CowGirl Kiely's Easy, Easy Cheese

I LOVE MAKING CHEESE!!



Monterey Jack Cheese

1 Gallon pasteurized milk
2-4 oz. Buttermilk
¼ tsp. Rennet

cool/heat milk to 88 degrees. Add buttermilk and stir.

Ripen for 15 minutes.

Mix ¼ tsp. Rennet with ¼ cup cool water and add to milk. Stir for 1 minute. Allow to set, undisturbed, for 30 minutes to allow curd to develop.

While stirring gently, heat slowly for 1 hour. Try to increase temperature about 2 degrees every 5 minutes. Do not exceed 100 degrees. Shut off heat and stop stirring.

After curds have sunk to bottom of pan, remove whey to 1’ above curds.

While stirring, add cold water to reduce temperature to 85 degrees. Stir curds an additional 5 minutes.

Drain curds well. Add canning salt or plain (un-iodized) also called to taste.

Place curd into a sterile muslin cloth. Shape into a ball and tie ends tightly with a string.

Flatten ball and place on a dinner plate. Place a 2nd plate upside down, on tip. Apply medium weight (6-8 pounds) atop second plate. Press overnight at room temperature.

Carefully remove cloth the next day.

Air dry cheese by placing on a clean cloth towel and covering with clean cheesecloth. Turn cheese until it is dry on the outside.

Can wax and age this cheese for 3 weeks to 2 months, or eat it fresh.

**Before pressing, you can add peppers, olives, caraway seeds, dry onions, sun-dried tomatoes or dill weed. Anything you think sounds good (dried peppers, yum!) Be imaginative and enjoy!!

Weights: sledge hammer, gallon of water, bricks, scuba weights, brother’s round lifting weights. Be sure they are clean and in a zip-lock baggy.



Great website for supplies:

New England Cheesemaking Supply Company

http://www.cheesemaking.com/