Basic Hard Cheese

What you see in the above picture is called a "clean break" and it's essential in the making of hard cheeses.  When I say "hard cheeses" I mean anything sliceable.  Soft cheeses are chevre, cream cheese, etc.  This post will cover the basic steps, including a recipe, for making hard cheese.  I'll discuss several variations, too, which will lead you to entirely different types of cheese to include Parmesan, Cheddar, Jack, Swiss, and others.  The batch photographed above ended up being my town's very own Monterey Jack.  

Equipment:

I'm committed to taking as many shortcuts as is practicable, so these instructions aren't for the culinarily prim, snobbish set.  Yes, I, too, shop at Williams-Sonoma, but they don't sell a lot of cheesemaking gear, so I tend to make my own.  That said, please don't be offended by a mold made from (sterilized) PVC sewer piping and plywood, canned goods and a gallon of bleach repurposed as impromptu weights, and a shed turned into a "cheese cave."  I'd like to think that just about everyone has the implements to make cheese far more cheaply than it can be bought and, in my opinion, often with superior taste.  Plus, how much satisfaction can you really get out of buying something spat out by a machine?  

Must haves:  

1.  A sanitary working environment.  Yes, cheese has been made for eons before Joseph Lister came along, but life expectancy was next to nothing and people went through puberty and mid-life crises simultaneously.  So, we keep things clean.  It's a great way to know that what you're making isn't going to sicken anyone and that you're not wasting your time on something that'll spoil and wind up inedible.  I don't recommend bleach as it can lend some funky aftertaste to your product, and there are other less caustic methods of sanitization.  Some people like to run everything in the dishwasher a time or two (to include the very hot drying cycle) and pull things out as needed.  This ensures that your tools aren't contaminated between cleaning and use.  Boiling is another option.  Simply put an inch or so of water in your pot and boil it off (lid on) until nearly dry.  I've made the mistake of leaving it on the burner too long and wound up having to wipe down all the residue (like rust), scrub it out, and start all over with sanitization.  So, watch your boiling pot to avoid this hassle.  For the hand-held tools, I like to keep a big pot of water boiling as I'm making cheese so that I can toss my tools back in between steps to ensure that everything is constantly clean.  Likewise, boil your molds, cheesecloths, etc. before use.  Basically, you need to boil any- and everything that will come into contact with your milk or your cheese.  As for your hands, feel free to use them (without gloves).  Just wash them incessantly.  Every time you think about hands or milk or cleanliness or cheese, wash your hands in painfully hot water with good antibacterial soap.  It's worth the worry.  

2.  A good stainless steel pot.  Bigger is better, even if you're only making a gallon's worth of cheese as room for jostling and transport are a luxury worth having, but make sure your thermometer will reach down into the pot from its perch on the pot's rim.  The pot doesn't have to be All-Clad (though I really can't stress enough the importance of a good All-Clad set for cooking) as it won't be receiving any direct heat and, well, a really large All-Clad stock pot could cost you $800 bucks.  Aluminum is not an option.  It will react with the milk and foul up your product.  

3.  A couple of digital thermometers (in case one gets soaked) and a little clasp that hangs over the side of the pot, allowing the thermometer to reach down into the liquid.  Even the smallest variation in temperature during setting/"cooking" can drastically change the consistency of your cheese.  Don't worry.  Going a little over likely won't ruin it, but it will change it, perhaps giving you something other than the cheese for which you planned.  

4.  A stainless steel whisk, ladle, and curd knife.  Any cheap stainless steel whisk will do, but don't get anything with any plastic on it.  Likewise, the ladle should be solid stainless.  The knife, of course, will likely have a plastic handle, and that's fine.  Just make sure that its blade is long enough to cut the curd from top to bottom with a little clearance left over for the handle.  I bought all of these at a kitchen supply store and/or Pricebuster's for a total of maybe $20.  Cheesemaking supply companies will try to sell you things like a "curd knife," but don't get hoodwinked by the marketing:  it doesn't cut cheese curds (one of the softest things to ever meet a knife) any better than the $5 one I use.  

5.  A cheese mold.  As you can see, I've found a friendly local plumber and purchased more than enough 8" piping for $10.  Once I got it home I took a saw and a drill bit to it and, voila!  I've got cheese molds.  It is rather shocking, though, how much some folks charge for "specialized" molds.  What makes them special?  The fact that they're 5" in diameter and 2" tall?  Hmm.  I'll just cut one of those to size in my garage.  Thanks, local plumber.  You just saved me $40!  Anyhow, the lesson here is to make your own mold.  I don't suggest using a coffee can, however, as David Fankhauser (fantastic cheesemaking resource that he is) ran into some reactivity between the metal and his cheese during aging.  Also, just be sure to clean and eventually sterilize everything before use.  Obviously, PVC pipe sections don't have bottoms, so just fashion something for yourself.  You could easily attach a permanent bottom (and I may next time), but plywood with holes drilled in it worked swimmingly for me.  

6.  Cheesecloth.  Get the good stuff, and be wary of many of the fabrics labeled as "cheesecloth" in craft and other stores.  If the webbing is too loose, you'll loose your curds and all your work with them.  It's probably worth popping for some of the real deal from a supplier, but it can be washed and re-used again and again, so it's well worth the minimal investment.  

7.  Cheese wax.  Some cheeses are waxed, others are brined, and still others are left to develop natural rinds.  Should you choose to make a waxed variety, use food-grade wax, not crayons or candles.  Cheese wax, like cheesecloth, can be gotten inexpensively from supply houses and, again like cheesecloth, can be used again and again.  

8.  Thermometer/Hygrometer.  I got mine from Home Depot in the sprinkler/fertilizer section for $10 and it's been fantastic.  It tells me both the current temperature and humidity level as well as the high and low for each over the last twenty-four hours.  This way, if aging somewhere other than a strictly controlled environment, I can know if daytime temperatures are getting too hot/nighttime temperatures too low, etc.  

These few supplies, outside of what goes into your cheese, are basically all you need to start making some really great cheese in your average kitchen.  None of them is expensive and all of them can be used over and again.  So, get shopping and start setting some cheese.