Introduction: How to Make Haloumi at Home in Under 1 Hour

By JimmyInTheGarden
About: Hey I'm Jimmy, I love gardening, spending a bit of time in the kitchen and trying to grow chili peppers.

Haloumi is the BEST cheese in my opinion, right after triple cream brie. Grill it, fry it in a slab of butter, there's nothing that beats that crispy golden exterior in the morning with maple syrup fried bacon and a cuppa joe.

Ingredients

  • 2L Full cream unhomogenised and preferably non or low pasteurised cow’s milk
  • 1 Rennet tablet
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt

These amounts will yield you a couple hundred grams of haloumi. You can easily scale up the recipe to get more.

Equipment

  • Large pot with a lid
  • Milk thermometer
  • Microwave

Step 1: Gently Heat the Milk

You will want to place the stovetop on a medium-low heat and gently heat the milk to around 85 Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). Stir constantly. Don't try to take a short cut and turn the heat up high on the stove. Everything might look fine on the milk thermometer, but you will be quietly burning the hell out of the milk at the bottom of the pot.

While the milk is heating, dissolve the rennet tablet in 1 tablespoon of water.

Step 2: Once the Milk Is at Temperature, Let It Rest

Once you hit that magic temperature mark add the rennet and stir for 30 seconds until combined. Take the pot off the heat, place on the lid and let it sit for between 45 minutes to 1 hour.

You will know it's ready when you see the milk starting to clump up in coagulated bits of milky goodness. I used a really heavy based pot so I didn't need to insulate it, if you're using a steel lightweight pot, you should cover it to keep it warm.

Step 3: Prepare the Microwave

Transfer the mix to a microwave safe bowl and blast it on the microwave for 2 minutes (high).

Give it a gentle stir encouraging the whey to separate then place in the microwave for 1.5 minutes on high and again give it a gentle stir. Finish by placing it in the microwave for a final 1.5 minutes on high and remove.

Step 4: Squeeze Those Milky/Cheesy Clumps Together

After letting the milk rest and cool to a reasonable temperature, you can start by collecting the curds in your hands and forcing them all together into one clump. Squeeze them together using both of your hands, you should feel and see a lot of liquid running out. This is good. Now add the teaspoon of salt and continue working them together. Continue until it starts to feel compact and rubbery, but don't go so far as to remove all of the moisture.

Step 5: Store the Haloumi (Or Cook for Breakfast Like I Did)

You've now done all the hard work and it's time to store the haloumi. Begin by working it into a sealable container, making sure to get it all in as one solid piece. Once it's all in, place it in the fridge and resist the urge to cook it all in one fell swoop. Or do like I did and cook it for breakfast.

For more photos check out my article at Jimmy In The Garden