8-16 cups whole milk, preferably raw (do not use ultra heat treated milk, it will not work)
⅛ teaspoon direct set mesophillic cheese culture
1 drop liquid rennet, diluted in 5 Tablespoons cool water
Instructions
In medium-large stainless steel pot, heat milk to 95*F.
Add culture and stir to dissolve.
Add 2 Tablespoons of the rennet mixture for a small, soft curd, or add entire mixture for a large, firm curd.
Cover and set aside at room temperature for 12 hours.
When the curds have separated from the whey, gently stir the curds to break them up a bit.
Ladle most of the curds into a bowl lined with butter muslin cheesecloth, then gently pour the whey and remaining curds into the bowl.
Gather the cheesecloth into a bundle and lift out of the bowl, allowing most of the whey to drain out. Tie the cheesecloth over the handle of a wooden spoon, and rest the spoon over a tall bowl or jar. Alternately, secure the top of the bundle with a rubber band and hang on a cupboard door with a bowl underneath to catch the whey.
Allow the cheese to drain 4-6 hours, until desired dryness is reached.
Unwrap the cheese, place in a bowl, and season as desired.
Finished cheese can be stored unshaped in a container, or can be formed into a log and stored in a twist of parchment paper.
Enjoy!
Yield: About 8oz of cheese per half-gallon of milk
Recipe by The Nourishing Gourmet at https://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/soft-cheese/