Homemade Cheese
Description
Suitable for both special occasions and everyday meals. 1. First, take a large pot, approximately 10 liters, and pour in the milk. The homemade Roquefort cheese recipe requires using a thermometer to monitor the milk as it heats. Place the thermometer in the pot and leave the milk to heat over the fire. 2. When the milk reaches 30 degrees, you can add mesophilic starter culture to the pot. This is exactly the temperature needed for it to work properly. 3. Immediately after the starter culture, you can also add mold to the milk. To correctly measure all the ingredients, it is best to use special measuring spoons. 4. Using a whisk, gently mix everything. Leave the milk covered for 30–40 minutes so the bacteria can spread throughout the milk. 5. Now you can add calcium chloride, which should first be dissolved in a small amount of water, and rennet, also dissolved in water. Mix everything gently. Cover again and leave for 90 minutes. 6. By this time, if everything was done correctly, a firm curd will form that can be cut with a knife. 7. Using a long knife, cut the resulting curd into large pieces. 8. After 5–10 minutes, whey will begin to separate, which means you can now transfer the curd to a colander lined with cheesecloth folded several times. The classic homemade Roquefort cheese recipe calls for using special synthetic fabric that is finer and stronger than cheesecloth. 9. The process may take up to 15 minutes until all the whey drains and the cheese settles, releasing excess moisture. 10. Carefully tie the cheesecloth and hang it, on a faucet for example, for 30–40 minutes. 11. Now place the cheese under a press weighing approximately 4 kilograms. Leave it for 10–12 hours (overnight is fine). 12. Transfer the cheese to a deep bowl, cut it into medium-sized pieces, and add salt to taste (approximately 2 teaspoons). 13. Now transfer the mass to a cheese mold, packing it down firmly. 14. For the first day, turn the cheese 4–5 times. To do this, flip the mold and leave the cheese upside down for 3–4 hours. On the second day, turning it just a couple of times is enough. 15. On the third day, remove the cheese from the mold and let it dry. 16. Then carefully make holes all over the surface to let in oxygen, which is necessary for the mold. 17. The cheese can now be transferred to a container with a lid and placed in a cool room (at a temperature of about 10 degrees) for about a month. 18. For the first week, turn the cheese every day; starting from the second week, turn it once every 2 days. 19. That is how simple this homemade “Roquefort” cheese recipe is. With a little patience, you can try this delicacy. It can be served warm or chilled.