Skip to main content

"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:

  1. 12 lbs for 30 minutes 
  2. remove cheese & flip 
  3. 35-45 lbs for 12-15 hours 
  4. remove cheese, change cheesecloth, and flip
  5. 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

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hoping for a Rainbow

I'm really not sure if I ever thought this day would come. The day that I made it past 13 weeks pregnant without losing the baby. #miracle.  I know I am not out of the woods yet, and honestly, when are we really? I am just trying to live every day with gratitude for the life inside of me, living with hope for the future.  Part of me wanted to wait until next week, when I was past 14 weeks and officially in the 2nd trimester, but I couldn't wait any longer. I've been getting a little thick in the middle, which is getting more difficult to hide, and I feel like I haven't been able to be completely honest with friends when they would ask, "how are you doing?" All I wanted to talk about was how nauseous I was or how nervous I felt. So now, the news is out, whether or not you already suspected something was up.  Seriously though, the 1st trimester is not for the faint of heart! There were many instances when I thought I would lose the baby, but dee...

Grandpa is Always Right | Gender Reveal |

I was hanging out in our rental apartment in Salzburg, Austria with my sister when my dad walked out of his bedroom and announced that I was having a girl. I was only 11 weeks along at that point and while I was wishfully hoping for a girl, I was preparing myself for a boy. His strong conviction of the gender of our child without any hints from an ultrasound surprised me. My dad seems to always be right about things, so I secretly hoped he was right this time too. Today during my scan, my favorite sonographer announced that we were having a girl. Grandpa is always right. I never imagined our family starting with a baby boy. I don't know why, but a baby girl seems to fit just perfectly. Now I just have to keep calm and stay healthy for 19 more weeks.

The Love of a Cousin

Swimming Babes-2006 " What do I do when I get pregnant again?"   I asked. My sweet cousin was on the other end of the phone call when I sought out her wisdom and support.  3 years younger than me, she is in her 3rd pregnancy and ready to deliver her first baby in less than 2 months. She was the first person I wanted to talk to when I miscarried the first time, just 2 months after her ectopic pregnancy back in the spring of 2015. For some reason, I just had this connection to her, like maybe because she was born in the same generation as me and going through similar circumstances, that she would understand. Now, 13 months after my first miscarriage, I find myself going through mental exercises every day to prepare myself to trust my body for my 4th and hopefully successful pregnancy; part of that exercise today was to call my cousin up and have a nice chat about our lives and try to get some insights. We were both strong-headed children growing up--often getting ups...