Author Topic: First Halloumi - why so much whey seepage during cooking?  (Read 3381 times)

buttner-jenkins

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First Halloumi - why so much whey seepage during cooking?
« on: August 09, 2011, 11:05:43 PM »
First Halloumi - why so much whey seepage during cooking?

My cheese journey started last month when I made a jalapeno & lime flavoured Halloumi.
From memory, there wasn't much pressing time involved, yet the curd knitted/held well to create ~ 18x18cm square block of firm cheese.
Block was halfed to fit in a brine bath then stored in fridge.  The next day one block was removed from brine bath to drain on kitchen paper.
During cooking alot of whey still seeped out before the cheese finally browned all over. Where as commercial Halloumi doesn't much seep whey.
Is the seepage due to lack of pressing time or more likely due to my salt bath storage?  Should I store my ready Halloumi in a zip lock bag instead?
All in all, my 1st Halloumi was a raving success with my lads ;-)

Any advise muchly appreciated.

cheers, Mo

Offline Gürkan Yeniçeri

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Re: First Halloumi - why so much whey seepage during cooking?
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2011, 05:05:47 AM »
What is your recipe Mo?

Probably during the first cooking where you "increase the temp in about 30 minutes, stirring the cut curds" didn't create enough acidity for the elasticity of the end product.

Also what's in your brine? Did you add vinegar and CaCl2 or used whey?

Quote
before the cheese finally browned all over
What do you mean by browning? Grilling?

Gustav

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Re: First Halloumi - why so much whey seepage during cooking?
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2011, 05:07:29 AM »
I know that the way I make it after removing from heated whey isn't what the books says, but I prefer to soak it in brine for only about 1 hour, then remove and freeze up.
If I leave it in the brine longer that that it tends to be a bit too salty.

I use HARD pressing fot about 4 hours before I cut and cook. Maybe that's why you had alot of fluid?

buttner-jenkins

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Re: First Halloumi - why so much whey seepage during cooking?
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2011, 12:37:12 AM »
Many thanks for your replies guys.  Had to wait till I got the recipe at my fingertips before I could reply.

Am using Neil Willman's (NZer) Express Halloumi recipe and uses 2L pasteurised non-homogenised milk, 14ml of Renco rennet dissolved in water.
Recipe says to bring to 45C (no mention over what duration), which I thought was a bit high before adding the Renco, so waited for 32C before adding/stiring Renco in. No mention of setting time, so waited till at least 30mins before cutting curds.  Curds were stirred between 2-5 mins then whey drained removed as much as poss from curds. Recipe calls for stackable containers (no holes), curds put in bottom container, top container was filled with water as weight and left for 5 mins.  After which slab was cooked in hot whey until floating before transferring to salt bath.

I am guessing now that the 5 mins pressing time and ~1kg water weight didn't expell all whey from knitted curds, so when I pan fry resulting cheese there is still alot of seepage occuring until they all cook out as the cheese does fry/brown nicely all over.  Just that the seepage spits ALOT during the cooking phase until it finally dries out.

Mo

Offline Gürkan Yeniçeri

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Re: First Halloumi - why so much whey seepage during cooking?
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2011, 05:10:20 AM »
I get some whey seepage as well during the frying but evaporates quickly. Try increasing the weight. I usually do gravity drain till the dropping stops. Remove from teh cloth, cut into pieces, salt and boil with whey.

buttner-jenkins

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Re: First Halloumi - why so much whey seepage during cooking?
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2011, 12:18:29 AM »
Many thanks Gürkan, I will increase the weight during pressing time next time.  Seepage does cook off after a wee while...

Mo

drumbeat

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Re: First Halloumi - why so much whey seepage during cooking?
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2011, 04:44:22 AM »
I get some whey seepage as well during the frying but evaporates quickly. Try increasing the weight. I usually do gravity drain till the dropping stops. Remove from teh cloth, cut into pieces, salt and boil with whey.

Do you find you get a better/more consistent result using gravity drain? Does it take longer? Sorry to butt in on a thread, but I am just starting out and these points are interesting.

Offline Gürkan Yeniçeri

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Re: First Halloumi - why so much whey seepage during cooking?
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2011, 09:38:26 PM »
Hi Drumbeat, yes it does take longer; about a day with gravity drain. I don't press at all for halloumi. I think the results are quite consistent compared to what I was eating in Cyprus.

drumbeat

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Re: First Halloumi - why so much whey seepage during cooking?
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2011, 03:32:22 AM »
Thanks Gurkan - it seems to work  :)

Mo it will be good to hear what difference increasing the weight/time in pressing makes.