Bring 4 gallons raw milk to 88 F.
Add 1/8 tsp MA 11 mesophilic culture. Float for 3 minutes, stir for 1 minute. Allow to ripen for 50 minutes.
Add 1/2 tsp anatto, stir well
Add 1/2 tsp liquid animal rennet, stir well.
Use floculation factor 3 to determine set point.
At the set point, cut to 3/4”, allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Begin cook
At 102 F., stir for 1 hour.
Begin cold water exchange. remove whey to curd level and replace with 60 F. water while stirring. Repeat as necessary to obtain a temp of 73 F., with about 5 minutes between each exchange.
Once 73 F. is obtained, stir for 20 minutes.
Drain curd for about 10 minutes, or until whey only slowly drips from your sieve.
Return curd to pot, add 3 Tbls non-iodized salt and stir well, breaking up curd as you go.
Place curd into cheesecloth lined mold (I use an 8”)
Press at 25 lbs for 25 - 30 minutes (.5 PSI) (These weights are for an 8” mold. If your diameter is different you will need to adjust accordingly)
Remove from press, unwrap, invert, rewrap with clean cloth, and press at 50 lbs.(1.0 PSI) for 2 hours.
Remove from press, unwrap, invert and press at 100 lbs. (2.0 PSI) for 18 hours (I do not use cheese cloth on final press. You can do as you normally do.)
Remove from press and dry until surface is dry to the touch.
Rub with dry salt, vacuum seal and age at 52 F. for a minimum of 2 months. I find that 3 months is perfect for my taste.
NOTE: To calculate your pressing weights, determine the surface area of your mold (3.14 X the radius squared), and then multiply it by the PSI factor.
Another NOTE: In order to achieve a more solid texture, the curd must be VERY firmly pressed into the mold. I used my fist the press it down, not being in a hurry at this stage. The result is fewer, smaller mechanical holes.
]]>For Pepper Jack you will also need
1-1/2 tsp chopped jalopeno
1-1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried jalopeno flakes
• Take the red pepper flakes and jalapeño’s and put them in a pot with ½ cup of water and bring them to a boil. Turn off and set aside to cool.
• Heat milk to 88°. Note PH level
• Add calcium chloride, if using, and stir
• Add starter. Let float 1 min, stir 1 min. Ripen for 40 min. Check PH level and note it. PH level should have dropped .10.
• Dissolve rennet in 1/4 c. cool water, and add to milk. Stir 1 min. Let set until clean break - about 35 min. If checking by flocculation method, use a multiplier of 3.
• Cut curd in 1/2” chunks, heal 5 minutes.
• Heat curd to 102°F, stirring often to prevent matting. This should take about 45 minutes.
• Hold curd at 102°F and continue stirring for 45 to 60 minutes. PH level should be 6.3 to 6.2
• Drain whey to 1” above the curd level, add 60° water until the temperature drops to 80 to 86°. Stir for 15 minutes. PH level should be 6.0 to 5.9
• Drain whey down to level of curd, and stir for 10 minutes.
• Drain in colander lined with cheese cloth, and return curd to pot. Stir for 15 minutes. PH level should be 5.7 to 5.8
• Add ½ of the salt, and all of the pepper and water mixture, stir well. Let rest about 5 minutes to absorb the salt and pepper flavors. Then add the rest of the salt and stir again. Wait 5 more minutes.
• Place curd into a 4” mold lined with cheese cloth and press at 20 lb. pressure for 15 min
• Remove from mold, flip over and rewrap. Press at 30 lb. pressure for 2 hours.
• Remove from mold, flip over and return to press. Press at 40 lb. for another 10 hours.
• Remove from mold and air dry until rind is uniformly dried. Usually 2 to 5 days. I do this inside of the cave at 50°
• Wax and age for at 3 to 4 months. I average 4 months on this cheese.
Yield: 2 lbs cheese
16qts/16l whole milk
1/4tsp/1.25ml mesophilic culture
1/4tsp/1.25 aroma mesophilic culture
3/4tsp/3.75 ml calcium chloride
3/4tsp/3.75 ml liquid rennet
Cool 18% saturated brine (1 part salt to 5 parts water)
(I scaled all quantities down to 4l milk)
1 Sterilise all equipment. In a large stainless-steel pot set in a water bath over medium heat, warm milk to 90F/32C, stirring gently. Turn off heat.
2. Sprinkle mesophilic and aroma mesophilic cultures over surface of milk and let stand for about 5 mins to rehydrate. Using skimmer and an up-down motion gently draw the cultures down into the milk without breaking the surface. Cover and let ripen for 30 mins, maintaining the temperature at 90F/32C. (I had no cultures, so I used homemade plain yoghurt instead).
3. Dilute calcium chloride in 1/4 cup (50ml) cool water. Add to milk using the same up-down motion. (I used non-homo milk, so I omitted the calcium chloride)
4. Dilute rennet in 1/4 cup (50ml) cool water. Add to milk and, using same up-down motion, draw rennet down into the milk until well blended. Cover pot and let set for 45 minutes, maintaining the temperature.
5. Check for a clean break. If necessary, let set for another 5 to 10 minutes or until you achieve a clean break. (It took me 1 hour to get a good clean break). Using a long-bladed knife and skimmer, cut curd into 1/2-inch (1.25cm) cubes. Let curds stand for 5 mins to firm up.
6. Return heat to low and slowly warm curds to 95F/35C, stirring gently and continuously, adjusting the heat as necessary to make sure it takes 30 mins to do so. Do not heat too quickly. Turn off heat. Cover and hold at 95F/35C for 45 mins.
7. Place the prepared mould underneath a cloth-lined colander and drain off the whey, which will warm the mould.
8. Fill mould with curds, piling them higher in the centre. Pull cloth up neatly around curds and fold excess snugly over the top, with as few wrinkles as possible. Put on the lid.
9. Place mould in cheese press or place a weight on top. Press at medium pressure for 30 mins. Remove from press and re-dress. Continue pressing at medium pressure for several hours or overnight.
10. Remove cheese from press. Unwrap and place in brine solution for 20 hours, turning over after 10 hours. (I suspect this was way too long for my little cheese….)
11. Remove from brine. Dry cheese on a cheese mat placed on a rack at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, turning once or twice, or until fairly dry to the touch.
12. Wax: Coat cheese with 2 or 3 layers of cheese wax and ripen at 50 to 54F/10 to 12C for three weeks, at which time it will be ready to eat. Age longer for a sharper flavour.
13. Or, natural rind: Place cheese on a clean cheese mat in a ripening container. Ripen at 50 to 54F/10 to 12C and 85% humidity, turning daily. Maintain the humidity by adjusting the lid of the container. After about 2 weeks, a whitish-grey mold will appear. Continue turning the cheese daily until a thicker crust forms. After about 4 weeks, the cheese will begin to soften just under the crust, possibly becoming runny. This cheese will not keep as long as the waxed version, as it will continue to soften. Use within 2 to 3 months.
I didn’t have any wax, and since I hadn’t used the cultures I was supposed to use I wasn’t ready to gamble on having the wrong kind of mold appear. I don’t recall the Caerphilly of my childhood ever being soft and runny, either ; so I opted for vacuum-packing. The cheese looks lovely; I’ll report on the taste when I cut it!
]]>Heat the milk to 90deg. Add starter and calcium chloride. Let sit 10 minutes.
Add diluted rennet and let sit for one hour.
Cut into 1/2” pieces.
Stir the curd gently for 30 minutes, then let rest for 5 minutes.
Drain 1/3 of the whey from the pot. I took out 6 1/2 cups.
Add the same amount of 140 degree water. Should bring the temp up to 98 degrees.
Stir for 40 minutes and then let rest for 5 minutes.
Drain off the whey into a stainless steel pot. Heat the whey to 125 degrees and hold it there.
Pour the curds into a 2lb cheese cloth lined mold and press at 20 lbs for 30 minutes. Remove the cheese and put it in the 125 degree whey for 30 minutes.
Rewrap the cheese, put back in the press at 40 lbs of pressure for 6 hours. Remove from the press, flip it and rewrap it and press for another 6 hours at 40 lbs of pressure.
Remove from the press and bath in medium brine solution for 3 hours.
Remove from the brine and pat dry. Let air dry for 1 to 2 days.
Wax the cheese and ripen at 50 to 55 degrees and 85% humidity for 2 to 3 months, flipping daily for even ripening. Age 6 months for optimum flavor.
This is the 1st time that I made this so it might not be right. Herman should post his recipe, if he has not already done it.
]]>the book says that the recipe is not traditional, so it’s OK, I already know that.
1 gallons pasteurized milk
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 1/2 tsp granulated orange peel
1/4 tsp Meso II starter
1/4 tsp calcium chloride diluted in ¼ cup nonchlorinated water
1/4 tsp liquid rennet diluted in ¼ cup nonchlorinated water
Kosher salt
One 12 oz bottles of Belgian Ale at room temperature plus 16 to 24 oz more for washing
1. In a nonreactive 4 quart saucepan, heat 1 quart of milk over low heat to 90°F; this should take about 20 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoons of the coriander and 1 teaspoons of the orange peel, then slowly raise the temperature to 110°F over the course of 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let steep for 45 minutes.
2. Place the remaining 3 quarts of milk in a nonreactive pot. Pour the steeped milk through a fine mesh strainer into the larger pot of milk and whisk to combine. Discard the coriander and orange. Bring the milk to 90° over low heat; this should take 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
3. Sprinkle the starter over the milk and let it rehydrate for 5 minutes. Mix well with an up and down stirring motion. Cover and maintain 90°F for 30 minutes. Add the calcium chloride and gently stir for 1 minute, then add the rennet the same way. Cover and let sit for 1 hour, or until the curds give a clean break.
4. Still maintaining 90°F, cut the curds into ½ inch pieces and let sit for 10 minutes. The curds will shrink to the size of small beans. Meanwhile, heat 1 gallon of water to 175°F. Ladle off enough whey to expose the curds. Add enough hot water to bring the temperature to 93°F. Stir for 10 minutes. Repeat this process of removing whey and adding hot water, this time bringing the temperature to 100°F. Stir for 15 minutes, then let the curds settle for 10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes, maintaining 100°F. The curds will mat and form a slab.
5. Drain off enough whey to expose the slab of curds. Transfer the slab to a flat bottomed colander, place it over the pot, and let drain for 5 minutes. Transfer the slab to a cutting board and cut into 3/8-inch thick slices. Place in bowl and gently toss with 2 teaspoons of the salt.
6. Line a 5-inch molds with damp cheesecloth and set on draining rack. Tightly pack half of the curds in the mold, and press at 5 lbs for 10 minutes, just to compact the curds slightly. Peel back the cloth and sprinkle with ½ tsp of coriander and ½ tsp of orange peel, then pack in the rest of the curds. Press at 8 lbs of pressure for 6 hours at room temperature. Remove the cheese, flip over and rewrap. Press at 8 lbs of pressure for 8 hours.
7. Pour the bottle of ale into a lidded, non reactive container large enough for ale and cheese. Remove the cheese from the mold and place it in the ale. Soak the cheese, covered, for 8 hours at 55°F, flipping over once.
8. Remove the cheese from the ale and pat dry. Reserve and refrigerate the ale and place the cheese on a cheese mat. Air dry at room temperature for 12 hours. Return the cheese to the ale and soak for another 12 hours at 55°F. Remove, pat dry, and air-dry at room temperature for 12 hours, or until the surface is dry to the touch. Discard the ale.
9. Prepare a brine-ale wash: boil ½ cup of water and let it cool, and combine with ½ cup of ale, then dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in it. Store in the refrigerator.
10. Place the cheese on a mat in a ripening box and ripen at 50°F and 90% humidity for 4 to 6 weeks. Flip the cheese daily for the first 2 weeks, then twice weekly after that. After each flip, pour a little brine-ale wash into a small dish, dip a small piece of cheesecloth in it, and use it to wipe the surface of the cheese. Discard any unused brine-ale wash after 1 week and make a fresh batch. Also wipe away any moisture from the bottom, sides, and lid of the ripening box each time you flip the cheese.
11. Wrap the cheese in cheese paper and store refrigerated for up to 1 month. If you vacuum-seal the cheese, remove it from the packaging and pat dry before consuming it.
]]>2 gallon pasteurized milk
2 cup pasteurized heavy cream
½ tsp MESO III
½ tsp calcium chloride diluted in ¼ cup of non chlorinated water
½ tsp liquid calf rennet diluted in ¼ cup of non chlorinated water
2 tbs salt kosher
2 oz butter or lard for bandaging or wax it
1. Heat milk to 89 deg. This should take about 20 minutes.
2. Add starter. Let float 5 min, stir 1 min. Ripen for 45 min.
3. Add calcium chloride and gently stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the rennet and gently stir 1 min. Let set until clean break - about 35 min.
5. Cut curd in ½” chunks, let set rest for 10 min.
6. Heat curd to 101°F, increasing temperature 2 degrees every 5 minutes. This should take about 35 minutes. Stir often to prevent matting.
7. Ladle off enough whey to expose the curds and continue to stir for 45 to 60 minutes, keeping the temperature at 98° to 100°.
8. Ladle out most of the whey and add enough 50° water to bring the curd temperature down to 79°.
9. Let rest for 4 minutes.
10. Place a colander over a pot big enough to capture the whey. Line it with a damp cheesecloth and ladle the curds into it. Keep the curds broken up for 30 minutes by gently using your hands to keep the curds from knitting together.
11. Toss the curds with the salt for 5 minutes.
12. Line a 5” cheese mold with cheesecloth and put the curds in it.
13. Let drain for 10 minutes.
14. Press at 5 lb. pressure for 15 min.
15. Remove from mold, flip over and return to press.
16. Press at 15lbs for 1 hours.
17. Remove from mold, flip over and press at 15lbs of pressure for 10 hours
17. Remove from mold and air dry in the cheese cave at 55° to 60° and 85% humidity for 24 hours. This will setup surface for rind development.
18. Rub the cheese with butter or lard and bandage with cheesecloth. Age at 55° to 60° with 65% to 75% humidity for at least 2 months, flipping it every other day.
To make pepper jack out of this, I put 2 tsp of chopped jalopeno’s and 2 tsp of red pepper flakes in 1/2 cup of water and boil it. When it’s time to toss with salt, I add the peppers and liquid first, and toss that in, and then toss in the salt.
Edited recipe 2-3-13 to be 2 gallons of milk, changed the pressing instructions, and added the peppers.
This makes a nice creamy moist cheese. I do not recommend the cloth banding. I did one with a cloth band and one with a wax and the wax was so much better than the cloth banded one.
]]>Sage Goat Cheese Ebelskivers Makes 21
1 recipe “Basic Batter”
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
21 small fresh sage leaves or 2 1/2 Tablespoons of any chopped fresh herb you desire
3 1/2 Tablespoons chilled and crumbled goat cheese
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees to keep the finished pancakes warm as you continue to cook the rest.
- Prepare the batter. (If using chopped fresh herbs, add to the batter)
- Brush the wells of the ebelskiver pan with some of the melted butter and place on the stove top over medium heat. With the butter starts to bubble, carefully lay 1 sage leaf on the bottom of each well, then add 1 tablespoon batter.
- Working quickly, carefully spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the goat cheese into the center of each pancake and top each with another 1 tablespoon of batter.
- Cook until the bottoms of the pancakes are lightly browned and crisp, 3-5 minutes. Use two wooden skewers to turn all the pancakes and cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 2-3 minutes longer.
- Transfer the finished pancakes to a platter and keep warm in the oven.
- Serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
——————————————————
Basic Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup whole milk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and melted butter.
- Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and, using a wooden spoon, stir until well blended. The batter will be lumpy.
- In a clean bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, peaks form.
- Using as silicone spatula, fold about one-third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the rest just until no white streaks remain. Use the batter right away.
]]>Ingredients:
2.6 gallon of whole milk (I use raw unpasturized milk)
6 spoons of mesofilic starting culture
3/4 teaspoon of nitric acid (KNO3)
1/8 teaspoon of calcium chloride
1/2 teaspoon liquid animal rennet, dissolved in 4 spoons of cold not-chloride water
brine with a strength of 20 Beaume, which means 200gr non-iodised salt in 1 liter of water (7oz of salt in 0.26gallon water).
Warm water of about 149F
A 1KG mold for baby Gouda (preferrably a Kadova with net)
Warm the milk slowly to 84.5F
Add the Calcium chloride and the starter and stirr well.
Let the starter set for about 45 minutes, keeping the milk at the same temperature.
Add the KNO3 and the rennet and stirr well.
Let the rennet do its job for about 35 minutes and check for a clean break.
Cut the curd into pieces of about half an inch and stirr for about 15 minutes
Let the curd sink for 10 minutes
Remove about one third of the whey
Use warm water to raise the temperature in 10 minutes to 97F under continuous stirring.
Keep stirring for another 30 minutes.
Put the mold in warm water. Molds with net not warmer than 104F !!
Let the curd rest for 5 minutes
Remove all or as much as possible of the whey.
Crumble the curds into the warm mold and fill it well.
Put the follower on top, flip the mold and let it drain for about 15 minutes.
Flip the mold to the normal position and press with 8.8lbs (4Kg) for 2 hours, flip the cheese after 1 hours.
Let it dry in room temperature for about 6 hours.
Put it in the brine for 10-12 hours, turn the cheese several times
As soon as the cheese is dry after brining, coat it (I use a liquid plastic coating)
Store it in the cave at about 57F and 80-85% RH
Coat it again after 4 or 5 days.
Let it mature for 3 - 12 weeks.