Introduction: Yet Another Cheese Making Episode.
Actually this is an extraction from my pizza making instructable from /https://www.instructables.com/id/Our-pizza/. This is if you are not into pizza but do like cheese. The cheese pictured was about two gallons worth of milk products. it gets very interesting when you use a combination of regular milk, buttermilk, half-n-half, whipping cream, and etc.
Making cheese (and other things) in a coffee maker: https://www.instructables.com/id/Coffeemaker-meals-and-etc/
See also: https://www.instructables.com/id/Our-food-instructables/
Step 1: What's Needed.
Ingredients:
1 - gallon milk (whole mile generally generates more curds.
1 - rennet tablet (available at better grocery stores0
1/2 cup - vinegar (cider vinegar tastes better to me)
Tools:
Stove
Large pot about 2 gallon size.
Spider or equivalent (a large spoon will work)
Thin mesh pasta colander.
Paper towels
Sink
Measuring cup
Instant read thermometer.
Step 2: Preparing for the Separation.
Pour the milk in a large pot.
Crush the rennet tablet into 1/4 cup water and let it dissolve well.
Add the rennet solution and vinegar to the milk then stir well..
Heat the milk until it is about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. WATCH CAREFULLY!!!!
At 100 - 110 degrees Fahrenheit immediately TURN OFF Heat.
Let sit till the curds have separated from the whey (greenish milky stuff).
Step 3: The Separationt.
Put some paper towels in the colander.
Spoon out the curds into a find mesh colander that is sitting in a bowl the catch the excess whey.
Add salt and mix with the curds when all the curds have been retrieved.
Put on a cover over the curds and then put a weight over the cheese curds.
Refrigerate over night. Get rid of more unneeded liquid.
You can reheat the whey (second picture) to about 180 degrees and get more curds. (aka ricotta or recooked). Again Watch carefully.
Step 4: Say Cheese!
You may want to add a bit more salt for preservation purposes. Anyway, you now have your own honest cheese. We could do a variation to make mozzarella. You now have cheese for quesadillas (aka piadini), pizza, spaghetti/lasagna, bagels, salads, cheesecake, cheese soup, and a host of other food items. A basic recipe that should be in all kitchens.
Step 5: Untried by Me, But Looks Interesting.
How to Make Swiss Cheese
This recipe will teach you to make traditional Swiss cheese in the comforts of your own home.
Difficulty:
Challenging
Instructions
things you'll need:
* 1 gallon of whole milk, 1/2 packet of direct-set thermophilic starter or 2 ounces of prepared thermophilic starter, 1/2 teaspoon of propionic shermanii powder, 1/4 teaspoon of liquid rennet or a 1/4 renbet tablet, 1 pound of cheese salt, for brine, plus a pinch of cheese salt, 1/2 gallon of cold water, for brine. curd knife, stainless steel whisk, cheesecloth. ladle
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Swiss Cheese
* 1
Heat the milk to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the starter and mix well.
* 2
Remove 1/4 cup of milk from the pot and add the propionic shermanii to it. Mix thoroughly to dissolve the powder. Add the mixture to the milk and stir. Cover and allow the milk to ripen for approximately 10 minutes.
* 3
Make sure that the milk's temperature ALWAYS remains at 90 degrees. Add the diluted rennet and stir gently with an up-and-down motion for approximately 1 minute. If you are wanting to use farm fresh cow's milk, top stir for several minutes longer. Cover and let the milk set at 90 degrees for approximately 30 miutes.
* 4
Using a curd knife and a stainless-steel whisk, cut the curd into 1/4 inch cubes.
* 5
Keeping the curd temperatures at 90 degrees, gently stir the curds for approximately 40 minutes. This is called fore-working and helps expel whey from the curds before they are heated.
* 6
Heat the curds by one degree every minute until the temperature is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This will take approximately 30 minutes. Maintain the temperature at 120 degrees Fahrenheit for another 30 minutes, stirring often. The curds must be cooked until they reach a stage called the "proper break." To test for this, wad together a handful of curds and rub it gently between your palms. It the ball readily breaks apart into individual particles, the curds are sufficiently cooked. If they are not sufficiently cooked, they will be too soft to hold the cheese together. Let the curds set for approximately 5 minutes.
* 7
Pour off the whey and reserve it for other recipes.
* 8
Line a 1 pound mold with cheesecloth and place it in the sink or over a large pot. Quickly ladle the curds into the mold. You do not want the curds to cool. Press at 8-10 pounds of pressure for approximately 15 minutes.
* 9
Remove the cheese from the mold and gently peel away the cheesecloth. Turn over the cheese, re-dress it, and press at 14 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes.
* 10
Repeat the process but press at the same pressure of 14 pounds for 2 hours.
* 11
Repeat the process but press at 15 pounds of pressure for 12 hours.
* 12
Make a saturated brine bath by combining the salt and water in a noncorrosive pot; stir well. Remove the cheese from the mold, peel away the cheesecloth, and soak the cheese in the brine. Sprinkle the remaining pinch of salt on the surface of the floating cheese. Refrigerate the brine and let the cheese soak for 12 hours.
* 13
Remove the cheese from the brine and pat dry. You can reserve the brine for other recipe uses if you so desire. Place the cheese on a clean cheese board and store between 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and at 85 percent humidity. Turn the cheese daily for one week, wiping it with a clean cheesecloth dampened in salt water. Do not wet the cheese.
* 14
Place the cheese in a warm, humid room, such as the kitchen, with the temperature between 68 and 74 degrees fahrenheit. Turn it daily and wipe it with a cheesecloth dampened in salt water. Do not wet the surface of the cheese. Let the cheese set for 2-3 weeks, until eye formation is noticeable. The cheese will swell somewhat and become slightly rounded.
* 15
Age the cheese at 45 degrees Fahrenheit. and at 80 percent humidity for at least 3 months. Turn the cheese several times a week. Remove any surface mold with cheesecloth dampened in salt water. A reddish coloration on the surface of the cheese is normal and should not be removed.This recipe will make about 1 pound of cheese. If you an additional pound, just double the recipe.
Step 6: What Someone Did to Make Cheddar.
Ingredients
1 oz. Mesophilic Starter Culture
1/4 tab Rennet
1 Tablespoon Salt
Instructions
Add 1 oz of mesophilic starter culture and mix thoroughly with a whisk, the culture must be uniform throughout the milk.
Allow the milk to ripen for one hour.
Dissolve 1/4 tab rennet into 3-4 tablespoons COOL water. Hot water will DESTROY the rennet enzymes.
Slowly pour the rennet into the milk stirring constantly with a whisk.
Stir for at least 5 minutes.
Allow the milk to set for 1-2 hours until a firm curd is set and a clean break can be obtained when the curd is cut.
With a long knife, cut the curds into 1/4 inch cubes.
Allow the curds to sit for 15 minutes to firm up.
Slowly raise the temperature of the milk to 102 F (39 C). It should take as long as 45 minutes to reach this temperature. During this time, gently stir the curds every few minutes so they don't mat together.
Cook the curds at 102 F (39 C) for another 45 minutes. During this time, gently stir the curds every few minutes so they don't mat together.
Drain the whey by pouring through a cheesecloth lined colander. Do this quickly and do not allow the curds to mat.
Place the curds back into the double boiler at 102 F (39 C). Stir the curds to separate any particles that have matted. Add the tablespoon of salt and mix thoroughly.
Cook the curds at 102 F (39 C) for one hour, stirring every few minutes.
Carefully place the curds into your cheesecloth lined mold.
Press the cheese at about 20 lbs. (9 kg) for 45 minutes.
Remove the cheese from the press and flip it.
Press the cheese at about 40 lbs. (18 kg) for 3 hours.
Remove the cheese from the press and flip it.
Press the cheese at about 50 lbs. (22.75 kg) for 24 hours.
Remove the cheese from the press. Place the cheese on a cheese board and dry at room temperature for 3-5 days, until the cheese is dry to the touch.
Wax the cheese and age it in your refrigerator for 3-24 months. The longer the cheese is aged the sharper the flavor it will develop. Be sure to flip the cheese every few days.
Step 7: Waste Not Want Not.
Get a second use out of the whey you made from the cheese to be polenta.. Add some cornmeal into the boiling whey and stir until thick enough for the stirring tool to stand up straight./ Polenta makes an alternative to mached potatoes. Instead of the red sauce, you can use buttter garlic and or a little olive oil.
