some cheese recipes
Posted by: empalo <empalo@...>
FETA
Use pastuerized Goat or Sheep milk if possible. Raw milk could be used, but
only if the cheese is to be ripened for 60 days or more before consumption.
1. Heat milk to 86 deg. F and add 2 fl oz of Type B starter culture for each
gallon of milk.
2. For every 3 gallon of milk mix 1/8 level tsp. of Very Sharp Lipase Powder
into 1/4 cup of cool tap water. Stir well into milk.
3. Ripen the milk at 86 deg. F. for 1 hour or until titratable acidity has
risen by .02%.
4. For each gallon of milk, mix 1/4 tsp. liquid rennet into 1/4 cup of cool
tap water. Stir well into milk for 1 or 2 minutes.
5. Let milk stand for 30 to 40 minutes.
6. Cut the curd into 1" cubes and let rest for 5 minutes. Then stir gently
for 20 minutes, maintaining the temperature at 86 deg. F.
7. Dip curd into perforated molds and let drain for about 24 hours at room
temperature. The molds can be square or round. Put a small weight on the
cheese during draining. About 2 oz. for every square inch of surface area of
the mold.
8. Remove the cheese from the mold and weigh it. By multiplying the weight
of the cheese (in lbs) by 0.48 you will know how many ounces of salt you
will now need. As an example, if the cheese weighs 9 lbs you will need 4.32
oz. of salt - 9 x .48 = 4.32. Weigh out this amount of salt and divide it
into 3 equal parts. Sprinkle one part of the salt over all the cheese's
surfaces. Store cheese at room temperature, then after 24 hours apply the
2nd part of the salt and after another day apply the last part of the salt.
9. Now cut the cheese into 3"x3"x3" chunks.
10. For this step you will need a container and lid made of food grade
plastic, do not use glass, it may be dangerous if a break occurs when the
fermentation gases are released. In this container prepare a brine by mixing
14 oz. of canning salt per gallon of clean, cool tap water. Mix well to
dissolve the salt and place the cheese in the container of brine, making
sure it is submerged. Then seal with a lid and ripen the cheese at 40 to 50
deg. F. for 2 or 3 months.
11. The cheese will taste salty after ripening. Slice it into 1" thick
slices and place in a bowl of whole or skim milk overnight in a refrigerator
to remove the salt to your taste.
QUICKIE MOZZARELLA
Mozzarella so quick and simple we call it "Quickie". Just follow the
directions below to make a 2 lb. block :
1. Mozzarella cheese is traditionally made from fresh raw milk, but if you
are unsure about the safety of it, you should pasteurize it first. If you
will be pasteurizing, heat 2 gallons of fresh milk to 161 degrees F. If you
are using Goat milk, heat to 145 degrees F. for 30 minutes.
2. Add 2 1/2 very level teaspoons of citric acid powder (USP or other food
grade) dissolved in 1/4 cup of cool tap water. Mix it into the cool milk for
2 minutes.
3. Heat the milk to 88 deg. F.
4. Add 1/2 tsp. of liquid rennet into the milk and stir for 15 to 20
seconds, then allow the milk to remain still for 12 to 15 minutes while it
coagulates.
5. Cut the curd into 1/2" to 5/8" cubes, after cutting let curds remain
undisturbed for 5 minutes, then apply low heat and stir gently so as to keep
curds separated. The curds will shrink as the whey is expelled from them in
this step. Slowly heat the curds to 108 deg. F. within a 15 minute period,
then shut off heat and continue to stir for an additional 20 minutes.
6. Drain the curds in a colander for 15 minutes after separating them from
the whey, either by pouring or dipping then discard the whey. ( you can save
it to make a Ricotta cheese) Cut the curd into strips with about a 1"x1"
cross section and lay the strips in a crisscross fashion in a bowl.
8. Mix 1/2 cup of canning salt in 1 gallon of water and heat to 170 deg. F.
Then add the salt water to the bowl of curd strips so that they are covered
by the water.
9. Using a wooden spoon, begin to stretch the curd in an upward motion. It
will begin to get stringy and will become plastic and shiny. Stretch it for
about 10 minutes, then place curd on a board and knead as you would bread,
shaping it into a ball. Place the cheese in a mold (any food grade plastic
such as cottage cheese containers, etc. make excellent molds), then into
cold water until it is cold and firmly textured. It is now ready to use. To
store the cheese, dry with paper towels, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate.
Delicious to eat and works really well on pizza.
10. If you want your cheese to be salt free you can stretch it in 170 deg F
water without salt, but the flavor is better if salt is used. You can also
stretch it in salt free water as above, but then soak it in a brine solution
as follows: use 2 1/2 lbs of iodine free salt per gallon of tap water at
about 50 deg. F. Place the cheese in this solution and allow it to soak for
10 to 12 hours. The saltier you want it the longer you soak it. A part of
the cheese will float above the brine's surface, so sprinkle some dry salt
on the part of the cheese.
HERBED CHEVRE
1. Take 2 gallons of pasteurized goat milk cooled to 72 degrees.
2. Stir in 4 ounces of Mesophilic goat cheese starter culture or 1/8 tsp of
Direct Vat Innoculant (DVI).
3. Place 5 Tbsp. of cool water in a measuring cup and add 1 drop of liquid
rennet and stir. Add 4 Tbsp. of this diluted tennet to the milk and stir
thoroughly.
4. Cover and allow the milk to set at 72 degrees F for 18-24 hours until it
coagulates.
5. Pour the curd into a cheesecloth lined colander and tie the ends of the
cheesecloth together, then hang to drain for approx. 3 hours.
6. Place the drained curd in a bowl and mix in:
3 Tbsp. of chives
1 Tbsp. of dill weed
1/2 Tbsp of chopped garlic
1 tsp. of onion powder
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of pepper
7. Place curds in a large cheese mold to drain for 24 hours at 72 degrees.
8. Remove the curds from the mold and place on a plate lined with several
paper towels and covering the cheese with paper towels, place it in the
refrigerator.
9. Change the paper towels 3 times over a 24 hour period.
10. Cut the cheese into 8 wedges and sprinkle the top with chives.
11. Wrap in cling wrap, then refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze this
cheese for several months.
Other herb combinations that you can try are: garlic and crushed red pepper;
green pepper and onion; garlic, onion & paprika or dill and chives. You can
also add either parley, sage, thyme, basil or oregano individually.
RICOTTA
To make Ricotta cheese warm 1 gallon of goat milk until it reaches 206
degrees F. It should be foamy and frothy, but not boiling. Turn off the heat
and stir in 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and stir for about 30 seconds as
the ricotta curds precipitate from the whey. Allow to sit undisturbed for a
minute or so, then drain into a cheesecloth-lined colander (save the whey)
for several minutes until most of the whey has left. Place the curds in a
bowl along with 4 Tbsp. of margarine and 1/2 tsp. of baking soda, this will
neutralize the vinegar, then mix together well. Your ricotta is done, now
you can add eggs, oregano, basil, salt, garlic, pepper, etc. to your taste.
FRESH WHEY RICOTTA
1. Take 2 gallons of fresh whey, no more than 1 hour old and bring the
temperature to 200 deg F.
2. Turn off the heat while stirring and add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar.
Note: You will see tiny particles of white, this is the precipitated
albuminous protein.
3. Line a colander with a very fine cheesecloth and carefully pour the pot
of whey into the colander and allow to drain.
4. When the cheesecloth is cool enough to handle, gather the four corners of
the cloth and tie, then hang to drain for several hours.
5. When the cheese stops draining, place it in a bowl and add salt and herbs
to your taste.
6. You can also add a small amount of cream to give a richer, moister cheese
and several ounces of mesophilic starter culture will enhance the flavor.
7. Becuase this is using milk that you already made cheese from you will
only get approximately 1 to 2 cups of cheese as this is a low yield recipe.
8. Refrigerate the cheese until used, it should keep up to a week in the
refrigerator.
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