Soft Jalapeno Cheese Curds

I have been getting impatient waiting for my Brie to age, so decided to make a fresh cheese while waiting! This is what I came up with. If you do not have cheese cultures and rennet locally (we can't all be lucky enough to be in wisconsin!), this is a great place to buy it from www.dairyconnection.com


FRESH JALAPENO CHEESE

Ingredients:

• 2 gallons milk
• 1/4 tsp mesophilic culture (i use choozit m100)
• 1/4 tablet rennet (or 1/2 tsp if using liquid rennet)
• 1/2 cup water (or 1/4 cup if using liquid rennet)
• 1/4 tsp salt (for tablet rennet) + salt to sprinkle
• 3 finely diced jalapenos
• 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
  

Supplies:

• large stockpot
• sharp knife to cut curds
• slotted spoon
  
• fine cheesecloth (get it at a cheese supply store, the ones you get at the grocery store are far too widely woven)
• colander
• small plate
  
• gallon jug of water

Instructions:

1. very slowly warm the milk to 96 degrees F, keeping a close eye on the temperature with a thermometer.
2. add mesophilic starter, stirring gently
3. cover and let sit for 30 minutes, keeping the temperature at 96F.
4. add rennet to water (and 1/4 tsp salt if using tablet rennet, make sure to stir well til it all dissolves)
5. add rennet mixture to milk, and slowly stir in a figure 8 for about 30 seconds
6. still keeping the milk at 96F, allow to sit for 30 minutes. after this time a white gelatin like layer will be formed
7. cut the curd layer into 3/4-1 inch squares, and let rest for 3 minutes
8. gently stir the curds a few times
9. begin to raise the temperature of the milk to 116F. do this very slowly, over 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. the curds will start shrinking a bit
10. cook the curds at 116F for 45 minutes, stirring gently every 10-15 minutes, being careful to not break the curds too much
11. line a colander with cheesecloth, and gently scoop the curds out of the whey with a slotted spoon, into the cheesecloth. (i had small squares of cheesecloth and had to do this twice)
    
12. gather the cloth by the corners and tie it together with some string, hanging it for 20 minutes (make sure it is above the sink or a bowl, it will make a mess!)
13. open the cloth and add the jalapeno, red pepper flakes, and a sprinkle of salt over the curds. mix in well
14. gather the corners of the cloth together again, twisting it down by the curds to press the curds tight
15. place the bag of curds in a colander and set an inverted small plate over the top of it, making sure to cover it completely
16. balance a gallon jug of water on top of the plate to press and drain the curds, allow this to sit for 1-3 hours, checking regularly to make sure it is still balanced.
    
17. unwrap your curds and break into small pieces for cheese curds, or leave whole for a delicious spread!

If you want firmer curds (this makes a soft cheese), increase the time that you cook it at 116F to 60 minutes, and stir more frequently, to help the curds release more of the whey. Also press the cheese for 3 hours for firmer curds.

This cheese is best fresh, used within one or two days, but may be kept up to a week. if you wish for a stronger pepper flavor, allow it to age in the refrigerator for a few days before using.

The basic curd recipe can be used with any herb/spices you desire, so definitely experiment with this one! Once you try this and find how easy and cheap it is to make, you will never want to buy fresh cheese again!

See my post on Cheese Stuffed Garlic Biscuits for a great way to use this cheese, or what I will be trying next, and super excited about... melt it over some tortilla chips! Also try this on pizza, and spread over crackers... so many ways to use a good fresh cheese! Enjoy!