Home Made Basket Cheese ___

Home Made Basket Cheese

Ingredients

For the Cheese:

  • 1 gallon whole milk works very good. Farm Fresh milk (raw milk) works the best
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 3 Rennet tablets (Junket brand is what I used)
  • 0.25 cup water

Directions

Place milk in to a stainless steel or an enamel 5 quart pot and add salt.

Dissolve Rennet tablets into water.

Heat milk to lukewarm ( 85F to 90F degrees). Turn off heat. DO NOT LET MILK BOIL.

Stir Rennet water into the warm milk.

Let milk stand for 40 to 45 minutes.

After 40-45 min you should have a thick layer of curd.

Cut curd into small pieces using a sharp knife.

Drain the whey without mixing up the curds. I place a cheese basket in the middle of the pan and scoop out the as much whey a possible.

Place a cheese basket into a large bowl and using a slotted spoon scoop out the curds into the cheese basket. You can overfill the basket a little since it will settle as the water drains.

Place an empty basket upside down in a bowl and then place the filled basket on top and let drain.

If you don't have an extra basket place a cup or small dish upside down in place of a basket.

After an hour or two or when the cheese is firm take it out of the basket and flip it and place it back into the basket. Cover and let drain overnight.

The longer it drains the firmer the cheese will get.

Once the cheese is firm, place it into a dish, cut it wedges and put a little salt if you want. The amount of salt really is to your taste.

ENJOY!!!

 If you are not going to use it right away, wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate.