Stirred-curd Cheddar Recipe - Cultures For Health (2024)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 gallons whole milk
• 1 packetdirect-set mesophilic culture
• 1/2 tsp. liquidrennetdiluted in 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tbsp.cheese salt
• You can also color this cheese, if you wish. If you are going to do this, you can have 4 drops ofcheese coloringdiluted in 1/4 cup water ready to go.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the milk to 90°F. Addthe starter and mix it in using an up-and-down motion for 1 minute.Covermilk and leave it toripen for 45 minutes.
2. Mixin the coloring, if you are using it, andstirit in using an up-and-down motion.
3. Checkto make sure the milk is still 90°F. If it isn’t, bring the temperature back up.Addthe rennet andstirin using the same up-and-down gentle motions for 1 minute. If you are using farm-fresh cow milk,top-stir for 2 more minutes. Coveryour milk andallow it to set at 90°F for 45 more minutes,making sure you keep a steady 90°F temperature.
4. Once you have a clean break,cutthe curd into 1/4-inch cubes.
5. Allow the curds to set for 15 minutes,thenheatthem to 100°F, bringing the temperature up by amaximum of 2°F every 5 minutes. Stir frequentlyto keep the curds from sticking together (matting). Once the curds reach 100°F,maintain the temperature for 30 more minutes,and keep stirring periodically but not continually. After the last 30 minutes is up,coverthe curds and whey and let them rest for 5 minutes.
6. Drainoff the whey andpourthe curds into a colander suspended over a large bowl.Drainthem for several minutes, then pour the curds back into the pot and stir them with your fingers. Don’t allow your curds to drain in the colander for too long, or they will begin to mat. If some have matted by the time you have dumped them back into the pot, very gently break them up with your fingers.
7. Addthe salt to the curds in the pot andmix it in well.Try not to squeeze the curds.
8. Keep the curds in the pot at100°F for 1 hour,stirring them with your fingers every now and again to keep them from matting. (You can fill a sink or a large bowl with water and set your pot into it, and keep the surrounding water at 100°F by taking out some water when the temperature begins to drop and adding heated water until it reaches the proper temperature again.)
9. Scoopthe curds into a 2-pound cheese press lined with cheesecloth.Press at 15 pounds of pressure for 2 minutes.
10. Removethe cheese from the press,peel offthe cheesecloth,flipthe cheese,re-dress it,and put it back into the press at30 pounds of pressure for 10 minutes.
11. Remove, undress, flip, and re-dressthe cheese.Placeit back into the press at40 pounds of pressure for 2 hours.
12. Remove, undress, flip, and re-dressthe cheese.Placeit back into the press at50 pounds of pressure for 24 hours.
13. Remove the finished cheese from the press.Peel awaythe cheesecloth anddrythe cheese on a drying mat at room temperature away from drafts for3 to 5 daysor until the rind is dry to the touch.Flip it about 5 times a dayduring the drying process. After it has dried,wax it and age it at 45° to 50°F for 2 to 5 months.

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