Ingredients:
- 9L milk (cow or goat)
- 1/8 tsp of calcium chloride diluted in 1/4 cup water
- Choose direct-set mesophilic culture (1 pack) or bulk mesophilic culture (1/8 tsp).
- 1/2 cup cool water mixed in liquid animal rennet (1/2 tsp), double-strength liquid rennet (1/4 tsp), or vegetable rennet (1/4 tablet)
- 2 tbsp. sea salt
Steps:
Follow these steps if you want to know how to make cheddar cheese at home:
- Pour milk into a pot and heat it to 85°F. Keep stirring while heating it. Calcium Chloride should be added while heating if you are using it.
- When it reaches the ideal temperature, add culture and continue stirring for some time. Consecutively, cover it and leave it for an hour.
- Open it and stir it again. You should add the diluted rennet now. Keep stirring after adding so that you can get a better yield.
- Take it off the stove and leave it for an hour. However, the whey can start separating from the curd before an hour. When it separates, a layer of clear whey can be seen on the top. Use a knife to make ¼-inch cubes of the curd and leave it for 5-6 minutes to set.
- Now, heat the curds to 100°F slowly over half an hour. Continue stirring, and you will notice the curd shrinking.
- Maintain 100°F and keep stirring for half an hour. However, you can remove it if you feel the curd is getting too hot.
- Allow the curd to set slowly after you take it off the stove. This can take around 15 to 20 minutes.
- Drain the curd after putting them in a colander for 15 minutes.
- After drying out, place the curd on a cutting board. It should appear like jelly. Cut the curd into five slices. Place them in the pot, and cover them.
- Now, heat water to 102°F and place the covered pot into it. Keep the pot in water for 2 hours and turn the slices every 15 minutes.
- Your curd will become firm and shiny after heating for 2 hours. Cut the curd into ½-inch cubes after removing them from the pot. Put them back in the pot, cover them, and place them into 102°F water again.
- Stir it once with a wooden spoon every 10 minutes and continue for 30 minutes. Then, remove it from the water, add salt, and stir once more.
- Use cheesecloth to line the cheese press and place the curds. Set the pressure at around 4.5 kg and press for 15 minutes. Make sure the cloth is wrapped around the cheese.
- Post 15 minutes, flip the cheese and press again after wrapping it with fresh cheesecloth for 12 hours at around 18 kg.
- Flip it again after twelve hours following the same process and press for a day at around 22kg.
- After pressing, air-dry it for 2 to 3 days to make it smooth and dry.
- Wax it and age your cheddar cheese for a minimum of 2 months at 60°F.
This is how you make cheddar cheese. If you do not want to do all the hard work, just buy premium quality cheddar cheese from President. President cheddar cheese has a beautiful creamy texture with a mouthwatering taste.