(This recipe is for 3 gallons of milk
which makes about 3 lbs of cheese)
About the Milk
You can use cow milk, goat milk, or sheep milk. Whole milk is best for
hard cheese. Use fresh whole milk from healthy grass-fed cows (from nearby
farm, no hormones in feed). Some cheese
makers pasteurize even fresh, raw milk, because the native bacteria may compete
with the specific molds and bacteria you want to proliferate. If you want to
pasteurize raw milk, heat it to 145 degrees F in a stainless steel pot or
double boiler. Hold the temperature for 30 minutes, then chill the pot until
the milk dips below 40 degrees. Store bought milk is OK, but do NOT get
“ultra-pasteurized” milk.
About Starters
Acids: Citric Acid, Lemon Juice, Vinegar
Bacteria: Rennet, Yeast, Buttermilk, Yogurt
You can make a tart starter by leaving 2
cups fresh milk at room temperature for 12-24 hours, or until it clabbers.
To make mellow homemade culture, put 1/8
cake ueast in 1 cup warm milk and let stand 24 hours.
Pour out half the milk and add 1 cup warm milk and let stand another 24 hours.
Repeat this for one week. At eh end of the week add the mixture to 2 cups warm
milk and let stand another 24 hours.
About
the Water
Its best to use filtered water or distilled water when making cheese as
some water supplies contain compounds that compromise milk’s ability to be made
into cheese.
Adding
Color
If you desire to add coloring do it now before ripening the milk.
Ripening
the Milk
Warm the milk slowly to 86 degrees (double boiler style). Stir
occasionally so it does not skim over and it heats evenly. Then add two cups starter, stirring thoroughly for
two minutes. Cover and let stand in a warm place (perhaps overnight). In the
morning taste the milk. If it has a
slightly acid taste it is ready for the next step.
Using Starter Only: If you are not
using rennet, skip the next step and let stand for 18 to 24 hours more, or
until the curd has formed and the whey is separating.
Using Rennet (accelerator):
With the milk at room temperature add ˝
teaspoon rennet liquid or 1 rennet tablet dissolved in ˝ cup cool water. Stir
for two minutes to mix in thoroughly. Cover the container and let it remained
undisturbed until the milk has coagulated, for about 30-45 minutes.
Cutting
the Curd
When the curd is firm and a small amount of whey appears on the surface
the curd is ready to be cut. With a clean knife slice the surface curd into
half-inch cubes. Stir the curd carefully with a wooden spoon or paddle and cut
any cubes which do not conform to size. Stir carefully to prevent breaking the
pieces of curd.
Saving
the Starter
If you wish to save some starter, carefully pour off two cups of whey at
this time to be used as a starter.
Heating
the Curd
Place the container in a
larger one of warm water, double boiler style, and heat the curds and whey
slowly at the rate of two degrees every five minutes. Slowly heat to a
temperature of 100 degrees (in 30-40 minutes), then hold at this temperature
until the curd has developed the desired firmness. Keep stirring gently to keep
the cubes of curd from sticking together and forming lumps. As it becomes
firmer the cured will need less stirring to keep it from lumping.
Test the curd for
firmness by squeezing a small hand full gently, then releasing it quickly. If
it breaks apart easily and shows very little tendency to stick together it is
ready. The curd should reach this stage 1.5-2.5 hours after you add the rennet
to the milk.
It is very important
that the curd be firm enough when you remove the whey. If it is not the cheese
may have a weak pasty body and develop a sour flavor. If it is too firm the
cheese will be dry and weak flavored. When it is ready remove the container
from the warm water.
Removing
the Whey
Pour the curd and whey into a large container which have lined with
cheesecloth. Then lift the cheesecloth with the curds inside and let it drain
in a colander or large strainer.
When most of the whey
has drained off take out of the cheesecloth, put the curd in a container and
tilt it several times to remove any whey that drains from the curd. Stir
occasionally to keep the curd as free from lumps as possible.
Stir the curd or work it
with your hands to keep the curds separated. When it has cooled to 90 degrees
and has a rubbery texture that squeaks when you chew a small piece it is ready
to be salted.
Salting
the Curd
Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons flake salt (non-iodized, iodine kills bacteria )
evenly throughout the curd and mix it in well. As soon as the salt has
dissolved and you are sure the curd has cooled to 85 degrees, spoon the curd
into the cheese form which has been lined, sides and bottom, with cheesecloth.
Be sure the curd has cooled to 85 degrees.
Initial
Pressing of the Curd
After you have filled the cheese form with the curd, place a circle of
cheesecloth on the top. Then insert the wooden follower and put the cheese form
in the cheese press.
Start with weights of
3-4 bricks for 10 minutes, remove the follower and drain off any whey that has
collected inside the can. Then replace the follower and add one brick at a time
until you have 6-8 brick pressing the cheese. When it has been under this much
pressure for an hour, the cheese should be ready to dress. Pressing is
extremely important, and if you want a hard, dry cheese you’ll need 30 or more
pounds pressure for a 2-3 pounds cheese.
Dressing
and Final Pressing of the Cheese
Remove the follower and turn the cheese form upside down so the cheese
will drop. You may nave to tug at the cheesecloth to get it started. Remove the
cheesecloth from the cheese and dip the cheese in warm water to remove any fat
from the surface. With your fingers, smooth over any small holes or tears to
make a smooth surface. Wipe dry.
Now cut a piece of
cheesecloth two inches wider than the cheese is thick, and long enough to wrap
around it with a slight overlap. Roll the cheese tihtly,
using two round circles of cheese cloth to cover the ends.
Replace the cheese in
the cheese form, insert the follower and press with 6-8 brick another 18-24
hours. (follow specific directions for pressing time in each recipe)
Drying
the Cheese
At the end of the pressing time, remove the cheese, take off the bandage,
wipe the cheese with a clean, dry cloth and check for any openings or cracks.
Wash the cheese in hot water or whey for a firm rind. Seal the holes by dipping
the cheese in warm water and smoothing with your fingers or a table knife.
Then put the cheese on a
shelf in a cool, dry place. Turn and wipe it daily until the
surface feels dry and the rind has stared to form. This takes from 3-5 days.
Waxing
the Surface
Heat ˝ pound paraffin to 210 degrees in a pie pan or disposable aluminum
pan deep enough to immerse half the cheese at one time. Be sure to heat the
paraffin over hot water (double boiler) not direct heat.
Hold the cheese in the
hot wax for about 10 seconds. Remove and let harden a minute or two, then
immerse the other half. Check to be sure the surface is covered completely.
Curing
the Cheese (Ripening)
Now put eh cheese back on the self to cure. Turn it daily. Wash the sun
the shelf once a week. After about six weeks of curing at a temperature of
40-60 degrees the cheese will have a firm body and mild flavor. Cheese with a
sharp flavor requires 3-5 months or longer. The lower the temperature the
longer the time required. It’s a good idea to test your first cheese for flavor
from time to time during the curing period.
Rennet (pronounced /ˈrɛnɪt/) is a natural complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains a proteolytic enzyme (protease) that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids (curds) and liquid (whey). The active enzyme in rennet is called chymosin or rennin (EC 3.4.23.4) but there are also other important enzymes in it, e.g., pepsin or lipase. There are non-animal sources for rennet substitutes.
The chief use of rennet is in the making of cheese, curd, and junket. Chymosin reacts specifically with κ-casein, cleaving the protein between the amino acids phenylalanine(105) and methionine (106), producing two fragments. The soluble fragment (residues 106-169), which becomes part of the whey, is known as glyco macro peptide and contains the glycosylation sites for κ-casein. The other component (residues 1-105) is insoluble, and in the presence of calcium ions causes the coagulation of the casein micelles to form a curd.
Natural calf rennet is extracted from the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber (the abomasum) of young calves. These stomachs are a by-product of veal production. If rennet is extracted from older calves (grass-fed or grain-fed) the rennet contains less or no chymosin but a high level of pepsin and can only be used for special types of milk and cheeses. As each ruminant produces a special kind of rennet to digest the milk of its own mother, there are milk-specific rennets available, such as kid goat rennet especially for goat's milk and lamb rennet for sheep milk. Rennet or digestion enzymes from other animals, like swine-pepsin, are not used in cheese production.
Dried and cleaned stomachs of young calves are sliced into small pieces and then put into saltwater or whey, together with some vinegar or wine to lower the pH of the solution. After some time (overnight or several days), the solution is filtered. The crude rennet that remains in the filtered solution can then be used to coagulate milk. About 1 gram of this solution can normally coagulate 2000 to 4000 grams of milk.
Today this method is used only by traditional cheese-makers in central Europe: Switzerland, Jura, France, Romania, and Alp-Sennereien in Austria.
Modern
method
Deep-frozen stomachs are
milled and put into an enzyme-extracting solution. The crude rennet extract is
then activated by adding acid; the enzymes in the stomach are
produced in an inactive preform and are activated by
the stomach acid. After neutralization
of the acid, the rennet extract is filtered in several stages and concentrated
until reaching the required potency: about 1:15000 (1 kg of rennet would have
the ability to coagulate 15000 litres
of milk).
In 1 kg of rennet extract
there are about 0.7 grams of active enzymes – the rest is water and salt and
sometimes sodium benzoate, E211, 0.5% - 1% for preservation. Typically, 1 kg of
cheese contains about 0.0003 grams of rennet enzymes.
Because of the limited availability of proper stomachs for rennet production, cheesemakers have always looked for other ways to coagulate the milk. Artificial coagulants are a useful alternative, especially for cheap or lower-quality cheeses.
As the proper coagulation is done by enzymatic activity, the task was to find enzymes for cleaving the casein that would result in a taste and texture similar to animal-based rennet.
Many plants have coagulating properties. Some examples include fig tree bark, nettles, thistles, mallow, and Creeping Charlie. Enzymes from thistle or cynara are used in some traditional cheese production in the Mediterranean.
These real vegetable rennets are also suitable for vegetarians. Vegetable rennet might be used in the production of kosher cheeses but nearly all kosher cheeses are produced with either microbial rennet or GM rennet. Worldwide, there is no industrial production for vegetable rennet. Commercial so-called vegetable rennets usually contain rennet from the mold Mucor miehei - see microbial rennet below.
Some molds such as Rhizomucor miehei are able to produce proteolytic enzymes. These molds are produced in a fermenter and then specially concentrated and purified to avoid contamination with unpleasant side products of the mold growth. At the present state of scientific research, governmental food safety organizations such as the EFSA deny QPS (Qualified Presumption of Safety) status to enzymes produced especially by these molds.
The flavor and taste of cheeses produced with microbial rennets tend towards some bitterness, especially after longer maturation periods.[1] These so-called "microbial rennets" are suitable for vegetarians, provided no animal-based alimentation was used during the production.
Because of the above imperfections of microbial rennets, some producers sought further replacements of
natural rennet. With the development of genetic engineering, it suddenly became
possible to use calf genes to modify some bacteria, fungi or yeasts to make them
produce chymosin. Chymosin produced
by genetically modified organisms was the first artificially produced enzyme to
be registered and allowed by the FDA in the
Today the most widely used genetically engineered rennet is produced by the fungus Aspergillus niger. The problems of destroying the aflatoxins or the antibiotic-resistant marker genes seem to be solved.[citation needed]
Cheese production with genetically engineered rennet is similar to production with natural calf rennet. Genetic rennet contains only one of the known main chymosin types, either type A or type B. Other chymosin types found in natural rennet do not exist in genetic rennet. This is also the reason why special analysis can determine what kind of coagulant has been used by analyzing what bonds have and haven't been cleaved.
Often a mixture of genetically engineered chymosin and natural pepsin is used to imitate the complexity of natural rennet and to get the same results in coagulation and in development of flavour and taste.
The so-called "GM rennets" are suitable for vegetarians if there was no animal based alimentation used during the production in the fermenter—but only for vegetarians who are not opposed to GM-derived foods.
Milk can also be coagulated by adding an acid, such as citric acid.
Cream cheese, paneer, and rubing are traditionally made this way (see Category:Acid-set cheeses for others), and this form of coagulation is sometimes used in cheap mozzarella production without maturation of the cheese[citation needed].
The acidification can also come from bacterial fermentation such as in cultured milk.
The Encyclopedia of country Living by Carla Emery
Pg 775 (see 770-781)
http://cheese.about.com/od/howcheeseismade/f/rennet_faq.htm
You can make rennet from plants. It never acts as fast as regular rennet. At best it will curdle milk overnight. You can make veggie rennet from Nettle and Thistle. The best is the giant thorny kind of thistles.
To harvest thistle for rennet, gather the thistle flowers when they have turned brown. If you see thistledown, the plant is over-mature. Get it right after the end of bloom and before the stage where down blows away. Air dry the flowers. You can store them in jars to wait until needed for cheese-making.
To use your veggie rennet, a quick way is just to tie a
bundle of flowers together with string and leave it in the milk until it
clabbers. But the more professional way is to pound and extract. You take out
enough – 5 heaping T. of pounded dry herb will be needed per 1 gallon milk to
be curdled. Pound is a mortar with your pestle until quite crushed. Then pour
just a little warm water or whey over, just enough to cover. Let soak 5
minutes. Pound 5 minutes more. Repeat the soaking and repeat the pounding until
you’ve pounded at least 4 times total. You be seeing a dark (brown) fluid.
Strain. Add the fluid to your milk. Be careful not to add too much of any
veggie rennet herb because excess can, at best, be unpleasant tasting in the
cheese at the end of the line or cause indigestion. These are real
vegetable rennet, though they often also have undesirable effects on cheese
flavor (bitterness) and are a little more unpredictable when used in some
cheese.
Clotting
Study
A 2% thistle flower extract
was obtained using 2g of frozen fresh thistle flower and a NaCl
5% solution. The mixture was first homogenized with an ultra-turrax and then filtered in a Whatman
n040 filter paper and the volume was taken to 100 ml with NaCL
solution. Tests were done with 11%
reconstituted powdered milk at 89 degrees F and pH 6.5
Clotting trials: To 10 ml of milk was added 1
ml of clotting agent solution