Ingredients
Units
- 1 gallon of 2 % milk, not ultra-pasteurized
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 tablet of Junket Rennet (affiliate link)
It is essential to sterilize all instruments and the cloth first: boil everything for 10 minutes in the same pot used later to make the cheese. Do not forget:
- Pot
- Strainer
- Soup spoon
- Table knife
- Cheesecloth (affiliate link)
- Thermometer
- Whisk or fork
- Cheese Mold (affiliate link)
- Tongs
Instructions
- Warm the milk in a large pot over medium-high heat until it reaches a temperature of 31-34 degrees C (91F). It is essential to have a thermometer to control the temperature of the process. It took 7 minutes in my kitchen, but it will depend on the flame and the pot you use. Turn off the heat.
- Dissolve a tablet of rennet in 1 tablespoon of water. Add the rennet to the warm milk, and stir for 3 minutes. Let stand without stirring for 1 hour and a half until you can cleanly remove a piece of the surface with a knife and it is set. The time varies depending on the kitchen’s temperature; it can take up to 2 hours and something in winter.
- Cut with a table knife from the top to the bottom of the pot in 2 x 2 cm. Let stand 15 minutes more in the pot, shaking gently every couple of minutes to “release” the serum.
- Cover the colander with the cheesecloth. Strain the curd and let drain without stirring for 5 min, then lift with the cloth forming a ball to drain more liquid. Add the salt and stir gently.
- Again make a ball with the cloth and squeeze gently. Notice that the cheese has already decreased a lot in volume. The process started with 3.8 Lt of milk, and I collected more than 2.5 Lt. of serum.
- Put the curdled milk in the plastic mold with holes that allow drainage, giving it a proper shape. Put some weight (can be a pair of cans). Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- The next day, remove from the mold and cut.
- Keep refrigerated. It is usual for the fresh cheese to release more serum. Keep draining it. It lasts only 4-6 days.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Cuisine: Chilean