Home Cheesemaking - no special equipment required! | Easy Farmhouse Cheddar (Hard Cheese) Recipe

Name: Home Cheesemaking - no special equipment required! | Easy Farmhouse Cheddar (Hard Cheese) Recipe
Uploaded: 2022-07-18T00:33:02.000Z
Duration: 42 min 12 s

Introduction and Overview

In this video, Jim from Scratch Farmstead demonstrates how to make a simple farmhouse cheddar cheese. He explains that this recipe is a great starting point for beginners as it requires minimal equipment and can be made with ingredients commonly found at home.

Making Cheese at Home

Jim shares that their family started making cheese several years ago, beginning with a basic mozzarella recipe.

They wanted to try making a hard cheese and found inspiration from the Amish community who had a simple farmhouse cheddar recipe.

The key ingredient for culturing the cheese is either yogurt or kefir, which most people already have at home.

Special equipment needed includes a good thermometer and a curd spoon, although alternatives can be used.

A cheese press can be easily rigged up using supplies available in the kitchen.

No cheesecake is required; instead, find a cool spot in your house to age the cheese for about a month.

Gathering Ingredients and Preparing Milk

Jim discusses the importance of using fresh milk for cheese making and provides tips on finding suitable milk.

Choosing Fresh Milk

Look for the freshest milk possible, preferably raw or unprocessed.

Avoid ultra-pasteurized milk; lower levels of pasteurization are preferred.

Non-homogenized milk, where cream separates from the milk, is ideal.

Preparing Milk for Cheese Making

Pour fresh milk into a stockpot. Jim uses two and a half gallons of milk but recommends using at least two gallons.

Attach a thermometer to the pot's side using its clip.

Heat the milk slowly over medium heat until it reaches 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius).

Stir regularly during heating process.

Adding Culture to the Milk

Jim explains how to add yogurt or kefir as a culture to the heated milk.

Choosing and Diluting Yogurt or Kefir

Use plain yogurt or kefir as a culture for the cheese.

Pour a third cup of yogurt or kefir into a measuring cup.

Add a couple of teaspoons of milk to dilute the yogurt or kefir.

Incorporating Culture into the Milk

Stir the heated milk in the pot for about a minute.

Pour the diluted yogurt or kefir into the pot and stir well to incorporate it with the milk.

The summary includes key points from the transcript, organized in a clear and concise manner. Timestamps are used to link specific sections of the video.

Preparing the Rennet and Milk Culture

In this section, the speaker explains how to prepare the rennet and milk culture for cheese making.

Preparing the Rennet

Dissolve three welco wren rennet tablets in about three-quarters cup of unchlorinated water.

Stir the mixture until the tablets are fully dissolved.

Check the recommended dosage on the rennet packaging.

Add the rennet mixture to the milk quickly and stir vigorously for about a minute.

Culturing the Milk

Maintain a consistent 90-degree temperature on your milk throughout the process.

Create a double boiler system if you don't have a double boiler.

Place your stock pot with milk inside another pot filled with warm tap water.

Add in the rennet mixture and stir it thoroughly into the milk.

Let it sit undisturbed for 20 to 40 minutes until you achieve a clean break.

Cutting and Stirring the Curd

This section covers cutting and stirring of curd during cheese making.

Cutting Curd

Test for a clean break by inserting a finger at a 45-degree angle into the top of your pot. If curd breaks cleanly, it's ready.

Cube your curd into roughly one-inch chunks using a long-bladed knife.

Make vertical slices through the curd about one inch apart, then slice horizontally.

Stirring Curd

Stir gently to break up any large pieces that didn't get cut during cubing.

The curd will release whey more efficiently as its sharp edges become rounded.

Stop stirring when curds have poached egg consistency.

Using a Cheese Press or Homemade Alternatives

This section discusses using a cheese press or homemade alternatives for pressing the curd.

Using a Cheese Press

Scoop out curds into a lined colander or cheese cloth in a strainer.

Apply light, gentle pressure to squeeze out excess whey.

Do not remove all the whey at this point.

Homemade Alternatives

If you don't have a cheese press, you can make one using a colander and cloth.

Line the colander with a smooth cotton cloth and place it inside a larger bowl to catch the whey.

The transcript is already in English.

New Section

This section discusses the importance of adding salt to the cheese-making process and how it helps with flavor and drying.

Adding Salt and Shaping the Cheese

Adding salt is crucial in making cheese, as it enhances flavor and aids in drying.

Sprinkle about a tablespoon of salt on top of the curd in the cheese press.

Work the salt into the curd thoroughly by pressing it with your fingers.

Shaping the cheese can also be done during this step.

Repeat the process of adding curd, sprinkling salt, and shaping until all curd is used.

Benefits of Salt

Salt adds flavor to the cheese and helps it dry out more quickly and evenly.

Sufficiently incorporating salt into the cheese ensures efficient drying.

New Section

This section explains how to apply weight to the cheese press for proper draining and introduces alternative methods for applying pressure.

Applying Weight to Cheese Press

Apply enough weight to ensure a steady flow of whey from the bottom of the press.

Avoid applying too much weight too soon, as it may result in overly dry or hard cheese.

Use quart-sized jars filled with fermenting kombucha or stack books on top for additional weight if needed.

Utilizing Whey

Whey leftover from cheesemaking can be repurposed as a protein-rich stock or fertilizer for gardening purposes.

New Section

This section covers removing cheese from the press, flipping it for even drainage, and allowing it to dry on a rack.

Removing Cheese from Press

After 12 hours in the press, remove weights and the follower.

Unwrap the cheese and flip it to ensure even drainage.

Drying the Cheese

Place the cheese on a drying rack covered with a cloth napkin.

Let the cheese sit covered for 2 to 5 days, rotating it multiple times each day for even drying.

Timestamps are provided for each section to easily locate specific parts of the video.

New Section

In this section, the speaker discusses the process of preparing and coating farmhouse cheddar cheese.

Preparing the Cheese for Coating

To prepare the cheese for coating, wipe down the whole cheese with apple cider vinegar, paying extra attention to moldy spots.

Once the cheese is dried out and has formed a harder rind or if it has developed mold on the outside, clean it off with apple cider vinegar.

After cleaning, apply a layer of butter or lard to the outside of the cheese as its final coating.

Applying Butter or Lard

Take butter out of the fridge a couple of hours before applying it to allow it to soften at room temperature.

Alternatively, lard can be used instead of butter.

Take dollops of butter/lard and spread them around the cheese using fingers.

Focus on filling cracks and crevices with butter/lard and ensure that every part of the cheese is encased in it.

Flip the cheese and coat both sides fully. Pay attention to edges as well.

Coating for Aging

The layer of butter or lard acts as a protective coating during aging.

Occasionally, moldy spots may form during aging. If missed during coating, wash down those areas with apple cider vinegar and reapply fresh butter/lard.

Aging Process

Once fully coated in butter or lard, put the cheese back on a drying rack and cover it with cloth.

Ageing time can range from three to five weeks. Four weeks is usually recommended.

Flip the cheese daily during aging.

Suitable Aging Environment

Due to short aging time, an official cheese cave setup is not necessary. Aging in a basement or even on a kitchen countertop works fine.

New Section

In this section, the speaker discusses the uses and versatility of farmhouse cheddar cheese.

Uses of Farmhouse Cheddar

Farmhouse cheddar can be used in various ways.

It has a great taste and texture, although it doesn't melt like soft cheeses.

Combining farmhouse cheddar with mozzarella is ideal for sandwiches or pizza.

Cubed farmhouse cheddar can be added to soups, porridge, or garden salads for flavor and texture enhancement.

It grates well and can even be used as a parmesan alternative.

Conclusion

The transcript provides instructions on preparing and coating farmhouse cheddar cheese. It emphasizes the importance of cleaning moldy spots with apple cider vinegar before applying a final coating of butter or lard. The aging process requires flipping the cheese daily for about four weeks. Farmhouse cheddar is versatile and can be used in various dishes to enhance flavor and texture.