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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Brine Ripened (Aegean Sea) => Topic started by: Tea on August 03, 2008, 10:24:34 PM

Title: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Tea on August 03, 2008, 10:24:34 PM
My kids love this one.

5lt milk
.5ml rennet per 2 ltr

Heat milk to 32c.
Add rennet and allow to set for around 40 min, should be a firm set.
Cut curd into 2-4cm cubes and let stand for 5 mins.
Slowly heat curd to 40c over next 20 mins stirring gently.
Allow the curd to settle into a solid mass, and remove the whey (retain this for later use) and using laddle gently press down cheese to expell whey. 
Put curd into cheese cloth and tighten around curd.  Weights may be added until firm enough.

Bring whey to boiling point scooping out any excess curd. Cut cheese in to 5cm x 10cm x 15cm pieces ann put into hot whey.  The curd will sink to the bottom.  After 45min to 90 mins the curd will float.  Wait another 15 mins before removing.  Place in a wooden rack.

Allow to cool for 20 mins and sprinkle with salt then leave until cool.

Put the cheese into a brine mix of 300gr salt to every ltr water.  Store in fridge.
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Tea on August 03, 2008, 10:38:20 PM
As the baskets that I use are about the cut size required I use them. I stach them and use their weight as a press rotating every 1/2 hour, and turning cheese every hour. 
My mistake was that I forgot to turn off the whey, so the cheese fell apart.  They are still aright, just a little smooshed.

Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Tea on August 03, 2008, 10:39:19 PM
Yucky mess
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Tea on August 03, 2008, 10:46:18 PM
They're edible.
This cheese is yummy dry fried on a hot pan just until brown and eaten hot.  The cheese squeeks as you eat.
This is a salty cheese, so you may want to soak in milk first before use. Use in salads or as topping for steaks.
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Tea on November 20, 2008, 07:27:12 PM
Made this yesterday with goats milk, and turned out great.  Remembered to turn off the pot this time before putting the cheese into the hot whey, so they turned out much better.
Just thought I would update.
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Cheese Head on November 22, 2008, 09:48:00 PM
Looks very nice Tea, congrats on your new try!
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Tea on March 19, 2009, 09:14:16 PM
Just a follow up on this cheese. I made another batch a month ago using normal milk because I can't get my usual cheese making milk.  Boy what a pathetic set I got. 

Anyway we used some last night for dinner, and my daughter soaked some in milk for a couple of hours, then she marinated in oil, herbs and garlic for a couple of hours then they were fried.  It was really yummy.

First time we have done this, so just thought I would update with out findings.
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: thebelgianpanda on April 22, 2009, 12:57:43 AM
"Bring whey to boiling point scooping out any excess curd. Cut cheese in to 5cm x 10cm x 15cm pieces ann put into hot whey.  The curd will sink to the bottom.  After 45min to 90 mins the curd will float.  Wait another 15 mins before removing.  Place in a wooden rack."

Do you boil the curds for 45 minutes, is that what this means?  How long should it be brined for?

Thanks!

--edit: reread previous posts, don't want to sound like an idiot XD
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: thebelgianpanda on April 22, 2009, 11:24:10 PM
Here are pics from my first attempt, after the cheese was fried.  I only boiled the curd for ~25 minutes, as it was floating after 20.  I used 1% milk.  It tastes fantastic when hot.

(http://www.awcart.com/images/cheese/halloumi/IMG_1863.JPG)

(http://www.awcart.com/images/cheese/halloumi/IMG_1866.JPG)

(http://www.awcart.com/images/cheese/halloumi/IMG_1871.JPG)

(http://www.awcart.com/images/cheese/halloumi/IMG_1877.JPG)

(http://www.awcart.com/images/cheese/halloumi/IMG_1884.JPG)

(http://www.awcart.com/images/cheese/halloumi/IMG_1894.JPG)
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Cheese Head on April 23, 2009, 01:45:50 AM
thebelgianpanda, cheese ooks great, cooking and presentation too, congrats!
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Tea on April 23, 2009, 08:39:42 PM
Hi Panda, my apologies, I meant to get back to answering this yesterday, but forgot.

The pot needs to be brought to the boil, then turned off.  Place in the cheese and let sit in the hot water. 
I forgot to turn off the boiling water in the above pics, that's why the end result is a bit yucky.

By the way, your cheese looks great.  If the cheese is too salty, it can be soaked in milk for a couple of hours before using.

I love this cheese hot off the pan.
Title: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Webmaster on August 29, 2009, 05:28:31 PM
The following posts are split off a different thread and added onto this one as same topic - webmaster.
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Johanyrh on January 03, 2010, 10:34:51 AM
Hi JulzKiwi

I have been using the following recipe without failure!

Halloumi
1.   Heat the milk to 35°C (Acid 0.15 tot 0.17% )
2.   Add Calcium Chloride (CaCl) and dissolved in water (10g/100 liter milk)
3.   Add rennet (Do not stir for longer than 2 minutes!!! )
4.   After about 40 minutes, cut the curd in cubes of about 0.5 to 1 cm.
5.   Increase the temperature to 45°C while stirring. The stirring process is carrying on until the curd is firm enough (Approx. 20 minutes). Drain the whey and keep it.
6.   Place the curd in cloths and press a light press for 45 minutes. ( I usually use 20 liter milk and transfer the curd to a form of 500mm x 400mm. I then place a 10 kg container of a slightly smaller size onto the curd)
7.   Heat the whey to close to boiling point.(90°C)
8.   Cut the pressed curd into desirable sizes and put it into the boiling whey, wait for it to surface and take it out. Add herbs and salt and leave to cool.
9.   The cheese can be put into brine or vacuum-packed.
10.   The shelf life is about 1 month.

I hope this helps!

Johan
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: kawatiri kaas on January 03, 2010, 11:47:32 AM
Quiet interested in this Halloumi. Couple of questions though, what herbs do you use, do you knead the curds at any time during the re-heating, can you roll out the curd before cutting and lastly how does powdered CaCl compare with the liquid form? Do you use a pH meter and if so is it necessary for this cheese. There is a video of someone making it here (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1233.msg8808.html#msg8808) but I doubt it can be very true to form. Do you have any pics you'd care to share, Johan?
Cheers
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Johanyrh on January 03, 2010, 01:53:51 PM
Hi Brett

Halloumi is an excellent cooking cheese and we enjoy it in every way possible, usually, here in South Africa, it is served in restaurants as a starter. I haven't gotten around to trying different ways of preparing it, as I have a student and a teenager at home and it doesn’t last long enough. ;D I usually fry it in a pan with a little butter until golden brown, then flip it over onto the other side until done!

1.   I use fresh mint that I dry in the microwave for a couple of minutes. I then crush it until it is fine and apply it to both sides of the Halloumi with a shaker during the salting process.
2.    I don’t knead the curds at all. After the curds are cooked I transfer them directly into the form and press them for about 45 minutes. Only after this process do I cut the cheese into rectangles. (approx 180 x 100 x14 mm)
3.   I have never used the liquid CaCl, I have been using powdered CaCl so I wouldn’t be able to comment. I mix the correct amount of CaCl with sterilised water and add this to the milk just before I add cultures or rennet.
4.   I don’t use a pH meter as it isn’t necessary for this cheese. I make sure that I stick to the 45 degrees in 20 minutes not stirring too vigorously and until now I have been fine. (Curd shouldn’t matt either)

The video looks fine, I suppose you will find slight variations. I, for instance don’t fold the cheese over. I will be making Halloumi during the coming week and I will post a couple of pictures.

Regards
Johan
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: kawatiri kaas on January 06, 2010, 10:01:10 AM
Thanks Johan! looking forward to trying that - maybe even this weekend if the cow's production picks up a little. What type of milk do you use? Are you able to get raw milk in South Africa?
Cheers
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Johanyrh on January 07, 2010, 05:15:51 AM
Hi Brett

I use raw Jersey milk for the Halloumi, we can purchase directly from the farmer. If I make Feta I do batch pasteurise the milk.

I made a batch of Halloumi last night  I used 18 litres. I attach the pictures in an Adobe Acrobat file( don't want to post big files) , if you need the pictures in their original format just email me.

Regards

Johan
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Gürkan Yeniçeri on January 08, 2010, 01:35:37 AM
I am using this recipe (http://www.buildanark.net/index.php?pages/Making%2520Halloumi%2520and%2520Anari%2520Cheese.html) for halloumi and the taste is almost equal to what I have eaten in Northern Cyprus during my university years there. They fried realy well and loved by the family.
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: FRANCOIS on January 10, 2010, 07:26:14 PM
Just a tip for haloumi...it fries without melting because the pH is very high in it.  It is crucial that the cheese be boiled as soon after pressing as possible.
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Cheese Head on January 17, 2010, 01:36:28 PM
Francoise, good info.

I think you mean the cheese is very acidic and thus the pH is low, correct?

Also why is that when most recipes (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,2912.0.html) don't use a lactic acid producing starter culture?
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Alex on January 17, 2010, 06:08:13 PM
I think Francois meant the contrary, as starter is not added, the acidity is low and pH is high.
BTW - I make my Haloumi adding Meso because I pasteurize the raw milk.
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: FRANCOIS on January 17, 2010, 06:36:55 PM
If the pH of the final curd before boiling is below 6 it will cause texture issues and it may start to loose shape when heated.  Acidity should be low and pH quite high.  It is a forgiving cheese because there is no affinage.  The cultures don't matter much since you really are just getting the milk flavor.  Salting the curd before pressing will help keep the pH up.  Salt levels should be 1.5 to 2% depending on your tastes.
Title: Re: Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe
Post by: Cheese Head on January 17, 2010, 11:25:07 PM
Alex, thanks, dumb me, now I understand better, pH is high and acidity is low close to fresh milk as no starter culture.

Francoise, thanks, I was also thinking that adding starter culture wouldn't add much flavour before being boiled and killed, still I'll try that on next batch. I'll also salt the curd rather than the boiled cheese as you propose, 1.5-2% is of final weight.