Cheddar Cheese.
Many recipes for cheddar are complicated and hard to understand, this works for me and we love the result… No, I’m not a professional cheese maker and don’t even understand the science behind it. But…. We are enjoying fresh raw cheese so I guess that’s what matters, right?
Heat 3.5 gallon of milk.
To 86-88 degrees- turn off heat.
Add a pinch of Mesophilic culture and stir well.. let set for an hr- can cover pot with towel to keep even temperature.
Add 1/4 tsp of rennet per gallon into a 1/4 cup of cool water. Mix.
Pour slowly into pot and stir for 20 seconds.. put lid on pot and let set 30-45 minutes until a good curd is set.
Cut into cubes.
Slowly heat to 100 degrees over the next hour. Stir occasionally and gently.
Pour into colander and drain for 15 minutes.
Lift the curds several times to insure even draining.
Add 1 T. Himalayan salt for every gallon- salt is what brings out the flavor so adjust as you like.
Ready for the mold.
Add curds then the follower.
Press at 10-15 lbs pressure for half an hour. Take cheese out of mold, turn it over, and put back into mold.
Continues pressing overnight or 12-15 hours.
Let set on rack to dry for several days, flipping every so often. Is very tasty to eat fresh like this, or vacuum pack and age in refrigerator for 2-3 months.