According to the Raw Milk Cheesemakers' Association, raw-milk cheese is defined as "Cheese produced from milk that, prior to setting the curd, has not been heated above the temperature of the milk (104 degrees F or 40 degrees C) at the time of milking". Raw-milk cheese has been around for years but regained popularity in the last decade, especially with health-food enthusiasts.
The raw-milk cheese-making process is simple and fun. The most difficult part will be finding a good source of raw milk, especially if you live in the United States.
Instructions
1. Sterilize your pot. This may seem like a simple step but is very important. Cheese is made from specifically added bacterial cultures. Any other bacterial strains in the pot could prevent the milk from curdling or make the cheese go bad. This is especially important when making raw cheese, because it is not heated enough to kill these during processing.
To sterilize the pot, put a small amount of water in it (enough to cover the bottom). Bring it to a boil and let boil for at least 10 minutes. Discard water afterward.
2. Pour fresh raw milk in newly sterilized pot and SLOWLY warm milk to 68 degrees F (20 degrees C). Turn off heat and add 1/2 cup of yogurt. Stir with wooden spoon or whisk until mixture is smooth and yogurt is completely mixed with milk (no clumps). Cover with sterilized pot lid and let mix sit at room temperature for six to eight hours.
3. Warm the milk/yogurt mix to 86 degrees F (30 degrees C). Remove from heat and add rennet. If using a tablet, add 1/2 fresh tablet (one tablet is the dosage for five gallons of milk); if using liquid, add eight drops (four drops is the dosage for one gallon of milk). Mix well and let sit for three hours at room temperature.
4. Test for a "clean break" by dipping a clean finger into milk and lifting it up. Milk will ideally be gelled and split cleanly when you lift your finger. It should leave minimal residue on your finger. What you have now in the pot is called "curd."
Attaining the clean break is a very important signal that cultures and rennet have taken, and everything is set for proper cheese-making to continue. If you don't have a clean break, stop, discard milk and start over.
5. Cut up the curd. Start slicing at the edge of the pot and cut straight across, through the center. Continue making slices parallel to the original one. Turn pot 90 degrees and do the same thing, cutting perpendicular to original cuts. Let pot sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
6. Pour off whey that has accumulated on the top. Turn stove on low heat and stir curds with your hands, breaking them into smaller and smaller pieces. Check temperature and turn off heat when curds reach 100 degrees. Continue to mix curds until they have the consistency of cottage cheese or scrambled eggs.
7. Pour off as much excess whey as possible. Sprinkle 1/8th cup of salt over WARM curds and mix well with hands. Pour WARM curds into the cheese press and press them down. Let them sit for eight to 12 hours. It is very important that curds are still warm when they are pressed or cheese will not hold together.
8. Remove the cheese from cheese press. Rub the outside of cheese with salt and place it in a piece of clean cheesecloth. Place it on pan and put it in the refrigerator. Change cloth every day. After two to three weeks, the cheese should develop a small rind. When this occurs dip cheese in wax and store in the refrigerator for at least a month (the longer it stays untouched, the sharper the cheese).
9. Eat and enjoy the fruits of your labor ... or the "curds" of your labor!
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