Description

California jack: a washed-curd, mild pressed cheese. Practical Self Reliance treats pepper jack as the same make with peppers folded in — this record is the plain jack.

Recipe details

Style

Semi-hard cheese

Country

United States

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

150 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

• Mesophilic 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. 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: 1 item; 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. Wash the curd

    Step code · Washing

    Draw whey and replace with wash water as published for this style.

    Temperature: 27 °C · Time: 15 min · Whey draw: 33 % · Wash water: Volume: 0.66 gal; Temperature: 54 °C · Cool: To: 27 °C · Stir: Duration: 15 min

11. Draw whey and hoop

    Drain · Draining

    Draw whey to the grain and fill the hoop.

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

12. Press

    Press · Pressing

    Wash curds with water, salt, press, and age a few weeks to a few months.

    Pressing: Stage: Mass: 20 lb; Duration: 20 min; Stage: Mass: 30 lb; Duration: 20 min; Stage: Mass: 40 lb; Duration: 1 h; Stage: Mass: 50 lb; Duration: 12 h · Turn: Every 20 min

13. Salt / brine

    Step code · Salting

    Salt the wheel as published — brine or dry salt.

14. Age

    Age · Aging

    Wash curds with water, salt, press, and age a few weeks to a few months.

Aging

Duration: 30 d; Stage: Name: Short aging; Duration: 30 d; Temperature: 12 °C

Storage

Temperature: 8 °C; Shelf life: 90 d

Allergens

Allergen: Milk

Safety

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

Source

Title: 50+ Cheesemaking Recipes — Jack / Pepper Jack; Creator: Ashley Adamant / Practical Self Reliance; Year: 2023; URL: https://practicalselfreliance.com/cheesemaking-recipes/

Tags

Tag: Vegetarian