Cheddar Cheese Making Food

HOMEMADE RAW CHEDDAR CHEESE

Steps:

• Put the milk in the pot and slowly over a couple hours warm it to 86 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally. Keep it covered to preserve heat.
• Sprinkle the mesophilic culture on top of the milk.
• Stir in very well.
• Cover and allow to culture or "ripen" for 45 minutes to 1 hour, keeping the temperature at 86 degrees Fahrenheit. During the summer, turn burner off and cover pot with a bath towel to keep at temperature.
• Meanwhile, dissolve rennet in about 1/4 cup of water. Set aside.
• After the ripening time, pour the water-rennet mix into the milk, and stir well.
• Cover the pot again and allow the milk to set for 30 to 45 minutes, until a firm curd forms. Once curd forms, if cut into with a knife, it should make a "clean break" -- where the curd splits and whey pours into the crack. See picture here.
• Then cut the curd into 1/2 inch cubes. Click here to read some good basic directions for making those cuts.
• Be very gentle with the curds at this point. In fact, after cutting them, just let them sit for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Keep the cover on to keep them warm.
• Then turn on the burner (if it isn't on already) and heat the curds to 102 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of 40 minutes or so.
• During this time, stir gently every 5 or 10 minutes to keep the curds from sticking and make them smaller.
• Keep the curds at 102 degrees Fahrenheit for an additional 30 minutes.
• Stir occasionally. Curds should be firm and a bit stretchy, surrounded with lots of whey. They should hold together if pressed. For more info on a texture test, check out The Cheesemaker's Manual.
• Let the curds settle at the bottom of the pot.
• Pour off about 2/3 of the whey into another pot or container. You can keep this raw, cultured whey for lacto-ferments or soaking where a stronger flavor works well (such as veggie ferments).
• Then transfer the curds to a colander, leaving the remaining whey in the pot.
• Put the colander to nest inside the pot, so the curds are suspended over the warm whey. This begins the "cheddaring process" which gives the cheese its squeaky texture.
• Let the curds drain for about 1 hour.
• Cover the colander with a piece of cheesecloth and the pot lid.
• Keep the burner on low if necessary to keep the whey warm.
• During this hour, turn the slab of curds over a few times to make sure they're draining well.
• Take the slab of curds out of the colander, put it on a cutting surface, and then cut it into chunks.
• Then cut the chunks into slices.
• Put them in a bowl and toss with fine sea salt until just slightly oversalted. Remember that some of the salt will leave with the whey that gets pressed out.
• If you don't have a cheese press, these curds are fresh and ready to be eaten! Delicious!
• If you do have a cheese press, line mold with cheesecloth - could be the same piece that covered the curds during the cheddaring process.
• Fill the mold with the slices of curd.
• Using your press's setup (follower, etc.), press the cheese at 10 to 15 pounds for about half an hour.
• If the pressure loosens during this time, tighten it up again.
• Take the cheese out of the mold, turn it over, and put it back in the mold (cheesecloth and all). This makes it pretty on top and bottom.
• You'll need a tray to catch the whey that drains during the pressing.
• Continue pressing overnight (or 12 to 15 hours) with continual pressure, working it up to 35 to 45 pounds for the duration.
• Once again, check frequently if the pressure loosens and adjust the press as necessary. What happens is the cheese gets smaller and shorter, but the press stays in the same position - thus the pressure on the cheese gets relieved, and we need to come in and tighten it up again. Not all presses work like this, but mine does.
• Take the cheese out of the mold.
• Air dry it at room temperature for a few hours or overnight.
• Eat fresh, or age for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
• Wax it for longer aging.
• Mild cheddar develops in about 4 weeks, medium in about 2 to 3 months, and sharp in 6 months or more. Allow longer aging times for cheeses made from pasteurized milk (another reason raw is better!).

CHEDDAR CHEESE FONDUE (COURTESY OF THE MELTING POT)

Steps:

• start with 4 oz of base (beer, milk or broth).
• add garlic.
• add 3 shakes of mustard powder.
• stir.
• add small amount of cheddar cheese.
• mix thoroughly (using whipping motion until cheese is melted).
• add five turns of pepper grinder.
• add three to four shakes of worcestershire sauce.
• fold in pepper & worcestershire.
• remove mixing fork.

MACARONI AND CHEDDAR CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a medium, deep skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into the oil, add flour and combine. Gently cook, whisking flour and butter together, until smooth and flour has had a chance to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk while continuing to whisk. Gently bring milk to a bubble while stirring frequently. Allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese a handful at a time. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and add a little salt, if you like. Add cooked pasta to sauce and coat completely by turning over and over in the cheese sauce. Transfer to a flameproof baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Place baking dish under a hot broiler and brown the Cheddar cheese on top.

CHEESE CURDS RECIPE (BASIC)

Steps:

• Cheese Curds, tasty little bits of fresh cheese perfect for a quick snack Cheese curds are the fresh curds of cheese, often cheddar. Their flavor is mild with about the same firmness as cheese, but has a springy or rubbery texture. Fresh curds squeak against the teeth when bitten into, which some would say is their defining characteristic. The American variety are usually yellow or orange in color, like most American cheddar cheese. Other varieties, such as the Qubcois and the New York varieties, are roughly the same color as white cheddar cheese. After twelve hours, even under refrigeration, they have lost much of their "fresh" characteristics, particularly the "squeak". Room temperature, rather than refrigeration, may preserve the flavor and the "squeak". You can freeze cheese curds for up to 4 months, be aware you will loose the squeak and freshness when eaten after freezing. Cheese Curds are sometimes breaded and deep fried especially in Wisconsin. Cheese curds are a main ingredient in Poutine, a Quebec dish in which cheese curds are served layered on top of french fries, and melting under steaming hot gravy. Heat Milk Start out by bringing 2 Gallons of milk up to a temperature of 96¡F. Once the milk is at 96F, set a timer for 90 minutes (so you can measure the critical process from ripening through scald; this is the critical part and needs to run by the clock) and proceed with the recipe . Optional If you want more color in the curds add 1/4-1/2 tsp of annato cheese coloring at this point Add Calcium Chloride & Culture Next 1/2 tsp of Calcium Chloride is measured out and added to the milk along with a pack of (C201 Thermophilic Culture). The milk is then kept at 96¡F to culture (ripen) the milk for 30 minutes. Coagulate with Rennet Next measure out 1/2 tsp of single strength Liquid Rennet and add this to 1/4 cup of cool water, add and stir the milk gently for about 30 seconds. In about 6-10 minutes the milk will begin to gel and in 18-25 minutes a firm set should take place. This can be tested by inserting a knife and lifting with the broad surface to split the curd as seen above. In a few seconds the cut will fill with clear whey, if it is cloudy wait a few more minutes. Cut the Curds Next cut the curd surface into 3/4inch cubes. Wait 3 minutes then begin to stir. Keeping the temperature at 96¡F and as you stir the curds will become smaller. Cook the Curds You can now begin heating the curds slowly to 116¡F over 30 minutes. They will continue to shrink as more whey is released. About now your timer should be going off. Continue to cook the curds for 30-60 minutes depending on how dry you like them. Drain the Curds Once the curds are cooked, transfer them to a cloth lined colander to drain. The cloth is then gathered by its corners and hung for 15-20 minutes. Then the cloth is twisted tight to press the curds together. Pressing A small plate, placed ontop of the curds, provides an excellent flat surface for pressing. Press with a weight of 1 Gallon of water (app. 8 lbs) and let set 1-3 hours. In about 1-3 hours, youÕll have a nice consolidated mass of curds. Salting & Finishing This curd mass can now be broken into bite size pieces and tossed with a bit of salt. It is now ready for eating. I store the curds in a zip lock bag in the fridge. NOTE: If you have a pH meter, the end of step 5 should be pH6.4 and step 7 pH5.3.

HOMEMADE CHEDDAR CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and salt until a paste forms. Slowly add milk; cook and stir until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add cheese, stir to combine, and cook until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

FRESH CHEESE RECIPE (QUESO BLANCO)

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a large pot over low-medium heat. Let the milk slowly heat until it reaches 100°F.
• Stir in the rennet slowly into the milk. The curds start to separate from the whey.]
• Lower down the heat and let the pot sit on the stove for another 10 minutes. During this time, the curds and whey will separate more which will cause a giant blob to form. Cut the blob into smaller cubes or chunks. [Sidebar: The size of curds will affect the amount of moisture retained in your final cheese. The smaller the pieces, the drier cheese will be. I prefer soft cheese hence I cut the blob into larger chunks.] Use a cheeseharp or a knife.
• Line a colander with a cheesecloth. Using ladle start transferring curds and whey into the colander. Tie up the end of the cheesecloth making a tight bundle. Cover it with a weight like a small plate with container of water on the top.
• Leave the cheese to drain for 4-5 hours on the room temperature.
• Unwrap the cheesecloth and take the cheese out. Put the cheese on the chopping board then cut into smaller pieces. Sprinkle with salt then serve it.
• Place the cheese into container and keep it in refrigerator for up to a week.

HOMEMADE CHEDDAR CHEESE

Steps:

• Gently warm the milk to 86 degrees F (30 C).
• Sprinkle the packet of mesophilic starter culture over the top of the warmed milk, andallow it to rehydrate for 2 minutes undisturbed. (This helps preventclumping.) Use 1 packet for raw milk or 2 packets for pasteurized milk. Alternately, use a bulk mesophilic starter at a rate of 1/4 tsp for raw milk or 1/2 tsp for pasteurized milk.
• Stir the culture into the milk using an up and down motion for 1 minute.
• Allow the milk to culture undisturbed for 45 minutes.
• If using pasteurized milk, dilute 1 tsp of calcium chloride in 1/4 cup cool unchlorinated water. Add to the cultured milk and stir for 1 minute to distribute. (This is optional, but highly recommended as the calcium is damaged in pasteurized milk, and it has difficulty forming good curds. This will help firm them up a bit, which will be easier to work with during the cheddaring process.)
• Dilute 1 tsp rennet in 1/4 cup of cool unchlorinated water and add it into the cultured milk, stirring using an up and down motion for 1 minute.
• After 1 minute, still the milk and allow it to set undisturbed for 45 minutes until the curds are set and show a clean break. If the curds are not set, wait another 5-15 minutes before proceeding.
• Cut the curds into 1/4 inch cubes and then allow them to sit for 5 minutes. (This allows the curds to heal a bit before you move along, which will improve the structure of the finished cheese.)
• Slowly heat the curds to 100 degrees F (38 C), increasing the temperature by no more than 2 degrees every 5 minutes. This should take at least 40 minutes. Occasionally stir the curds to prevent matting.
• Once the curds reach 100 degrees F (38 C), hold the temperature for 30 minutes and gently stir the curds.
• After 30 minutes, stop stirring and allow the curds to settle to the bottom of the pot.
• Once settled, pour the curds through a cheesecloth-lined colander (reserving the whey to make whey cheese).
• Allow the curds to drain for 15 minutes, during which they'll mat into a solid mass.
• Remove the curds from the colander and slice them into 1-inch strips. Stack the strips on top of each other and place the stacked curds back into the cheesecloth-lined colander.
• Suspend the colander over a pot of warm (100 degree F, or 38 C) water, and place a lid on top of the colander to maintain warmth. (Optionally, you can also fill a large Ziploc bag with warm water and place it on top of the curds to add more warmth and weight to help the cheddaring process.)
• Hold the curds at 100 degrees F (38 C) for two hours, flipping the stacked curds over every 15 minutes. This is called cheddaring.
• After 2 hours, the curds should have a texture like cooked chicken breast. Gently break them with your hands into 1/2 inch pieces, but keep them in the colander over the warm water bath to keep them warm.
• Hold the broken curds in the colander, still maintaining 100 degrees in the water below, for 30 minutes. Gently stir the curds with your hands every 10 minutes to keep them from matting.
• After 30 minutes, add the cheese salt (2 Tbsp. if starting with 4 gallons milk) and gently distribute it through the curds with your hands. Be sure to mix it thoroughly so it's evenly distributed.
• Line a cheese form (cheese mold) with cheesecloth and place the salted curds in the form. Drape part of the cheesecloth over the top of the curds, and then place a follower for the cheese form on top.
• Place the curds into a cheese press and press at 20 pounds pressure for 30 minutes to form the cheese into a block. At this point, the individual curds will still be visible, but it should mostly hold together when removed from the press.
• Remove the cheese from the press, undress it, flip it over and redress with cheesecloth. Press at 40 pounds pressure for 12 hours (overnight usually).
• In the morning, remove the cheese from the press, undress it, flip it and redress it. Press the cheese at 50 pounds pressure for 24 hours.
• Remove the cheese from the press and remove the cheesecloth.
• Allow the cheese to air dry at room temperature for 2 to 5 days, flipping daily until it's dry to the touch on all sides.
• Dress the cheddar block for aging by cloth binding, waxing, or vacuum sealing (see article).
• Age the dressed cheddar block at 50 to 55 degrees F (10 to 13 degrees C) and 85% relative humidity for at least three months. (Preferably 6 months to a year.) Flip the cheese daily for the first week, and then weekly after that.

HOW TO MAKE CHEDDAR CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a large stockpot. Pour the milk into your stockpot and heat it over medium heat until it reaches an even temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius). You can use either cow's milk or goat's milk, but either way, it should be raw. The temperature can be as low as 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29.4 degrees Celsius) when you begin. Check the temperature with an instant-read food thermometer.
• Mix in the mesophilic culture. Sprinkle the culture over the surface of the milk and whisk it in, making sure that it is thoroughly combined and dissolved. Let the cultured milk ripen for 1 hour. Note that you could also use 1 packet of direct-set mesophilic culture instead of bulk mesophilic culture.
• Add the rennet solution. Slowly pour the diluted rennet into the milk, whisking continuously as you add it and for at least 5 minutes after all the rennet has been added. Let the milk set for 1 to 2 hours. A curd should develop in this time, and it should be firm enough for you to cut cleanly with a knife. If you do not want to use liquid animal rennet, you could use 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) double-strength liquid vegetable rennet dissolved in 1/2 cup (125 ml) water or 1/4 tablet vegetable rennet dissolved in 1/2 cup (125 ml) water.
• Cut the curds into cubes. Use a long knife to cut the curds into 1/4-inch (6.5-mm) cubes. The cubes do not have to be perfectly even, but they should be approximately the same size. Let the curds sit for an additional 15 minutes, or until they get a little firmer.
• Raise the temperature and continue cooking. Gradually raise the temperature of the milk until it reaches 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 to 38.8 degrees Celsius). Stir the curds with a long-handled spoon every few minutes to prevent them from matting or clumping. It will usually take about 30 to 45 minutes for the curds to reach this temperature. After the curds reach your desired temperature, let them continue to cook for another 30 to 45 minutes. Again, stir gently every few minutes to prevent matting. Remove the curds from the heat if they get too hot. During this time, the curds will begin to shrink considerably.
• Line a colander with cheesecloth. Place the colander in a large, clean sink or basin and line it with enough cheesecloth to cover the sides completely. Meanwhile, let the curds settle to the bottom of the pot for about 20 minutes.
• Drain the whey. Pour the contents of the pot through your cheesecloth-lined colander. Rest the colander over a clean sink, basin, or the empty stockpot. Drain for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the curds from becoming too clumpy or matted.

CHEDDAR CHEESE DIP

Steps:

• Grate the cheddar cheese while very chilled, but then let the grated cheese get back to room temperature. In the bowl of a food processor, whirl the cheese, butter, mustard, sherry and cayenne pepper until smooth and creamy
• Transfer to a mixing bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed. (You can do 2 weeks before serving.) Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving; fold in the nuts and repack into four 1 cup ramekins of crocks. Dust with chives for garnish
• Serve with crackers, or a crunchy vegetable like celery or fennel or jicama.

CHEDDAR CHEESE RECIPE

Steps:

• Warm milk to 88F. Remove the pot from the heat.
• Add in the mesophilic culture and annatto. Stir 2 minutes.
• Cover and maintain the temperature for 1 hour.
• Stir in the rennet 30 seconds. You do not need to dilute the rennet in water for small batch cheese. Stir slowly, but throughly. Stop the motion of the milk with your ladle.
• Coagulate the milk for about 40-50 minutes. If you are using a flocculation cap place it on the milk and begin checking for flocculation after 12 minutes. Mark the time elapsed. Multiply that number by 3 then subtract the flocculation time from the product. (Example: Flocculation time of 15 minutes; 15x3=45; 45-15=30 more minutes of coagulation.)
• Check for a clean break.
• Cut the curds to ¼". Cut in a grid then on the diagonal the depth of the pot in all 4 directions.
• Allow the curds to rest and heal for 5 minutes to lock in moisture. Skip this step if you want a dry cheddar.
• Return the pot to the heat and warm to 95F over the course of 30 minutes. Stir continuously, beginning with slow stirring and increase speed as the curds toughen up.
• Heat the curds to 102F in 15 minutes, stirring fairly rapidly.
• Maintain the temperature and stir for a final 15 minutes. Stir as quickly as you can.
• Test the curds by squeezing them in the palm of your hand. They should hold together in a clump yet break apart when rubbing them with your thumb.
• Pitch the curds for 5 minutes and allow them to sink to the bottom.
• Meanwhile, prepare a waterbath to keep your curd warm during the cheddaring process. I use my kitchen sink filled with hot water & 2- half gallon mason jars filled with water to weigh the pot down.
• Remove the whey from the pot.
• NOTE: Try to maintain a 102F temperature for the cheddaring process.
• Cut the curd mass in the bottom of the pot into 4 blocks and stack them on top of each other.
• Place the covered pot in the water bath & weigh it down.
• Stack and flip every 15 minutes for 1 hour until the curds have the consistency of cooked chicken breast. Drain any whey in the bottom when flipping the curds. (This is a total of 4- 15 minutes with 3 flip/stacks.)
• Weigh & make a note of the curd mass.
• Quickly cut the curds into 1" cubes so you don't lose too much temperature.
• Using a micro digital scale, weigh out 2.6% of the curd mass in salt.
• Add the salt to the cubed curds in 2 phases with 5 minutes between additions. Place the pot back in the waterbath between saltings.
• Prepare your cheese press between saltings.
• Quickly transfer salted curds to a cheesecloth lined hoop.
• Press at 20 pounds pressure for 15 minutes.
• Remove the cheese from the hoop, flip, and redress in the cheesecloth.
• Return the cheese to the press and apply 60 pounds of pressure overnight.
• In the morning, remove the cheese, flip, and redress a final time. Return it to the press and apply 80 pounds of pressure until the cheese has been in the press for a total of 24 hours.
• Transfer the cheese to a cheese mat and air dry for 2-3 days, flipping twice daily.
• Was the cheese for the aging or apply a cloth bandage rind using clean cotton fabric and melted butter.
• Age the cheese in a cheese fridge at 55F and 80% humidity for 4-6 weeks for mild cheddar and 3 months or more for sharp cheddar.