# Cheddar Cheese Anyone?



## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

How's this look for the first batch of cheddar for the year?:stars:


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Oh does that look good! :drool:


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

:shocked: *jaw drops* I love cheese! Looks delicious :drool: :yum: 
How many gallons did it take to make it?


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

is it goat milk cheddar or cow milk? I want it, it looks really good. LOL


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## NoahEm (Sep 19, 2013)

Yummmmmm


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

That was 2 2 gallon batches of cheddar one was colored with annatto and the other one left white it is all goat's milk I am allergic to anything made with cows milk even cheese so...


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

I'm allergic to cow's milk too, but I don't have a real severe allergy to it, so I still consume some.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Is it hard to make and have come out good? Once I finally have goats in milk, I want to make all my own cheese including cheddar.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Oh awesome, I could make oodles of cheese once the kids are weaned! 
How many pounds did it make?

And also, how long has it been ripening? 
Thanks!


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## justspry (Feb 5, 2014)

Looks so yummy  Great job !


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

Looks like I need to give you my address so you can send me some!


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

The hardest part of the 2 colored cheddar is the 2 pans going at once trying to keep them stirred and all cheddar is not really hard just time consuming.


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

Little-Bits-N-Pieces said:


> Oh awesome, I could make oodles of cheese once the kids are weaned!
> How many pounds did it make?
> 
> And also, how long has it been ripening?
> Thanks!


It was just put together yesterday I haven't had time to ripen it yet


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

I have not ventured into cheddar yet, but that looks SO GOOD. I can't wait to hear how it turns out.


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

Well right now it tastes like Kraft mild cheddar the one I opened a week ago was from 2012 and was so sharp you can't get the taste out of your mouth (my mother said that it tasted like cheddar she was paying $100 a pound for years ago)


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

yuuuummmmm I love extra sharp cheddar


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

Me too! I think I need to take this next step in my cheese making when I finally get some milk again. I've been eying wine chillers for my cheese "cave." Maybe I just need to "cave" and do it!! haha


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

A big freezer with a thermometer works better (retrostat) I can't say I'm unhappy with my day yesterday I made that cheddar, some cream cheese, some brousse and all i missed that I was supposed to do was the ricotta from the cheddar whey.


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## lanafana (Apr 22, 2013)

That looks absolutely amazing...I wanna be you when I grow up. 


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Wow, it looks like something you'd buy from those fancy cheese shops and dairies! That's a great first time cheese.
I've only made the crumbly feta style goat cheese, I'm too lazy to try out the fancier stuff


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Holy udders that looks amazing :yum::drool::yum::drool::yum::drool::yum::drool::yum:
Oh I need to taste that NOW :mercy:
That is some nice work :thumb:
I'll PM you with my address


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

canyontrailgoats said:


> Wow, it looks like something you'd buy from those fancy cheese shops and dairies! That's a great first time cheese.
> I've only made the crumbly feta style goat cheese, I'm too lazy to try out the fancier stuff


That's not the first time I made cheese that's just the first time for the two color cheese and also the first hard cheese this year I have made cheddar, gouda, caraphilly, parmesan, darby, sage darby, feta, cottage cheese , brousse, ricotta, and a few others I can't remember right now.:laugh: All from goat's milk.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Oh, so you're a straight up cheese expert, huh? Lol, that's a lot of different cheeses! You should post pics of all the different cheeses as you make them, I like to see how they turn out


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

No not an expert you should see my mozzarella it really looks funny but it is fun to make and they are all good to eat so I have fun. Soon it's time to start back up with the lotions, and now lip balms made from my uncle's bees and I think my next project will be soap who Knows it's all fun.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Your not helping my cholesterol at all . 


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Very impressive! I so want to know how you made it....would you share your recipe and technique?


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Yes, we need more cheese posts on here. I made my very first cheddar about a month ago, it is aging in the wine cooler even as we speak. It was called Farm Cheddar, pretty easy to make, started with buttermilk and rennet, the pressing was the interesting part. Husband made me a press, it actually worked! So, please more recipes and posts on cheese please! Milking season is fast approaching!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

lovinglife....what plans did he use? I am also having DH build me a cheese press...


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## giddysmom (Mar 12, 2014)

What starter did you use for the cheddar. I'm getting ready to start out some cheddar for the first time but am confused as to which starter to try. Yours looks so good would you mind sharing your recipe?


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

Cheddar is mesophilic culture the recipe i use is from a book called 200 easy homemade cheese recipes and I bought it at tractor supply. I can post the recipe if you really want it but it would take a long time to type out. So you will have to give me a while and let me know if you guys really want it you might be able to pick up the book yourselves. and then have all the recipes I use as well.


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## giddysmom (Mar 12, 2014)

Thanks. I will get the book and save your fingers . Thank you


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

I typed up the recipe and went to post it, and of course the internet went down now I think I will wait until tomorrow to try again hopefully it will work then.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

kc8lsk said:


> I typed up the recipe and went to post it, and of course the internet went down now I think I will wait until tomorrow to try again hopefully it will work then.


Oh no....I hate that!


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

Type it in a word doc where you can save it then copy and paste to the board. That way you dont lose your hard work. Next time


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

Here is the recipe
Cheddar Cheese instructions and recipe

16 quarts whole milk unpasteurized 
½ teaspoon mesophilic culture
1/8 Teaspoon Annatto, optional
¾ Teaspoon calcium chloride
¾ Teaspoon liquid rennet
2 ½ tablespoon pickling or kosher salt
Cheese wax

1. Sterilize all equipment. In a large stainless-steel pot set in a hot water bath over medium heat, warm milk to 88*F, stirring gently. Turn off heat.

2. Sprinkle culture over surface of milk and let stand for about 5 minutes to rehydrate. Using skimmer and an up-and-down motion (I stir gently just barely making ripples), gently draw culture down into milk without breaking the surface. Cover and let ripen for 40 minutes, maintaining the temperature at 88*F.

3. Dilute Annatto, if using in ¼ cup cool water and add to milk using the same motion you stirred the culture with. Let stand for 15 minutes.

4. Dilute calcium chloride in ¼ cup cool water. Add to milk using your same motion.

5. Dilute liquid rennet in ¼ cup cool water. Add to milk using the motion used for culture stir until well blended. Cover pot and let set for 30 minutes maintaining the temperature at 88*F.

6. Check for a clean break (put a long knife into the mass and gently pull if it breaks clean your good to go if it is still runny let it set some more). Using your long knife and a skimmer cut curd into ½ inch cubes (don't worry if their not exact it won't really matter). Let set for 5 minutes to firm up the cubes.

7. Return heat to low and slowly warm curds to 102* stirring gently and continuously, adjusting the heat as necessary to make sure it takes 45 minutes to warm. Do not heat too quickly. The curds will shrink to about the size of peas or beans.

8. Remove pan from heat, cover and let hold for 30 to 40 minutes, maintaining the 102* temperature.

9. Drain whey and curds through a cloth-lined colander. (Reserving the whey for ricotta if you wish.)

10. Immediately return curds to the pot and place in a warm water bath to maintain temperature. Cover pot and let stand for 10 minutes. The curds will knit into a solid spongy mass. After 10 minutes turn the mass onto it's side continue doing this until all sides have been pressed. This is the “cheddaring” process, which continues the acidification of the curd and develops the unique texture of cheddar cheese.

11. Remove block of cheese curds from the pot and cut into 2 X ½ inch strips (I don't worry about cutting the curds at this point I just tear them into approximately ½ inch pieces). Place in a bowl and toss with salt.

12. Pack curds down into prepared mold (mold lined with cheese cloth), pressing down firmly as you fill. Pull cloth neatly around curds and fold excess snugly over the top, with as few wrinkles as possible. Put the lid on the mold.

13. Place mold on cheese press. Press at medium pressure for 1 hour. Remove cheese and re-dress (remove and re-wrap cheese cloth removing even more wrinkles). Continue pressing at high pressure for 12 hours or overnight.

14. Remove cheese from press and unwrap. Dry on a cheese mat placed on a rack at room temperature for 1 to 2 days. (I put mine on a plate and turn over every 12 hours for 2 days) turning once or twice, or until fairly dry to the touch.

15. Coat cheese with 2 to 3 layers of cheese wax. Ripen at 50*F for 3 months for mild cheddar, longer for sharper aged cheese. Cheddar can be aged for years to make a really sharp old cheese.


To make the cheese I posted I just divided the batch in half and made two batches one with anatto and one without crumbled them together before salting salted and pressed.


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## Udder Folks (May 24, 2013)

That cheese looks amazing! I found the book on Amazon!

Does anyone else have any favorite cheese recipe books that I need on my shelf?

Thanks!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Thanks kc8lsk!


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

Not a problem glad to share with all my goat friends.


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## Mcclan3 (Feb 13, 2014)

Thanks for typing up the recipe! Hopefully I get to try it soon


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