My cheese is too mushy
This past weekend I wanted to try to make my own cheese for the first time. I gathered the typical ingredients: milk, rennet, and citric acid and went to town. Making Riccotta and Mozzarella seemed to work out alright, so I decided to try a harder cheese; however, in order to do that I had to press the cheese so that it compressed into the proper form. It was difficult to determine how much weight to put on the curds to get them to form. Too little force and it gets mushy, too much and I felt like I would compress it into a singularity! Has anyone done this before that could offer some weighty advice?
Best Answer
How are you pressing the cheese? Are you using a cheese press? I have done some traditional cheese making and it does take a lot of force. Not quite to the point of creating an atomic reaction though. For something simple, look for a Dutch press. It is a lever based press that helps. A screw press can also work.
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This is often caused by improper temperatures; either you used UHT (Ultra High Temperature) pasteurized milk or your curds got too hot when you were preparing for the stretching stage, or they didn't get hot enough. The temperature of the curds before stretching should be 160° to 170°F.How do you make cheese firmer?
Lipase is an enzyme that breaks down the fatty acids and gives cheese a distinct tang. However, it tends to soften your curds, so add in \xbc tsp. of diluted calcium chloride in a \xbc cup of cold water, to help firm up your curds.What happens if you overheat milk when making cheese?
If the culture sits too long in the milk or is heated too high it can develop too much acid and leave a bitter flavor. If not enough whey has been released from the curd for the specific cheese being made , bitterness can occur.How do you drain soft cheese?
One of the most common ways to drain cheese is by using a mesh cloth or mesh strainer. Drain the excess liquid thoroughly - let your cheese sit for 10-15 minutes to cool off before starting the drainage process.Italian CHEESE Explained: The Different Types and How to Use Them
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Answer 2
I think if it is too mushy, you can safely assume you need more weight. If it it compresses to nearly a singularity :), you just didn't make very much cheese.
Answer 3
If you slice the cheese into 1 inch slices, sprinkle it with salt and let it weep for 3 days at room temperature, the whey will be drawn out. Then cover it with brine and refrigerate. A press is not necessary.
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