CHORES
CHEESE MAKING:
INGREDIENTS:
TO TURN FIVE GALLONS OF MILK INTO SIX POUNDS OF CHEESE2 and one half tulas of fresh milk (Be sure that it has no off flavors due to bacteria)
2 tefs of live cultured yogurt
1/4 tef salt
APPARATU S:
wooden mixing spoon or whisk
Stainless steel pot (with a heavy thick bottom is best) or enameled pot, three tula capacity, with lid, sterilized. 1
large strainer (You may use a colander, though the whey does not flow through as fast as a strainer.)a cheese press or chisset
P ROCEDURE:THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU MAKE CHEESE:
1.a. Sterilize the pot: The evening before you plan to make cheese, place a small amount of water in your cheese pot, cover, and heat to boiling for 10 minutes to sterilize the pot and lid. 1.b.
Skim the cream off and warm 2 and ½ tulas of the freshest milk in a sterilized pot:
2. Add starter:use 2/3rds of a tef of active buttermilk as a starter for 2and ½ tulas of milk. The function of this inoculation with bacterial starter is to lower the pH so that the rennet will be able to act on the milk protein (casein).
3.Cover with the sterilized lid. Let the inoculated milk sit at room temperature overnight. (No external heat)
THE MORNING YOU WILL MAKE CHEESE:
4. The next morning, skim off any more excess cream that has floated to top, slowly warm milk Take care not to scorch it on the bottom...low fire on range or on hearth cheese is a slow process do not burn it.,
5. add the rennet: , you add 1 teaspoon per batch of inoculated milk .
6.as you add the rennet to warmed milk stir with wooden whisk to mix. Cover, let sit undisturbed for 1 to 3 ahns.
7. TEST FOR A "CLEAN BREAK." To test for "clean break" (completed action of rennet), probe a clean finger into (hopefully) gelled milk and lift. If the gelled milk is not firm enough to split cleanly as you lift, let milk sit until clean break is obtained. (Do not stir.) This may take as long as 3 ahn. Be patient, do NOT disturb the milk. Keep warm.
8.When the gel is firm enough to break cleanly as the finger is lifted, go to next step
9. Once a clean break is achieved, cut the curd with a long wooden stick clean and smooth: Begin the cuts at one edge of pot, cut straight down the side to bottom. Cut repeatedly parallel to first cut, but increasing the angle of the stick until you reach the other side of pot.
10. Rotate the pot 90 degrees, repeat series of cuts as before. Rotate and cut a total of three more times (four in all), yielding ½ inch cubes of curd
11. "Cook the curds": Place pot over a low fire, stir curd with thoroughly cleansed bare hand by reaching down to bottom, gently lifting with an open hand to stir. Cut larger curds as they appear. Do not mash or squeeze. If you want to set aside some, remove and set aside in cool room,,, to keep as soft cheese... now slowly raise the temperature. Stir continuously as you heat {curds will clump together otherwise) once it gets too hot for hands use wooden stick {DO NOT BURN yourself OR THE CHEESE}, until the milk is beginning to steam the longer you keep it this hot the firmer the cheese. experience will teach you as time and heat make a great deal of difference in the consistency of the curd/cheese.
12. Stir and maintain desired temperature until curd has contracted to consistency of firm scrambled eggs. Remove from hearth or range
13. Separate the curds from the whey: The curds should sink in whey pour off whey through a strainer into a large enough container to collect all the liquid ( line the strainer with clean cloth to collect the curd
14. Decant (pour off) as much of the whey as you can Drain well. save whey for use in slave gruel
15. Place cloth holding curds in a large bowl.
16. Salt the curds: Sprinkle 1/4 cup salt over curds, working with hands to mix. again strain and Pour off accumulated whey. The salt is necessary so that the cheese will not spoil as it cures..
17. Load the press with the salted curds: Place the still warm salted curds into a cheese press. It is necessary for the curds to be warm in order for them to 'knit' together to form a solid cheese during pressing
18. Press the curds: once in the press load in stone to form your wheel and press out any excess whey.. Let sit in the press for 12 hours or so
19.The next AM, remove from press, remove cloth, rub outside of cheese with salt and wrap with fresh sterile repcloth
20. Age to develop a rind: Place wrapped cheese on a wooden platter in the cool room. Replace wrapping daily (as long as it continues to become wet).
21. Wax the cheese When the cheese has formed a dry yellowish rind (two or three weeks)melt some bees wax in a large pot then dip your wheel of cheese in it, store in coolery for at least a month (if you can wait that long). Let age longer for sharper cheese