Looking for a CHEESE CURD recipe!

[wynedot55]

sounds like yall are going to eat cheese faster than you can make it.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I made half a batch to try. I managed to heat the milk without scortching it! The texture is different than what I'm used to but, they are good.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Here's what I'm used to for cheese curds:

 

[wynedot55]

so was the cheese curds good.they sure do look yummy.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

They're good.

 

[kstaven]

Here's what I'm used to for cheese curds:
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc282/kitty4_photo/keep threads/Cheesecurds2.jpg

The difference is that you are buying a cheddar based curd. This recipe works if you want pasteurized curd. If you prefer to not pasteurize then heat the milk to 21 degrees c and go to step 2 (starter)

5 litres (1gallon) full cream milk
1 litre (1.7pints) additional cream (optional)
5ml (1 teaspoon) liquid starter or 5ml DVI dry starter (or half a cup of live yoghurt/live buttermilk although this is not as reliable as a commercial starter)
3ml (half teaspoon) rennet
10g salt
Method

Pasteurisation: Pasteurise the milk to destroy unwanted bacteria. To avoid damaging the subsequent curd, this is normally 66 OC held for 30 minutes. Cool to 21 OC.

Starter:Stir in the starter and leave the milk, covered in a warm place for about an hour so that it can acidify. Dont leave it for much longer than this otherwise the cheese may be too dry and crumbly.

Rennet: Increase the temperature to 28 OC for goat or ewes milk, or to 30 OC for cows milk. Mix the rennet with two teaspoonfuls of previously boiled and cooled water and then stir it in. Give it another stir 5 minutes later to stop the cream collecting at the top. Cover the container and then leave the milk to set in a warm place.

Setting: (Coagulating): The curd is normally ready when it is firm to the touch, gives slightly and does not leave a milk stain on the back of the finger. Note that with vegetarian rennet, setting takes longer than with animal rennet. It also takes longer in a cooler environment.

Cutting the curd: This is where the curd is cut in order to release the liquid whey. Cut down into the curd, from top to bottom one way then cut it at right angles to form square columns. The curd is then loosened from around the walls of the pan. Unless a curd knife is available to make horizontal cuts, a palette knife can used to make diagonal cuts to break up the curd into pieces that are approximately pea-sized. Stir gently with the hand for a couple of minutes.

Scalding: Sometimes referred to as cooking, this is where the temperature of the curds and whey is raised slowly while occasional stirring of the curds takes place by hand. Gradually increase the temperature to 38 OC over the next 30-40 minutes.

Pitching: This is the process of giving the whey a final, circular stir so that it whirls round. The curds then gradually sink to the bottom and collect at a central point. Turn off the heat and leave the pan until all movement has ceased in the liquid.

Running the whey: Ladle out as much of the liquid whey as possible, then place a previously sterilised cloth over a stainless steel bucket or large basin and tip in the curds. Leave for about 15 minutes.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Thank you. I will have to try that one when I get a chance! I seem to have a problem getting them from the diary we ship too. The milk hauler remembers to bring the rest of the order and forgets my cheese curds. I sure would love to make my own.

 

[Rence]

Farmer Kitty, have you ever made cheddar cheese? Not the stirred-curd kind, but the one you cut in strips and turn over every 15 minutes for 2 hours while the pot soaks in a 100 degree hot water bath?

I use that for my cheese curds. After cheddaring those cheese strips, instead of cutting up the strips into little bits and pressing the cheese, I'll just break up the curd into little bits and put them in a big ziploc bag...then I season them....and then they disappear

They're only squeaky for a day, but the curds stay fresh and yummy for up to two weeks.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Farmer Kitty, have you ever made cheddar cheese? Not the stirred-curd kind, but the one you cut in strips and turn over every 15 minutes for 2 hours while the pot soaks in a 100 degree hot water bath?

I use that for my cheese curds. After cheddaring those cheese strips, instead of cutting up the strips into little bits and pressing the cheese, I'll just break up the curd into little bits and put them in a big ziploc bag...then I season them....and then they disappear

They're only squeaky for a day, but the curds stay fresh and yummy for up to two weeks.

It's on my list to try. Trouble is my list keeps growing and the time goes by so fast. I'm going to have to move it up on the list.

BYW, IMO cheese curds are the best when squeaky.

 

[Scout]

Never heard of cheese curds! What a SIN! They are chunks of cheese that when good and fresh squeek! Of course, maybe that is why you haven't heard of them--to far away from the Dairy State to get them fresh! And as with most any cheese best served at room temp!

Oh yeah! We used to have the Watonga cheese place around here, then they got flooded and shut down, looks like for good. They used to have the BEST cheese curds, and I always loved the squeak when ya first bit into em lol. Good stuff for sure!