Irresistible Homemade Cheddar Cheese: The Ultimate Recipe

Indulge in the authenticity and flavor of homemade Cheddar cheese. With this detailed recipe, you will learn step by step how to create a delicious and flavorful Cheddar cheese right in your own kitchen. From selecting the right ingredients to the cooking and pressing process, we guide you through each stage to ensure you achieve a superior quality cheese. Discover the secrets of this traditional craft and delight your taste buds with the authentic taste of Cheddar cheese. This is the perfect video for cheese enthusiasts and those looking to experiment at home. Join us on the adventure of making homemade Cheddar cheese!

Ingredients for 3 pounds/1.3 kg of cheese:

13 liters full fat milk
Mesophilic culture
3 ml single strength liquid rennet
For pasteurized milk - use ½ tsp Calcium Chloride
Non-iodized salt

Preparation:

Heat milk to 30℃, stirring well and heating slowly.
Once the milk is at 30℃, add the culture. However, if you are using pasteurized milk, add the Calcium Chloride before the culture.
Add the culture by sprinkling over the milk. Wait for 2 minutes, before stirring.
Keep the milk to the same temperature for 90 minutes.
Add the rennet. The milk needs to sit quiet for 45 minutes, to curd solid.
Do not heat the milk during this time! It needs to be undisturbed.
When the milk is curdled, you will be able to test and see a simple clean break.
Cut the curd into squares.
Rest for 5 minutes.
Stir slowly for 10-15 minutes, then bring it back to 30℃, if the curds have cooled.
Increase the heat slowly to 38℃.
The total cooking time should be 30 minutes.
Stir for another 30-60 minutes, until the curd is firm.
The final curds should be firm, with moderate resistance when pressed.
When the curds are dry enough, settle them under the whey for a few minutes.
Begin to remove the whey down to 3 cm above the mass.
Place a cheese cloth in a colander, the colander in a larger pan.
Transfer curds into the colander. The curds should be completely covered with whey.
Stir for 10-15 minutes.
Fold over the cloth and tighten around the curd, allowing all the whey to drain.
The curd will need to be kept at 30℃ and turned at 15-30 minutes intervals, for the next 2-3 hours.
After 1 hour, cut the curd in half and stack the halves with cheese cloth, separating them.
Add a wooden board on top of the curds, to add weight.
The final curds need now to be broken into small pieces, and you can now add salt at the rate of 2% of salt to the weight of the cheese curds.
If the curd weighs 1.3 kg, 2% salt would be 39 g.
Add the salt in 3 stages, over 15-20 minutes.
Once the curds have been salted, line the final container or mold with cheese cloth and pack the curds firmly.
Begin pressing slowly and lightly.
For 1 hour - press with 9 kg weight.
Turn the cheese over, then press again with 9 kg weight for 1 hour.
Turn the cheese over and press with 18 kg weight for 4 hours.
22 kg weight for 24 hours.
Age the cheese in a cheese cloth.
Bind the cloth to the cheese, using lard.
Turn the cheese every week.
Age for 3-9 months.

Tips:

If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use your finger to dip into the milk and when you feel the milk is warm, then it reached 30℃.
For weights, you can use anything you have at hand, but make sure that the weights press on the cheese evenly, otherwise, even if the cheese dries, it will crumble.
Prepare mesophilic culture and rennet, according to manufacturer’s instructions.
My advice is to use animal rennet, such a cow, the others might give a bitter taste to the cheese.

Bon Appétit!

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