Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Line your cheese mold with cheesecloth, and then pack the
mold closely with the curds. Fold your cheesecloth over top
of the curds, install the top of your mold, and put your mold
in a shallow pan to catch the whey that will be expelled.
Put a ten-pound weight on top of the mold to press the cheese
for fifteen minutes. Then, remove the cheese from the mold,
take it out of the cheesecloth, flip it over within the
cheesecloth, and put it back in the mold.
This time, press the cheese for 30 minutes with a thirty-pound
weight. (I recommend stacking three 10-pound dumbbell
weights as these are easier to handle.) Then, take the cheese
out of the press, take it out of the cheesecloth, flip it again
within the cheesecloth, re-cover it, and put it back in the
mold. Press it this time with 40 pounds for twelve hours.
After this, take it out of the mold and cheesecloth, and lay it
on a bamboo sushi rolling mat. Flip it on the mat once a day
so that it dries evenly. After three to five days, it should be
dry to the touch. Once it is dry to the touch, it is ready for
aging.
This cheese should be aged at temperatures of from 50 to 60
degrees for anywhere from one to three months. Maintaining
such temperatures is a tall order in most homes, but any
temperature range from 45 to 68 will do. Luckily (at least in
this respect) my house is old and drafty so I can age cheese in
a kitchen cabinet anytime from November to April without
need of maintaining a special environment.
If, however, you happen to either live in a warmer climate or
have a more energy-efficient home, you will likely need to
