Making Cheese

1. Ripen milk

Direct heating on a stove top heats unevenly, so direct heat should be only used for making soft cheeses. Indirect heating (using a water bath) is generally better, as it heats evenly.

1. Place the container of milk in a pot of water that is 10 degrees hotter than the milk needs to be.
2. If the temperature runs too high during ripening, remove the milk container and let cool and re-immerse when the temperature has stabilized.
3. Heat the milk to the temperature stated in the recipe.

2. Add the culture

1. When the milk gets to the desired temperature, add your starter culture, which contains the lactic-acid producing bacteria.
2. Mix well once and leave.

3. Combine additives

1. If needed, now is the time to add extras like calcium chloride or lipase.
2. After adding, if the milk is not homogenized or you’re using goat’s milk, stir to ensure the layer of cream is fully disbursed.

4. Add rennet

1. Carefully follow the recipe on how much to use and how to dilute it.
2. Pour rennet over a perforated spoon to disburse it into the milk and use an up and down motion to ensure it’s fully mixed.
3. Cover the pot of milk and leave for the time specified in the recipe.
4. Do not re-stir!

5. Curd cutting (for hard cheese)

If making soft cheese, then you’re done. At this stage you should gently strain the cheese and allow it to cool for two days.

If you’re making hard cheese, curd cutting comes next, which take a bit of practice. To get this right, there’ll be some trial and error. Once proficient, you’ll be much better at recognizing when the curd is too hard or soft for cutting—in either case, cutting will cause crushing and loss of butterfat.

1. Once the milk is fully set, you’re left with a solid or semi-solid mass—a big curd. Place a finger or spoon handle into the curd at a 45-degree angle. If the curd parts cleanly from your handle, it’s ready to cut.
2. Using a sharp knife, carefully cube the curd, first by cutting in a series of straight lines about a quarter- to a half-inch apart, and then back again perpendicular to the first cuts to give a checkerboard effect.
3. Next, at a 45-degree angle cut diagonally down into the curd to cube the curd. Turn the milk container and repeat.
4. Let sit for 5 minutes.

6. Curd cooking

Heating the pot of curds indirectly will draw out the excess moisture (whey) and allow the cheese to harden further

1. Heat your pot to the temperature indicated in your recipe (temperatures vary depending on your final product).
2. Stir very gently and don’t raise the temperature of the cheese more than 2 degrees every five minutes or the curds will go rubbery.

7. Draining and straining

This removes more whey.

1. Line a colander with butter muslin (for soft cheese) or cheesecloth (for hard cheese) and ladle the curds into it gently.
2. Tie the corners into a knot and hang over a sink or container to drain. The best temperature for this is around 72°F.
3. Collect the whey for use in making ricotta cheese (but it cannot be stored, it must be used immediately).
4. Hanging time varies with recipe.

8. Break up the final curds

1. After draining, hard cheeses will need to be broken into small pieces again (1 to 2 square inches) to aid final draining and pressing.
2. Do this by hand, making sure not to squeeze the pieces as it will lose butterfat.

9. Salting

You can choose whether to salt or brine (step #11).

1. To salt, simply add salt directly and mix gently.

10. Pressing

1. Carefully transfer the curds into a mold lined with cheesecloth, which is used for forming and consolidating the curd.
2. When full of curd, place cheesecloth over top.
3. Place the “follower” or the pressing block into the top of the mold and place the mold in the press.
4. Gradually increase the pressure on the mold to drive out more whey. Be sure not to “shock” the cheese with too much pressure, as this will cause too much butterfat to be lost.
5. Remove the cheese after 10 to 15 minutes and strip the cheesecloth off.
6. Turn the cloth over and re-dress the cheese. Replace in the mold upside down and press again, this time to the pressure specified in the recipe.
7. Redress and turn several more times until you finally let sit, usually for 12 hours or more.

11. Brining

If you opt to brine instead of salt, the time is now.

1. To brine, the cheese is hung in a brine bath after pressing.

12. Drying

1. Remove the cheese and gently strip off the cheesecloth.
2. Leave on a drying rack in a cool, dark, dry place.
3. Turn it several times a day.
4. If mold or fungus grows on the outside, wipe off with a cloth and vinegar.

13. Waxing

1. Melt cheese wax in a metal container in a hot water bath. (Be careful, wax fumes are flammable.)
2. Using a natural-bristled brush, apply the wax one side at a time.
3. At least two coats is necessary.

14. Ageing

1. Store hard cheeses at 55°F and at humidity of 65% to 85%.
2. Turn the cheeses every day for first three weeks.
3. Turn three times a week thereafter until aged correctly (usually takes a minimum of two months).