insideKENT Magazine Issue 64 - July 2017 | Page 117

FOR RENNET CHEESE (DIFFICULT)
Ingredients:
6) Cover and let sit for four-12 hours. Leave at room temperature,
completely undisturbed. Once the cheese has formed a thick, custard-
like curd you can continue. Ideally, a clean finger poked into the cheese
should come out clean, and a clear, liquid whey should fill the hole. If
it sticks to your finger, cover and try again in half an hour.
• 3.8-litres milk (any fat percentage, not UHT)
• 4 drops rennet, diluted in 60ml cold water
• 0.15ml mesophilic culture
• 11g non-iodised salt
Method:
1) Heat the milk in a non-reactive pan. Use an infrared thermometer
to measure the milk, heating until it reaches 30°C. Stainless steel pans
are best to use – avoid copper and aluminum as they can react with
the cheese’s acidity and transfer chemicals into your cheese.
2) Add the mesophilic bacterial culture. Let sit for two minutes. After
two minutes, stir gently up and down into the milk.
3) Cover and leave to sit in a warm room away from light. The label on
your bacteria might specify the length of this step.
4) If it doesn’t, leave for a minimum of two or a maximum of four hours.
If it thickens beyond a normal milk consistency, you've used too much
acid or left it too long – it can still be used to make cheese, but the
cheese will have a looser texture.
5) Heat the milk up again to 30°C. Dilute the liquid rennet in 60ml cold
water and stir into the milk in an up and down motion just as you did
with the culture.
7) Drain some of the whey. Cover a colander with cheesecloth and
place the colander over a pot to catch the draining whey. Spoon the
solid curd into the colander and stir gently and slowly for about
15minutes, so any excess whey can escape.
8) Gently cut the curd into equal cubes. Place these cubes into a raised
saucepan inside a pan of hot water (a double boiler) and heat over a
very low heat, stirring frequently, until the curds reach 38°C.
9) Don't stop heating until most of the liquid is gone; the curd cubes
should hold their shape, but fall apart separately in your hand when
you pick them up.
10) Finish the cheese. When you are happy with the consistency, stir
in the salt to stop the acidification and preserve the cheese. You can
shape the cheese if you like and/or mix in herbs, fruit, or nuts. Store
the cheese in the fridge and eat it wet and soft, or allow it to dry a little
before you tuck in.
C
Now you’ve got all the kit and mastered the basics, you can move onto making more
complex cheese varieties – try your hand at making cheddar here:
www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/recipe/cheese-recipes/cheddar-cheese-recipe/
Y
M
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
FAMILY BUTCHER
Since
1919
We are an award winning traditional butchers
and farm shop situated in the pretty Kent
village of Doddington.
The Doughty family have been providing customers in the
surrounding area with top quality meat and local produce from
known suppliers for over 100 years.
We have a range of products and services to offer;
• Bespoke butchery.
• Delicious award winning sausages in a variety of flavours.
• Local honey, strawberries, cherries, asparagus and apple juice.
• Local free range eggs.
• Home made jams & preserves
• Home-cooked ham, beef pasties and sausage rolls.
S.W. Doughty, The Street,
Doddington, Sittingbourne, ME9 0BH
01795 886255
[e-mail]
www.swdoughty.co.uk
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