"Cheta": My first experience at making cheddar cheese

Last summer I tried my hand at making soft cheese, like chévre, mozzarella, and cottage cheese, from the goat milk we bought from our friend while living in Alaska. I loved how easy the chévre was to make because it required no cooking, and it soon became my favorite thing to make with our extra milk.

This fall I was a little braver and tried my hand at making raw cheddar cheese, something I have wanted to do for over a year. Now that I have a press, I was able to have a go at it.

In my experience, making raw cheeses takes patience as you heat the milk on the stove SLOWLY so that it doesn't get above 102° F in order for the beneficial enzymes to stay intact. For this reason, I had set aside a full day so that I had no distractions as I turned 2 gallons worth of milk into cheese.

After the time on the stove, I pressed the curds in the cheese press for the allotted amount of time and then I eventually waxed it. Then I let it age at room temperature in our cupboard for 4 weeks. The pictures below show what it looked like when we opened it up. I was nervous and excited to try it!

As in most first time experiences, some things I did correctly and other things I...learned to do differently for my next try next week. You win some and you lose some, but at least this cheese was edible. I call that a success!

The first mistake was that our cheese had too much moisture in it. You aren't supposed to wax cheese with so much liquid. It had a strong taste, though not unpleasant. We were going for a "mild cheddar" because it was only aged for 4 weeks, but it tasted more like a "sharp cheddar." My guess is it was too hot in my house.

This cheese reminds me of feta cheese, hence the name "cheta" in the title. :)

It does not melt well AT ALL, but tastes delicious sprinkled over a salad or even as a last addition to pizza.

Even though it didn't turn out how we were expecting, we sure aren't going to waste nearly 2 pounds of raw goat cheese.

Because the cheese was too moist, it fell right out of the wax.

At least it made for easy eating!

What I am going to change for next time:

Dry the cheese out longer before waxing.
Make sure the cheese is at ROOM TEMPERATURE before waxing to avoid condensation.
Wax in 1/2 lb or 1 lb blocks instead of a giant block.
Try, try, and try again until it is better. I am no quitter!

Pressing Times:

12 lbs for 30 minutes
remove cheese & flip
35-45 lbs for 12-15 hours
remove cheese, change cheesecloth, and flip
50 lbs for 24 hours

Sites with good information:
Raw Cheddar Cheese Recipe I followed
Another Recipe
Tips for a successful cheese-making experience
Is waxing your own cheese safe?

And always remember that in everything you do:

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.

--Confucius

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