This is all a large part of what cheddar is about.Īt this point you will have the final curd ready for pressing BUT another unique aspect of the Cheddar is that the dryness and acid have both reached close to their desired level and should not be allowed to continue. You will notice that the curds at the beginning of the cheddaring process were much more cubic or round, but if you tear the slabs at the end they will be much more elongated and the slabs will have flattened out considerably. As the warm curd develops more acid during cheddaring, calcium (responsible for binding the proteins) is washed from the curd by the draining whey, leaving a weaker bond between proteins. It is quite related to what also happens in the mozzarella stretching phase. This will emulate the larger slab mass of the larger producers.ĭuring this time the curds will begin to change shape due to changes in the protein structure. After about 1 hour cut the curd mass in half and stack the two halves with the drain cloth separating them.I also add a board on top of the draining curds with about 8 lbs of weight. During this time, more whey will be draining, and the taste of the whey will change from just slightly sweet as in milk, to a very neutral and even slightly acid flavor but avoid developing too much acid. The actual amount of time depends on the draining and acid development. It will need to be kept warm (85-90F) and turned at 15-30 minute intervals for the next 2-3 hours. This is the beginning of the cheddaring phase, but the cheese at this point has not developed it's final acid. This step should take about 10 -15 minutes, then the cloth should be folded over and tightened around the curd and all of the whey can be drained. This step will minimize any mechanical holes in the bed of curds. This arrangement allows for a thorough stirring to make sure any clumps are broken up and the curds allowed to float under the whey into their most compact form. When the curds are transferred along with the residual whey to the draining pan, the curds should be fully covered with the whey.
If you are using a colander for the draining simply place it in another larger pan I line the pan with holes with draining cloth and place that pan inside the one without holes (see the pics). My process here involves the use of two pans, one with holes and the other without so that the initial curd transfer is with curds and enough whey to cover them. When the curds seem dry enough, they can be allowed to settle under the whey for a few minutes, then begin to remove whey down to within 1-2 inches above the curd mass. If they tend to cling or stick together, stir for a little longer. Then with moderate pressure of the thumb, they should easily separate.
A small hand full of cheese is gathered and firmly pressed in the hand to consolidate the curds. A simple test that I always show in my workshop classes here is the 'Grip Test'. This will show up as leaking cheeses, as the acid continues to develop, and a very chalky and acid tasting cheese. If the curds are not dry enough, they will carry moisture which contains Lactose forward into the pressing and aging stage. A broken curd should be firm throughout and the curds should have a moderate resistance when pressed between the fingers. The final curds should be cooked well through and should be examined to make sure that enough moisture has been removed. This may be extended if the curds are still soft. Then stir another 30-60 minutes, until the curd is firm.
The total cooking time will be about 30 minutes The heat needs to be increased slowly at about 3-5F every 5 minutes at the beginning. This will be done by increasing the heat slowly to 102F. Now it is time to begin drying out the curds. It will be very slow initially but will soon kick into its more rapid rate of converting lactose to lactic acid. The milk now needs to be kept at this target temperature for 90 minutes to allow the culture to begin working. To prevent the powder from caking and sinking in clumps, sprinkle the powder over the surface of the milk and then allow about 2 minutes for the powder to re-hydrate before stirring it in. Once the milk is at 86F, the culture can be added. Thermometers in both the milk and water bath will help in controlling temperatures If you do this in a pot on the stove make sure you heat the milk slowly and stir it well as it heats.Īs you can see in the picture here, I use a pot inside a bigger pot, and a burner under that to control my water bath temperature. You can heat the milk right in the sink if you use a couple of changes of VERY hot water. You can just add a bit of boiling water from your tea kettle to make sure the water bath remains at temperature. A water bath using a pot in your sink will be the most stable way to do this.