Stirred-Curd Cheddar

2 gallons whole cow or goat milk
1 packet mesophilic starter
4 drops of cheese coloring
3/4 teaspoon calcium chloride liquid
3/4 teaspoon liquid rennet
2 tablespoons cheese salt
Cheese wax

Warming the milk

Heat the milk in a double boiler to 90°F.

Ripening the milk

Sprinkle the packet of starter on top of the warm milk and after a few minutes, stir it in well. Cover and allow the warm milk to set and ripen for 45 minutes.

Additives

If desired, add the coloring. Dissolve 4 drops of cheese coloring in 1/4 cup of cool distilled water. Then add this to the warm milk and stir gently but thoroughly.

Add the calcium chloride by dissolving it in 1/4 cup of cool distilled water and stirring in well.

Coagulation

Add the 3/4 teaspoon of liquid animal rennet by dissolving it in 1/4 cup of cool distilled water and stirring well, but limit stirring to no more than a couple of minutes. Cover and allow the 90°F milk to set for 45 minutes or until a clean break is achieved.

Cutting the curd

Cut the curd into 1/4-inch cubes. Allow to set for 15 minutes.

Cooking and stirring

Very slowly, bring the curds up to 100°F, stirring gently but continuously. The temperature should rise no faster than 2°F every 5 minutes or so. This process will take about 30 minutes.

Once the curds reach 100°F, maintain this temperature and continue stirring gently for another 30 minutes.

Washing the curds

Draining

Drain off the whey. I usually do this by pouring off most of it, then pouring the remaining curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander, allow the curds to drain for several minutes. However, you don't want the curds to mat, so give them a gentle stir with a spoon or with your fingers.

Pour the drained curds back into the pot you cooked them in. Stir them with your fingers to break up any mats. Add the salt at this point, using your fingers to mix it into the curds well.

Cheddaring

Keep the curds at 100°F for one hour by putting the pot back into the double boiler. Stir them gently every 5 minutes or so to keep them from matting. Some whey will be released, but not much.

Hot water treatment

Seasoning

Salting

The salt is added directly to the curds before cheddaring, see above.

Pressing

Line a 2 pound cheese mold with cheesecloth and place the curds in the mold. Press at 15 pounds for 10 minutes. Remove the round of cheese, peel away the cheesecloth, turn the round over, redress it in the cheesecloth an return to the mold (I'll just call this step "redress" in the future.) Press at 30 pounds of pressure for 10 minutes. Redress. Repeat at 40 pounds of pressure for 2 hours. Redress. Repeat at 50 pounds of pressure for 24 hours, redressing midway.

Remove from the mold and peel away the cheesecloth. Allow the round of cheese to air-dry at room temperature for 3-5 days or until the cheese is dry to the touch.

Waxing

Wax the cheese.

Aging

Age the cheese at 50° to 55°F for 2 to 6 months. Longer is better!