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CheeseXML 1.00

Homemade cheddar (cloth-bound)

Milk volume
2 gal
Expected yield
2 lb
Yield ratio
0.119826 ratio
Active time
180 min
Total time
10 h
Scale
For milk volume: 2 gal

Ingredients

Whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized2 gal
Mesophilic cheddar culture1 item
Calcium chloride (for pasteurized milk)0.5 tsp
Liquid rennet0.5 tsp
Non-iodized cheese salt2 tbsp

Process

#StepsPlanFacts
1Ripen
Warm 2 gallons milk, add mesophilic culture and CaCl2, ripen about 45–60 minutes.		Step code · Ripening · Temperature: 32 °C · Time: 50 min · Addition: Amount: 1 item; Rest: 2 min
2Add CaCl₂
Dissolve calcium chloride in clean water and stir into pasteurized milk.		Step code · Calcium correction · Addition: Amount: 0.5 tsp; Dilute in: 0.25 cup
3Set and cut
Rennet, rest to a clean break, cut to small cubes, then cook the curd while stirring.		Step code · Coagulation · Until: Clean break · Addition: Amount: 0.5 tsp; Dilute in: 0.25 cup
4Cheddar
Drain, slab, stack and turn the curd until it knits and acidifies, then mill.		Step code · Cheddaring · Temperature: 38 °C · Until: Curd is knit
5Salt and press
Dry-salt the milled curd, hoop, and press overnight. Bandage, wax, or vacuum; age months.		Press · Pressing · Pressing: Stage: Mass: 20 lb; Duration: 15 min; Stage: Mass: 40 lb; Duration: 12 h; Mass: 50 lb; Duration: 12 h · Turn: Every 15 min

Homemade cheddar (cloth-bound)

Hard cheese · Difficulty: 4

Batch scale

Scale factor: 1

Description

Ashley Adamant’s homemade cheddar: about 8 hours make-time plus months of aging. Natural bandaging, wax, or vacuum are all listed. Her flagship pressed cheese.

Recipe details

Style
Hard cheese
Country
United Kingdom
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
10 h
Scale
For milk volume: 2 gal

Ingredients

  • Whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized — 2 gal

    Role: Base milk · Kind: Whole milk

  • Mesophilic cheddar culture — 1 item

    Role: Culture · Kind: Culture

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

  • 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 tbsp (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
  • Cheese wax

Process

  1. Ripen

    Step code · Ripening

    Warm 2 gallons milk, add mesophilic culture and CaCl2, ripen about 45–60 minutes.

    Temperature: 32 °C · Time: 50 min · Addition: Amount: 1 item; Rest: 2 min

  2. Add CaCl₂

    Step code · Calcium correction

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

    Addition: Amount: 0.5 tsp; Dilute in: 0.25 cup

  3. Set and cut

    Step code · Coagulation

    Rennet, rest to a clean break, cut to small cubes, then cook the curd while stirring.

    Until: Clean break · Addition: Amount: 0.5 tsp; Dilute in: 0.25 cup

  4. Cheddar

    Step code · Cheddaring

    Drain, slab, stack and turn the curd until it knits and acidifies, then mill.

    Temperature: 38 °C · Until: Curd is knit

  5. Salt and press

    Press · Pressing

    Dry-salt the milled curd, hoop, and press overnight. Bandage, wax, or vacuum; age months.

    Pressing: Stage: Mass: 20 lb; Duration: 15 min; Stage: Mass: 40 lb; Duration: 12 h; Mass: 50 lb; Duration: 12 h · Turn: Every 15 min

Aging

Duration: 90 d; Stage: Name: Cave aging; Duration: 90 d; Temperature: 12 °C; Humidity: 85 %; Turning: Every 2

Storage

Temperature: 10 °C; Shelf life: 180 d

Packaging

Cloth bound

Allergens

Allergen: Milk

Safety

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

Source

Title: Homemade Cheddar Cheese; Creator: Ashley Adamant / Practical Self Reliance; Year: 2022; URL: https://practicalselfreliance.com/homemade-cheddar-cheese/

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