Guayanés Cheese Making Recipe
Queso Guayanés is a popular Venezuelan cheese originating from the Guayana Region in southeast Venezuela. It is a semi-hard, unripened cheese made from raw whole or partly skimmed cow's milk and is usually sold unpacked but can also be packed in plastic bags.
Ingredients
- 3.8 liters/1 US gallon whole or partly skimmed Cow’s Milk.
- Optional: Calcium Chloride if using store bought pasterurized milk, amount as per manufacturers directions or your experience.
- Rennet, amount as per package directions or your experience, use little extra if using pasteurized milk and no Calcium Chloride.
- Salt for brine.
Directions
- Place milk in stockpot and allow to reach room temperature.
- Note, if using store bought pasteurized homogenized milk then dissolve the calcium chloride in ~50 ml/1/4 cup, trickle into milk while whisking for 1 minute to fully dilute.
- Dissolve or dilute the rennet in ~50 ml/1/4 cup water and trickle into milk while whisking for 1 minute to fully dilute.
- Cover and set aside at room temperature for ~45 minutes to 2 hours to allow curd to set.
- Once good curd set is obtained, cut curd as normal into 1 cm/3/8" diamonds, set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Remove some of the expelled whey, place stockpot or double boiler on stove, and slowly raise to 90°C/194°F to cook curds. Stir curds continuously while cooking until it is moldable.
- Remove from heat, drain off remaining whey, use immediately or store in container in fridge.