French Cheese: DIY

For this challenge cheese 2016, I will make... cheese. French cheese, of course!

Making cheese can be extremely simple or extremely complicated.

From a technical point of view, the cheese is casein agglomerated and more or less processed.

In France, there are about 1000 different cheeses, based on cow's milk, goat's milk or sheep's milk. Each region has its specialties, and a cheese can have a different taste depending on its region of production.

I'll show you the easiest way, and everything you'll need is in any supermarket.

The hardest part in making cheese is patience. Ripening takes from a few days to several months, and it is difficult to resist eating it. But be patient, the result will be there!

The cheese is made for about 10,000 years, now you can do it yourself!

Ready?

Step 1: Ingredients and Material Needed

Ingredients:

- Raw whole milk

- Lemon juice (or rennet) - 35ml/milk liter

- Yoghurt "petit-Suisse" or fresh cheese unripened

- Salt

Material:

- Saucepot

- A faisselle (Personally I reuse the faisselle of a pot of white cheese bought in supermarket)

- A cheese mold: You can buy it on internet or make it.

- A thermometer. (Optional but recommended)

- A knife

- A skimmer (optional)

- A cheese press (or dumbbells, big books, or something heavy)

Step 2: Prepare the Milk

- Gently mix the 4 Yoghurt "petit-Suisse"(or fresh cheese unripened) in a liter of milk.

- Gently mix this preparation with the rest of the milk.

- Heat milk to 80 ° C (176 ° F)

Step 3: Coagulation

- Pouring the lemon into the milk, and let the milk coagulate.

Do not touch, and avoid any source of vibration.

Step 4: Draining

If all goes well, the milk has coagulated. We will have to recover the casein (white mass).

- Recover the white mass with a large spoon, a sieve, or directly into the dish.

- Put everything in the "faisselle".

- Press the white mass to release the "whey".

You can put a weight on it to make some kind of press.

- Let go for a few hours.

Step 5: Molding

- Put the white mass into the mold and press it.

- Let go around 24 hours.

Step 6: Salting

- When the cheese begins to dry, rub each side with a little salt.

Step 7: Refining

- When the cheese is compact enough, remove the mold.

- Rub each side and slice with a little salt.

- Be careful not to put too much salt!

- Return it each day.

This stage can last from a few days to a few years. The longer you let it dry, the more pronounced the taste. Your patience will reward!

Step 8: Tasting

After a long wait, it's time for tasting!

To taste it, nothing is worth good bread, and if you are of age, a small glass of wine!