Cheesemaking - Swiss

Heat 2 gallons of raw milk in a stainless steel pot to 84°F (29°C) over medium heat, which should take about 15 minutes.

Add 1/8 teaspoon of mesophilia culture and 1/16 teaspoon of peach sharmani to the milk, sprinkling it across the top.

Cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes to rehydrate the cultures.

Stir the milk up and down and around 15 to 20 times to mix the cultures thoroughly.

Cover the pot again and let the mixture ripen for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, prepare a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon of rennet in unchlorinated water and add calcium chloride first, then the rennet to the milk, stirring gently.

Cover the pot again to maintain temperature and let it sit for 30 minutes to allow curds to form.

Check for a clean break by pushing a curd cutter or icing knife into the curds to see if they separate cleanly from the whey.

Cut the curds into 3/8 inch pieces in a checkerboard pattern, making both horizontal and vertical cuts.

Stir the curds gently for about 5 minutes to break up any large curds.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Dietary

Allergens