Thought I would share this recipe. it is for my “farmhouse” cheese. It is a simple pressed cheese that we use as our everyday eating and cooking cheese.
Ulf’s farmhouse cheese
-Take 10 litres of whole milk. (Skim milk at 2% fat will work too and it is not bad either).
-Bring to 31 degrees Celsius and add 100ml of Mesophilic starter (Lactococcus lactis- cremoris) also known as any general hard cheese starter suitable for cheddar Etc. You can leave out starter if you don’t have any but you will have to pitch it for longer.
-Keep at 31 degrees for 45 minutes
-Add rennet at 2.5ml per 10 litres milk. Stir constantly for one minute to ensure the rennet is evenly mixed in. (Very, very important)
-Allow to set, this should take 50 minutes.
-Cut into 2cm (ish) cubes
-Stir gently so as not to shatter the curd. Do this every 30 minutes. Maintain 31 degrees.
-Pitch (allow to acidify) to 5.5 then drain whey off. If you don’t have a way of checking acidity, just pitch for five hours.
-Put the pot into a water bath (i.e. the kitchen sink) of hot water around 35 to 40 degrees. Allow it to sit for a couple of hours. it doesn’t matter if the water cools a little over this time.
-Drain of any extra whey and break up the curd into thumb sized pieces. Add about two tablespoons of salt and stir in.
-Press under firm pressure overnight.
-In the morning after you have first had a cup of tea, no hurry, take it from the press and dry it in the fridge until it is touch dry. Then wax.
-Age for four weeks at 12 degrees Celsius if you can. Otherwise just stuff it in the fridge (in the warmest section) for six weeks.
Eat and enjoy. Grate it over pasta, have slices with wine, melt it in sauces, whatever. It is a good utilitarian cheese.
