Description

Wallace Cardoona: 2 gallons plus 8–12 oz cream, ⅛ tsp MM100, 5 oz prepared Bulgarian yogurt, 1/64 tsp Geotrichum. A thistle-tradition Iberian-style cheese aged about 2 months.

Recipe details

Style

Semi-hard cheese

Country

Portugal

Region

Iberia (thistle / cardoon)

PDO

No

Schema version

1.00

Type

Home recipe

Vegetarian

Yes

Created

2026-09-09

License

CC-BY-4.0

Author

CheeseXML 1.00 reference set

Units

US

Milk

Cow milk, Pasteurized, Not homogenized

Milk volume

2 gal

Expected yield

2 lb

Yield ratio

0.119826 ratio

Active time

180 min

Total time

12 h

Scale

For milk volume: 2 gal

Ingredients

• Whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized — 2 gal

  Role: Base milk · Kind: Whole milk

• Heavy cream — 10 oz

  Role: Cream · Kind: Milk Cream

• MM100 — 0.125 tsp

  Role: Culture · Kind: Culture

  Preparation: Time: 2 min; Instruction: Sprinkle on the milk surface and rehydrate 2 minutes before stirring in.

• Prepared Bulgarian yogurt — 5 oz

  Role: Culture · Kind: Culture

  Preparation: Time: 2 min; Instruction: Sprinkle on the milk surface and rehydrate 2 minutes before stirring in.

• Geotrichum candidum — 0.015 tsp

  Role: Mold · Kind: Mold Geotrichum Candidum · Optional: Yes

• Calcium chloride (for pasteurized milk) — 0.5 tsp

  Role: Mineral · Kind: Calcium chloride · Optional: Yes

  Preparation: Dilute in: 0.25 cup; Instruction: Dilute in cool non-chlorinated water before adding.

• Liquid rennet — 0.5 tsp

  Role: Coagulant · Kind: Rennet

  Preparation: Dilute in: 0.25 cup; Instruction: Dilute in cool non-chlorinated water.

• Non-iodized cheese salt — 2 tsp (Details: Salt: Dry salting; Iodized: No)

  Role: Salt · Kind: Salt

Equipment

• Heavy-bottomed pot
• Dairy thermometer
• Curd knife
• Slotted ladle
• Cheese hoop / mold
• Cheese press
• Follower
• Butter muslin / cheesecloth
• Aging fridge or cave

Process

1. Heat the milk to 32 °C

   Heat · Milk preparation

   Heat the vat to the culture temperature published for this make.

   Temperature: 32 °C

2. Add culture

   Step code · Ripening

   Sprinkle the starter, rehydrate, then rest at temperature.

   Temperature: 32 °C · Time: 50 min (45–60 min) · Addition: Amount: 0.125 tsp; Rest: 2 min · Addition: Amount: 5 oz; Rest: 2 min

3. Add CaCl₂

   Step code · Calcium correction

   Dissolve calcium chloride in clean water and stir into pasteurized milk.

   Temperature: 32 °C · Addition: Amount: 0.5 tsp; Dilute in: 0.25 cup

4. Add rennet, then wait floc × multiplier

   Step code · Coagulation

   Dilute the coagulant, stir about 1 minute, remove the stirrer, then wait until a clean break (floc time × multiplier).

   Temperature: 32 °C · Time: 45 min · Flocculation: 15 min × 3 · Stir: Duration: 1 min · Until: Clean break · Addition: Amount: 0.5 tsp; Dilute in: 0.25 cup

5. Cut the curd

   Cut · Cutting

   Cut vertical, rest, then horizontal to the published grain size.

   Size: 10 mm · Curd cuts: Cut: Size: 10 mm; Wait: 5 min; Cut: Size: 10 mm · Settle: Duration: 5 min

6. Heal the grain

   Step code · Healing

   Let the grains rest so the cuts seal.

   Time: 5 min · Settle: Duration: 5 min

7. First stir

   Stir · Stirring

   Stir gently so the grains separate and do not mat.

   Stir: Duration: 5 min

8. Cook to 39 °C

   Step code · Cooking

   Heat the grain at the published rate, stirring so it does not mat.

   Temperature: 39 °C · Ramp: From: 32 °C; To: 39 °C · Rate: 1 °C

9. Settle the grain

   Step code · Healing

   Stop stirring and let the grains sink before the whey draw.

   Time: 5 min · Settle: Duration: 5 min

10. Draw whey and hoop

    Drain · Draining

    Draw whey to the grain and fill the hoop.

    Flips: Turn: After: 5 min; Turn: After: 15 min

11. Press

    Press · Pressing

    Light press and about 2 months until the paste is rich and slightly bitter from the tradition.

    Pressing: Stage: Mass: 15 lb; Duration: 1 h; Stage: Mass: 25 lb; Duration: 4 h · Brining: Saturated: Yes; Water: 1 gal; Salt: 2.25 lb; Calcium chloride: 1 tbsp; Acid: 1 tsp; Temperature: 12 °C; Duration: 4 h

12. Salt / brine

    Step code · Salting

    Salt the wheel as published — brine or dry salt.

13. Age

    Age · Aging

    Light press and about 2 months until the paste is rich and slightly bitter from the tradition.

Aging

Duration: 60 d; Stage: Name: Cardoon aging; Duration: 60 d; Temperature: 12 °C; Humidity: 90 %

Storage

Temperature: 8 °C; Shelf life: 30 d

Allergens

Allergen: Milk

Safety

Use milk that is not ultra-pasteurized. Pasteurize unknown raw milk. Sanitize equipment.

Source

Title: Cardoona Cheese Making Recipe; Creator: Jim Wallace / New England Cheesemaking Supply; Year: 2018; URL: https://cheesemaking.com/products/cardoona-cheese-making-recipe