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Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe

Started by Tea, August 03, 2008, 10:24:34 PM

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Tea

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.

Tea

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.


Tea


Tea

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.

Tea

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.

Cheese Head

Looks very nice Tea, congrats on your new try!

Tea

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.

thebelgianpanda

#7
"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

thebelgianpanda

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.













Cheese Head

thebelgianpanda, cheese ooks great, cooking and presentation too, congrats!

Tea

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.

Webmaster

#11
The following posts are split off a different thread and added onto this one as same topic - webmaster.

Johanyrh

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

kawatiri kaas

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 but I doubt it can be very true to form. Do you have any pics you'd care to share, Johan?
Cheers

Johanyrh

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