Monday 25 January 2010

Squeaky cheese

I am a huge dairy fiend and recently got to eat proper cheddar cheese curds. They are amazingly tasty so I set about trying to find out how to make them. Turns out it's a bit tricky without complicated ingredients, but on my travels I found this recipe for Queso Blanco.

It looked ridiculously easy so I've given it a go. I changed the quantities of the recipe though, to suit those who don't eat a crazy amount of cheese:

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QUESO BLANCO

1 litre whole milk
2 1/2 tablespoons of lime juice
salt

I first heated the milk on a medium heat in a saucepan until it reached 185 degrees Fahrenheit (just before boiling).


Then added the lime juice to separate the curds and whey. This simmered for 2 minutes at the same medium temperature.


The cheese was then decanted into a cheesecloth-lined colander to drain the whey, and sprinkled with salt.

At this point you can add anything you like. I was going to add roasted red peppers, but I couldn't get the jar open, so I opted for just a sprinkle of black pepper.



The linen is then tied over the tap to drain for another four hours (or overnight).


I can't wait to try this later. I'm also keeping the drained off whey for making ricotta tomorrow :)

1 comment:

Blackbeard said...

Looks good, I'll give it a go...