Here at KoRoVa Cheese we love kefir. This is a recipe for Kefir Cheddar, one of our most popular cheeses.
1 bottle of kefir; 2 gal of milk; 2 tabs of Junket rennet.
Slowly warm up the milk to 95 F, stir in a bottle of kefir and leave for
2.5 hours to acidify. Dissolve 2 tabs of rennet in 1/4 cup of cool water,
mix into milk and stir for 30 seconds. Leave in a quiet place at a room
temperature for 1.5 hours or till the milk sets. Check for a clean break.
Once the clean break is achieved, cut the curd to 1/2 in pieces, let it stand
for 15 min to expel whey, and then warm up VERY slowly to 105 F. It should
take at least 30 min. Carefully stir from time to time, lifting the curd
from the bottom.
Take off the heat and let the curd settle for 10-15 min. Drain the curd
through the cloth put in a colander; tie the cloth in a "Stilton knot"
( take three corners of the cloth and tie them with the fourth), and leave
the cheese in a colander over a warm whey for 1-1.5 h turning over every
15-20 min.
Then cut the curd to 1/2 in pieces and mix-in the salt (1-1.5 tbsp for a
milder fresh cheese; 2 tbsp for a ripened cheese). Now is a good time to
add your favorite herbs or sundries.
Put the cloth into a mold, fill with the cheese, wrap snugly and leave
under 5-7 Lb of pressure overnight. Unwrap the cheese in the morning and
let it air dry for a couple of days, turning over twice a day.
Your cheese is ready. it may be eaten fresh, stored in a fridge for about a
week or waxed for ripening.
Enjoy!