Cheese in 20 minutes

How cool is it that you can make cheese in 20 minutes, Thanks Jonathan Dick 
Everything you need can be picked up on a normal shopping day at any supermarket.


Making your own cheese is a great way to become more self-sufficient while saving money for your family. Many people, after researching how to make their own cheese, leave a bit disinterested because they have to use ingredients that are hard to come by – rennet, tartaric acid, calcium chloride, etc.
However, there are simple ways to make cheese with a gallon of milk, lime juice and salt! It’s easy. Here’s how you do it:
You’ll Need:
• One gallon of Whole Milk (You can use pasteurized or raw milk but not ultrapasteurized)
• 1/2 cup of Lime Juice (about 4 limes) or 1/4 cup of White Vinegar
• Salt
• Strainer or Colander
• Cheesecloth
• Candy Thermometer (optional)

Directions

1. Place the gallon of milk in a large, non-aluminum pot. Bring the pot to a medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until it looks like it’s about to boil. Be careful not to actually let the milk boil though. (If you have a thermometer, the milk should be at 185 degrees.)

2. Add 1/4 cup lime juice to the milk. The curds will begin to separate from the whey. The mixture will begin to look grainy.

3. Continue to allow the mixture to simmer for a couple of minutes.

4. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and remove the pot from the heat source. Pour the contents into the cheesecloth and allow it to drain for a couple of minutes. (You can save the excess liquid to make ricotta, add protein to oatmeal dishes, etc.)

5. Sprinkle the curds with salt (you’ll probably want to add a little more salt than you normally would due to the fact that some salt will drain from the cheese as it dries).

6. Since this cheese isn’t aged, the cheese will have a neutral flavor like mozzarella. If you’d like, you can add herbs, spices or chiles to add a bit of flavor.

7. Gather the cheese curds in the center of the cheesecloth and pull the ends of the cheesecloth up. You can then tie the ends of the cheesecloth to a faucet or cupboard and allow to drain for a few hours. You’ll want to drain it for at least four hours or overnight if you can.

8. After you’ve waited for a few hours, untie the cheesecloth and remove the cheese. This recipe should make about 16 ounces of cheese. Keep the cheese refrigerated. It should last as long as milk would in your fridge.

9. You can also place the cheese in the bottom of a clean can and use a glass bottle to form it to the can. That will give it more of a circular form.
10. Enjoy!

I like to add chillies or chives, parsley and even chutney to this cheese and i am sure you can think of many other wonderful things to add to yours. Let me know if you make this cheese and what you think.

The Quiet Achiever