to 2/3 full until the part of the pan where the cheese is settling is completely submerged
Step 3. Place the pot in hot water
Place the pot in the basin, making sure the water doesn't reach the mouth of the pot or enter the pot.
- Curd needs to be kept consistently at 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) for 2 hours. Change the water if necessary to keep the contents of the pan hot.
- Turn the cheese curd pieces every 15 minutes.
- This process is known as "cheddaring," and hence the name cheddar cheese.
Step 4. Cut again into cubes
After 2 hours have passed, the curd should be very firm and slightly glossy. Remove and cut into cubes measuring 1.25 cm.
Put the curd back into the pot after it has been diced
Step 5. Return to hot water
cover the pot and put it back in the hot water. leave in hot water for another 30 minutes.
- Make sure the water temperature is still 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.8 degrees Celsius).
- Stir the cheese curds with your fingers every 10 minutes at this point.
Step 6. Add salt
Remove the pan from the hot water and add the salt. Stir gently by hand.
The salt should completely cover the curd
Part 3 of 4: Pressing the Cheese
Step 1. Cover the cheese presser with a cloth
Place a piece of cheesecloth over the base of the cylindrical section. The cloth should be large enough to reach the top of the basin cylinder.
- You only need a homemade cheese press for this. These presses usually consist of a cylinder in which you place the cheese, with guide levers on either side. There is also a pressure lever that functions to change the amount of pressure on the cheese.
- A cheese press is needed to produce hard cheeses, including cheddar cheese.
Step 2. Add cheese and press for 15 minutes
Place the curd on the base of the cheese press and wrap it in cheesecloth.
Turn the push lever until the gauge indicates the pressure is up to 10 lbs (4.5 kg). Leave the cheese in the cheese press for 15 minutes on that pressure
Step 3. Increase the pressure and keep pressing
Increase pressure to 40 lbs (18 kg) and press for 12 hours.
Turn the cheese over and replace the cheesecloth with a new one before continuing to press the cheese
Step 4. Increase the pressure again and keep pressing
Increase pressure to 50 lbs (22.5 kg) and press for another 24 hours.
Turn the cheese over and replace the cheesecloth with a new one before continuing to press the cheese
Part 4 of 4: Aging Cheese
Step 1. Let the cheese dry on its own
Remove the cheese from the cheese press after 24 hours have elapsed. Place on a cheese board and let dry for 2 to 5 days.
- Cheese should be dry at room temperature. Store in a well-lit, dry and not too humid place.
- The exact amount of time it takes to dry the cheese depends on the humidity level.
- When ready, the cheese will be dry to the touch. And has formed a skin or protective layer.
Step 2. Coat the cheddar cheese with the cheese wax
Cheese wax prevents hard cheeses such as cheddar cheese from drying out or becoming moldy as they age.
- Prepare the cheese for waxing by smearing the surface with wax using a small piece of cheesecloth dipped in white vinegar. This will get rid of any visible or invisible mold. Chill the cheese in the refrigerator for a few weeks before waxing.
- Take a cheese candle measuring 10 by 10 cm.
- Place the cheese in the top of the double-boiler, and fill the bottom with water. Heat over medium heat until it melts and reaches a temperature of about 210 degrees Fahrenheit (98.9 degrees Celsius).
- Dip a brush with natural bristles into the melted wax and coat the cheese with wax, working one surface at a time. Let the wax on one surface cool before smearing on another.
- You should smear the entire surface of the cheese with two layers of wax. Let it dry completely.
Step 3. Allow the cheese to age in your refrigerator
Place the cheese in the refrigerator and store for at least 60 days before enjoying.
- Cheese should ideally be stored at 12.8 to 15.6 degrees Celsius.
- If you prefer a sharper taste, age the cheese for 3 to 24 months. The longer you age the cheese, the sharper it will be.
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Age and taste:
- Soft: 3-4 months
- Sharp 4-12 months
- Sharp once 2 years
- Cheese that is older than 2 years is called according to its age
Step 4.
