Makeing Cheddar Cheese

On weekends when I don't have much in the way of weeding or planting to do I like to bake, sew, or as we will be discussing today, make cheese.

Cheddar, like most cheeses takes raw milk, a starter, water and rennet.  One gallon of milk will create approximately a pound of cheese.  In most states getting the milk will require some effort.  If the milk has been pasteurized it will not form the required curds.  In Salt Lake there is only one store which reliably has raw milk, and in order to purchase it you must sign a waver. 

Also, while you may not know it from the store, most dairy products are approximately the same color as milk, so basically off white.    Historically cheese was made from milk form pasture fed cows.  Pasture fed cows will produce an oranger milk, and therefore an oranger cheese.  In winter cows would produce whiter milk, making a white cheese (as they were fed from hey while the pastures were covered in snow).  Due to the difficulty in getting raw milk at all, we are not able to get pasture fed cow raw milk, so instead I used annatto seeds as a die (I have never used them in cheese before, so we will see how it works).  Boil the seeds then remove them and add the water to the milk, making it an orange is color. 

Heat the milk to 86 degrees.  Add the mesophilic starter and set aside for 45 minutes.  Make sure your milk is still at 86 degrees. Add a half teaspoon rennet diluted in 1/4 cup un-chlorinated water.  Stir using an up and down motion for 1 minute.  Set aside for 45 minutes.  The milk will now have separated into a large curd, and way.  Cut the curds into 1/4 inch cubes and allow to set for 5 minutes.

Heat the curds to 100 degrees stirring gently raising the temperature no more than 2 degrees every 5 minutes.  Continue stirring for 30 minutes at 100 degrees.  Allow to set for 20 minutes.  Pour curds through colander, setting aside whey to make Ricotta, the curds will be in a blob at this point, not strips.  Put the colander in the pot and let it sit for 15 minutes.  Put curds on cutting board and slice into 3 inch slices.

Put in pot and place the pot in another pot with 100 degree water.  Turn curds every 15 minutes for 2 hours.  The curds should now have the texture of chicken meat.  Break slices into 1/2 inch cubes and put them in the covered pot again.

Stir with your fingers ever 10 minutes for 30 minutes.  Do not squeeze them.  Remove the pot from the pot of water.  Add salt and stir.  Line the 2 lb cheese press with cheese cloth, then put the curds in and cover with cloth.  (I usually use 2, because it doesn't quite hold 2 lbs of cheese prior to pressing).  Press using 10 lbs of weight for 15 minutes. 

Turn the cheese, recover with cloth and press with 40 lbs for 12 hours.  Turn again and press at 50 lbs for 24 hours.  Remove the cloth and let it dry for 2-5 days.  Cover with cheese wax and age at 50 to 55 degrees for 3-12 months (the longer you age it the sharper the flavor).  I will not be able to tell you how this turned out for months (though the last one was great), but for now it looks good!