For best results, please read recipe entirely before beginning.
Ingredients needed:
2 gallons of milk
¼ teaspoon of MM100 or MM101
1/8 teaspoon Penicillium candidum (Neige, ABL, HP6, VB or SAM3)
1/2 teaspoon calcium chloride
1/2 teaspoon rennet (coagulant)
Water (non-chlorinated)
Salt
Equipment:
Stainless-steel pot large enough to hold your milk (double-boiler set-up is best)
Thermometer
Measuring spoons
Large mixing spoon
Cheesecloth or draining bag
Cheese mold/form
Long knife (blade approx. 9 to 12" or longer) for cutting curd
pH strips or pH meter (optional)
Cheese "cave" for ripening step (many hobbyists use a second refrigerator that allows temperature and sometimes humidity control)
Note: Please be sure all equipment is sanitized before use.
Directions:
- Heat whole milk to 88⁰ F in stainless steel pot. Initial pH should be at 6.5-6.7
- Add ¼-Teaspoon of MM culture and 1/8 teaspoon of your preferred Penicillium candidum. Allow to sit on top of the milk for 3-5 minutes. Then stir into the milk.
- Add ¼ tsp of calcium chloride per 1 gallon. Dilute in ¼ cup non-chlorinated water.
- Add 1/2 tsp rennet/coagulant by diluting in ¼ cup cool, non-chlorinated water. Stir in an up and down motion 5-7 times. Allow the milk to stop moving and do not disturb the milk during the coagulation time.
- Allow rennet time of 60-90 minutes until the milk is coagulated.
- Cut into cubes 1/2” by using a metal spatula or knife, cut the coagulated milk into cube by cutting at a 45⁰ angle, from the left and then to the right and then turn the pot ¼ turn and repeat process.
- Stir the curd slowly and gently for 2-3 minutes as it is very fragile at this point.
- Allow the curds to settle down for 5-10 minutes without stirring.
- Drain the whey as much as possible before ladling the curd into the molds.
- You will have to refill the moulds as the curd is draining in order to obtain the desired thickness of the final product.
- Set the molds on ripening mats that sit at the bottom of a Rubbermaid-type or similar plastic storage box. The lid is kept completely closed during draining to protect the cheese from air-born particles and to help maintain constant temperature and humidity.
- The curd can also be partially pre-drained in a cheesecloth draining bag for 20 minutes, and then ladled from the bag into the molds. This gives the curds more strength making it easier to fill the molds and eliminates having to refill them. Fill the molds to the top. The cheese will drain to half this size.
- Allow the cheeses to drain at 68-77⁰ F overnight. Drained whey will need to be removed from the plastic box to allow further draining of cheeses. When they are firm enough to handle, normally 3-4 hours after molding, the cheese should be flipped in the mold. This will even out the surfaces and ensure that ridges on the cheeses are well formed.
- After 12-14 hours the cheeses have completely drained and can be removed from the molds. Place the cheese on a clean draining mat in a plastic box and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of coarse salt on the top and bottom. Place lid on box loosely to allow for a little air circulation until no further moisture accumulates under the cheese. At this point, the lid can be put on tightly.
- Move the plastic box to a ripening room that is 50-54⁰ F. The white mold should appear in 5-7 days.
- Once the mold appears the cheese must be turned daily to ensure the even growth of the mold and so the mold does not grow around the mat and get pull off when the cheese is moved.
- When the cheese is totally covered, remove from box, cool the cheese to 40°F and wrap the cheese using cello paper or cheese wrap.
- Ripen at 40-45⁰ F or return to the ripening room.
- Cheese is ready to eat when the center of it feels soft under thumb pressure. This takes about 6-8 weeks at 40-45⁰ F or 3-4 weeks at 50-54⁰F.
While the cheese is ripening in the storage box, excessive moisture that may accumulate under the mats should be dried up, as it will interfere with the proper white mold development.