This recipe uses 3 gallons of milk and makes 3lb of cheese. You may reduce it to accordingly to make 1 or 2 lbs of cheese, if you prefer. This is a mild raw cheese, that tastes better after has a chance to cure and sit in the fridge a couple days. It is nice to have on hand for an every day cheese. It shreds, melts and slices nicely. I like to chill it and grate all 3lb at once for convenience. Will have some "nooks and crannies" in your slices, since there is no heavy pressing.
You will need a dairy thermometer. Other thermometers do not offer low enough temperature read-outs.
3 gallons (raw) organic grass fed milk
6 cubes prepared and frozen mesophilic culture (3 oz)
3 T cheese salt
3/4 tsp liquid bovine rennet diluted in 5T water (or as per packet instructions)
1. With two large pots, create a double boiler. Put a few inches of water in the bottom of the bottom pot (just enough to lick the bottom of second pot when nested inside.) Next, put your second pot in it and pour your milk into the inside pot.
2. Heat the milk to 88F. Remove from heat. Add the culture cubes and stir. (The cubes may not be all melted.) Cover the pot and let it stand for 40 minutes.
3. Mix in your rennet/water solution. Cover and let stand 40 minutes more. Your curd should sit up like thick yogurt or tofu.
4. With a long knife cut curd into half inch cube grid. Then do you best to cut through the curd underneath diagonally to create a cross section for your curds.
5. Return to the double boiler and SLOWLY heat the curd to bring it to 100F. (This takes almost 30 minutes.)
6. Stir occasionally and gently. You will notice the whey separating from the curd. When temperature is reached. Remove pot from the heat and let sit, covered for 10-15 more minutes.
7. Carefully, poor the whey off the curd. (Save the way, for making ricotta, or feed the animals, or even use for fermenting.) Then in a large colander (it may take a couple), lined with flour sacks, cheese cloth or a clean tea towel and set over another bowl or the sink and let about 15 more minutes to drain the way. Salt the curds and work it through with your hands.
8. Cover it with a clean towel and let sit over night. If your can put a weight on top that is ideal. I like to use a plate with something heavy sitting on it. Improvise with the things you have in your kitchen. You don't have to do this, but it helps give you a cheese with less nooks and crannies. :-)
9. The next morning, transfer into a airtight container and put in cold storage. You may use right away or let it keep curing a couple more says in the fridge. This cheese may not store as long as a pressed cheese.
Yield: 3 pounds of cheese
Tips
I use a make-shift double broiler, made from two of may stainless stock pots, that nest inside one another.
Try to keep your pots, utensils, and work surfaces particularly clean (sterile).
This is a raw cheddar because we use raw milk and it never reached105F.
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