Monterey Jack / Pepper Jack
Yield: 2 lbs
2 gallons whole milk
1/4 tsp calcium chloride diluted in ¼ cup cool water (if using pasteurized milk)
1 pkt mesophilic culture or 1/4 tsp MA 011
½ tsp liquid rennet dissolved in ¼ cup cool water or ½ tablet vegetable rennet
1 tbs kosher salt or 2.25% of curd weight
1 4-1/2” or 2lb cheese mold
For Pepper Jack you will also need
1-1/2 tsp chopped jalopeno
1-1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried jalopeno flakes
• Take the red pepper flakes and jalapeño’s and put them in a pot with ½ cup of water and bring them to a boil. Turn off and set aside to cool.
• Heat milk to 88°. Note PH level
• Add calcium chloride, if using, and stir
• Add starter. Let float 1 min, stir 1 min. Ripen for 40 min. Check PH level and note it. PH level should have dropped .10.
• Dissolve rennet in 1/4 c. cool water, and add to milk. Stir 1 min. Let set until clean break - about 35 min. If checking by flocculation method, use a multiplier of 3.
• Cut curd in 1/2” chunks, heal 5 minutes.
• Heat curd to 102°F, stirring often to prevent matting. This should take about 45 minutes.
• Hold curd at 102°F and continue stirring for 45 to 60 minutes. PH level should be 6.3 to 6.2
• Drain whey to 1” above the curd level, add 60° water until the temperature drops to 80 to 86°. Stir for 15 minutes. PH level should be 6.0 to 5.9
• Drain whey down to level of curd, and stir for 10 minutes.
• Drain in colander lined with cheese cloth, and return curd to pot. Stir for 15 minutes. PH level should be 5.7 to 5.8
• Add ½ of the salt, and all of the pepper and water mixture, stir well. Let rest about 5 minutes to absorb the salt and pepper flavors. Then add the rest of the salt and stir again. Wait 5 more minutes.
• Place curd into a 4” mold lined with cheese cloth and press at 20 lb. pressure for 15 min
• Remove from mold, flip over and rewrap. Press at 30 lb. pressure for 2 hours.
• Remove from mold, flip over and return to press. Press at 40 lb. for another 10 hours.
• Remove from mold and air dry until rind is uniformly dried. Usually 2 to 5 days. I do this inside of the cave at 50°
• Wax and age for at 3 to 4 months. I average 4 months on this cheese.
Yield: 2 lbs cheese
