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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Soft => Topic started by: Cheese Head on November 13, 2011, 11:31:35 PM
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Another Queso Fresco make, used the recipe here (http://cheeseforum.org/articles/wiki-queso-fresco-cheese-making-recipe/) which uses vinegar, buttermilk, rennet, salt, and squeezing out excess whey in a cheesecloth.
Nov 13, 2011
- 4:00PM: Poured 1 US gallon/3.8 litres of fresh store bought pasteurized homogenized whole cow milk and 1/2 US gallon/1.9 liters of whole store bought cow buttermilk into stockpot on gas burner ring on stove. Buttermilk was quite ripe presumably as stored last few days in warmer cheese cave fridge :). Added 5 tablespoons of household white vinegar, started warming.
- 4:15PM: Milk at 88F/31C, turned off heat. Stirred in CHR Hansen Brand powdered rennet diluted in 1/4 cup cool water, covered and set aside for curd to set. Milk had some fine curdle lumps, presumably from vinegar and ripe buttermilk.
- 4:45PM: Poor curd set.
- 5:15PM: OK curd set, significant syneresis (whey expulsion), cut curd into 0.5"/1 cm diamonds, let rest 5 minutes, started warming.
- 5:40PM: Curds at 46°C/115F, removed from heat, stirred occasionally during which time cut curds fell apart. Ladled curds and whey into 1.5-2.0 kg Kadova Brand Gouda shaped mold in sink, disposing of whey down drain. Placed follower on curds and light weight.
- 8:00PM: Turned Cheese in mold, cheese very soft and sticking to mold netting, increased weight to 2 pounds/0.8 kg.
- 10:00PM: Turned Cheese in mold, still moist and sticking, increased weight to 10 pounds/4.5 kg and left overnight.
Nov 14, 2011
- 5:00AM: Removed cheese from mold and placed on drying mat in low humidity kitchin fridge to dry further.
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Latest pic (keys for scale) . . .
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Looks good, John. Strong work! Looks better than my first attempt at Queso Fresco, which also happened to be my first attempt at cheese making, period. My curds also never set well. I followed the same recipe you did. Weird. Didn't use a press/mold, though. Just squeezed with my hands.
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I think this would work better if you just use buttermilk and let it pre-ripen for a couple of hours. (In fact, if you do this naturally without the vinegar you would be able to age it should you desire). Did you add Calcium?
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I think this would work better if you just use buttermilk and let it pre-ripen for a couple of hours. (In fact, if you do this naturally without the vinegar you would be able to age it should you desire). Did you add Calcium?
@iratherfly: If your calcium question was directed at me, then yes, I used calcium. My milk is store bought H&P, so I figured the calcium chloride was needed.
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Yes, it could be an issue with UHT or HTST pasteurization that dentures the proteins and destroy their coagulation properties. Try gently pasteurized milk that isn't marked a any of the versions of Ultra Pasteurized