Operating instructions

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The low temperatures of your dehydrator are ideal for ripening milk into cheese. Cottage cheese is unripened cheese - that is, it has not been
aged. Hard cheeses, on the other hand, are pressed, dipped in paraffin wax, and aged. Longhorn, cheddar, Colby, and Romano are all hard
type cheeses. In addition, there are the semi-hard or soft cheeses: Scamorze, Neufchatel, and cheese spreads. These are generally milder in
flavor than the hard cheeses and are only aged for a short time, if at all.
Making a Hard Cheese
The following instructions are for making a “generic” hard cheese; to cover all the different types individually would require a book in itself.
Scald 1 gallon of milk and allow it to cool; making cheese in smaller amounts is just not practical. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt to the
cooled milk and stir well for 2 minutes. Buttermilk and yogurt act as starters, substances that produce the acid needed to give cheese its
distinctive flavor. In addition to giving the cheese its flavor, the acid also discourages the growth of bacteria. Set the thermostat on your
dehydrator for 90°F, remove the trays, place the container of milk on the bottom of the unit, and heat for 12 to 24 hours. When the milk has a
slightly acidic taste, it is ripened and ready for use.
Adding the Rennet
Enzymes in rennet speed the clabbering, or curd formation, of the cheese. Rennet is an animal by-product. If you are a vegetarian, there is
also an all-vegetable rennet available. Allow the milk to cool back to room temperature; then add 1 teaspoon liquid rennet or 1 rennet tablet
dissolved in 1/2 cup water. Mix well, cover the container, and let it stand for 1 to 2 hours until clabbered.
Cutting the Curd
Slice the curd in crosshatch and diagonal directions as described in the cottage cheese recipe. Return the forming cheese to the dehydrator,
which you’ve set at 110°F/43°C. Hold the cheese at that temperature, stirring occasionally, until the curd is firm. This usually takes from 30 to 45
minutes. Test its consistency by squeezing a handful of the curd. If it breaks easily, the cheese is ready.
Draining the Whey
Line a colander with cheesecloth, pour in the curds and whey, and drain. Stir the curds with your hands until it gets a rubbery texture;
it should squeak when you chew a piece. At this point, sprinkle on 1 to 2 tablespoons of flake salt and mix it in thoroughly. As soon as
the salt has dissolved and the curds have cooled to 85°F, pour the mixture into a cheeseform that has been lined with cheesecloth.
You needn’t buy a special cheeseform, though these are available; a 2 pound coffee can with holes punched in the bottom and
set in a shallow container works well.
Pressing the Curd
Place a circle of cheesecloth over the curds and insert a wooden follower. A follower is a circle of 1/2 plywood cut to fit inside the form; it
serves to evenly flatten the top of the cheese. If you glue a small block of wood to the top of the follower, it will be much easier to remove. Now
place a 1 pound coffee can, open side down, on top of the follower and set a board on top of that - forming a pyramid-type arrangement.
The small can should protrude up several inches higher than the top of the form.
With all the paraphernalia in place, pile 3 or 4 bricks on top of the board. These will press and compact the loose curds into the familiar solid
cheese round you see in stores. After 10 minutes, remove the bricks, board, can, and follower, and drain off any whey that has collected in the
form. Replace the follower and other parts, increase the weight to 6 to 8 bricks, and press the cheese for an additional hour.
Dressing
Remove the newly pressed cheese from the form and peel off the cheesecloth. Dip the cheese in warm water to remove any lingering
fat and smooth over small holes and cracks with your fingers. Cut two cheesecloth circles slightly larger than the cheese round and a strip
2” wider and long enough to wrap around the cheese with a slight overlap. Roll up the cheese, place it in the form, and press with 6 to 8 bricks
for a final 18 to 24 hours.
Drying and Paraffining
Remove the cheese from the form for the last time and wipe it with a dry cloth. Next, wash the cheese in hot water and smooth over cracks and
holes with your fingers. The cheese is now ready to begin the drying phase. Place it on a shelf in a cool, dry place - the crisper or vegetable
drawer of your refrigerator is a good spot that is also free from insects and pests. Turn and wipe the cheese daily for a period of 3 to 5 days
until the rind - the hard outer covering - has started to form.
For better preservation, the cheese must be paraffined before it is stored any longer.
Heat 1/2 pound of paraffin wax to 210°F/99°C in a pie pan deeper than half the height of the
cheese round. Always heat wax in a double boiler type arrangement over water; heated directly,
it may take on a burned smell. When the wax is hot, dip in half the cheese for approximately
10 seconds, remove, and allow the paraffin to harden. Complete the job by dipping the other
half of the cheese in the hot paraffin and allowing to dry.
Curing
Most cheese will improve in flavor for several months. After a month, sample the cheese and
reseal it if it is not ready. If mold develops, scrape off the moldy parts, rub with salt, and reseal.
Date your cheeses, making a note of any special method used so that you can develop your
own recipes.
CHEESE