First Cheese

Last week I attempted my first cheese. I used the 1 gallon Farmers Cheese recipe from the website I posted. I warmed up my milk and added the yogurt and let it sit all night. In the morning I warmed up the milk and added the Rennet and then waited, and waited, and waited some more. No clean break. I began to suspect that I let the milk sit to long before adding the rennet.

I was eager to try again so this time I warmed the milk, added the yogurt and only let it sit for 3 hours before adding the rennet. Nothing happened. I did not even get a messy kind of break. Nothing, it still looked like milk. I decided to warm it up an make something else with it. When I came back to check on the milk it was firming up just like it was supposed too! I kept it warm and followed the rest of the directions and put the curd in to my homemade cheese press (also found on the website). I let it press all night and then took it out and wrapped it in a handkerchief that I had boiled to serialize and put it in the fridge.

This is the hardest part, waiting. I can't help but check on my cheese all the time. I really try not to but I can't help it. It seems to be drying just like it is supposed to. When it is dry I will wax it and wait some more. The sad part is that I will not know if I got it right for a few more weeks!