# Farmhouse Cheddar



## catsraven (Jan 25, 2010)

Farmhouse Cheddar is the easiest hard cheese to make. You do need a Cheese Press. If you dont have one you can make it. This is a good one How to Build a Cheese Press | Chickens in the Road and very easy to make.

2 gallons whole milk
1 packet direct-set mesophilic starter or 4 ounces prepared mesophilic starter 
½ teaspoon liquid rennet or ½ a rennet tablet diluted in 1/4 cup cool water
1 tablespoon cheese salt 
If you use milk from the store you will need Calcium Chloride

Put the milk in a pot and heat to 90 degrees. (You can do this by putting hot water in your sink. Put the pot in the sink.) Add the starter and stir thoroughly. Cover and allow the milk to ripen for 45 minutes.

Add the calcium chloride (if you are using store milk. if not skip) and stir
Add the diluted rennet and stir gently with an up & down motion for 1 minute. 
Cover and let set at 90 degrees for 45 minutes or until the curd gives a clean break.
Cut the curd into ½ inch cubes

Slowly heat the curds to 100 degrees , increasing temperature no more than two degrees every 5 minutes. you can do this by putting more hot water into the sink. This will take about 30 minutes. Stir gently to keep curds from matting. The curds will shrink noticeably in size as the heating continues. The yellowish whey will grow in quantity.

Cover the container and let the curds set for 5 minutes. Pour the curds into a cheesecloth -lined colander. Tie corners of cheese cloth and hang to drain for 1 hour.

Firmly pack the curds into a 2 - lb cheese mold lined with cheesecloth. 
Apply 10 lbs of pressure for 10 minutes
Remove cheese from mold, gently peel off cheesecloth, turn cheese over and redress with cheesecloth. Press with 20 lbs for 10 minutes.
Repeat process & press at 50 lbs of pressure for 12 hours.
Remove cheese from mold & carefully peel away the cheesecloth. 
Air dry on wooden board until nice rind has formed 2 -4 days. Turn the cheese several times a day so moisture will not collect on bottom.

Wax the cheese or vacuum pack. Age for at least 1 month in the refrigerator.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Very nice ...

Thanks for posting!


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