2 gallons 2% milk
1/2 tsp Meso II
1/4 tsp calcium chloride
1 tsp liquid rennet
1 tbs cumin boiled in 1/2 cup of water

Heat the milk to 90deg. Add starter and calcium chloride. Let sit 10 minutes.

Add diluted rennet and let sit for one hour.

Cut into 1/2” pieces.

Stir the curd gently for 30 minutes, then let rest for 5 minutes.

Drain 1/3 of the whey from the pot. I took out 6 1/2 cups.

Add the same amount of 140 degree water. Should bring the temp up to 98 degrees.

Stir for 40 minutes and then let rest for 5 minutes.

Drain off the whey into a stainless steel pot. Heat the whey to 125 degrees and hold it there.

Pour the curds into a 2lb cheese cloth lined mold and press at 20 lbs for 30 minutes. Remove the cheese and put it in the 125 degree whey for 30 minutes.

Rewrap the cheese, put back in the press at 40 lbs of pressure for 6 hours. Remove from the press, flip it and rewrap it and press for another 6 hours at 40 lbs of pressure.

Remove from the press and bath in medium brine solution for 3 hours.

Remove from the brine and pat dry. Let air dry for 1 to 2 days.

Wax the cheese and ripen at 50 to 55 degrees and 85% humidity for 2 to 3 months, flipping daily for even ripening. Age 6 months for optimum flavor.

This is the 1st time that I made this so it might not be right. Herman should post his recipe, if he has not already done it.

I think that brine for 3 hours is a misprint in the book. I used Tim Smith’s recipe, except he says to use 1/4 tsp culture and my other 3 books said to use 1/2 tsp so I used 1/2 tsp. The other books say to brine for 12 hours, and I really don’t think 3 hours would get much salt into it myself.

I think I have too many cheese books, because instead of making the recipe from one book, I read and compare all 4 books, if it’s in all 4 books. Then I pick it apart in my head. Why would this recipe say to use 1/4 tsp culture when the other ones say 1/2 tsp? Or another difference in this one is that Tim Smith calls for 1 tsp of rennett, 200 Easy cheeses calls for 3/4 tsp of rennett and the Artisan Cheese Making at Home book calls for 1/2 tsp, and all use 2 gallons of milk. I started to go for 3/4 tsp but figured that if I was going to use Tim Smith’s recipe I might as well use 1 tsp of rennett like he said. I looked on the rennett bottle and it said that the amount changed according to which cheese you are making so that didn’t help me any.

I edited the recipe because I left out the last 6 hour press. I forgot to type it in.

Another recipe difference in all of my references was the pressing weight. Tim Smith said 60 lbs so that’s what I did, but other information said 40lbs. Next time I will use 40lbs because the 60 lbs was too heavy. The cheese cloth became one with the cheese and the cheese was sticking out through the holes in the mold. I edited the recipe above to say 40 lbs.