Description

Syrodelkin home Poshekhonsky (2015): 10 litres of milk. Dry mesophilic starter ½ tsp, or 6 spoons of bulk mesophilic mother culture. Liquid rennet ½ tsp in 50 ml cold boiled water. No calcium chloride is listed — do not add one. Activate the starter at 37 °C for 20–30 min, set at 32–35 °C for 40–50 min (pasteurized milk may take up to 1 hour). Cut 1.5–2 cm, rest 10 min, draw about 200 ml whey. Stir 10 min while heating to 36–38 °C, grain 7–8 mm. Draw 30% of the milk volume as whey (3 L), add 2.8 L boiled water at 40 °C (40% of the remaining 7 L mass). Second heat 39–40 °C for 12–16 min, grain 4–5 mm. Grain-salt ⅓ tsp. Self-press 30–40 min, flip at 15 min. Press 1 kg / 1 h, then 3 kg / 2 h (3 h total). Brine 180–200 g non-iodized salt per 1 L boiled water, 10–12 h, turning. Dry 2–3 days in the fridge. Age 18–20 days in the warmest spot of the fridge at 80–85% RH. Yield is not published.

Recipe details

Style

Semi-hard cheese

Country

Russia

Region

Poshekhonye, Yaroslavl Oblast

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

Metric

Milk

Cow milk, Pasteurized, Not homogenized

Milk volume

10 l

Active time

4 h

Total time

21 d

Scale

For milk volume: 10 l

Ingredients

• Whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized — 10 l

  Role: Base milk · Kind: Whole milk

• Dry mesophilic starter, ½ tsp — 0.5 tsp

  Role: Culture · Kind: Culture

  Preparation: Time: 2 min; Instruction: Sprinkle on the milk surface, wait 2–3 minutes, then stir in gently.

  Substitute: Bulk mesophilic mother culture — 6 tbsp

  Syrodelkin: ½ tsp dry mesophilic, or 6 spoons of bulk mesophilic mother culture. The packet is not named.

• Liquid rennet — 0.5 tsp

  Role: Coagulant · Kind: Rennet

  Preparation: Dilute in: 50 ml; Instruction: Dissolve in 50 ml cold boiled water.

  Syrodelkin: ½ tsp liquid rennet. A site comment confirms liquid; if the maker prints a dose, use that dose.

• Boiled wash water at 40 °C — 2.8 l

  Role: Water · Kind: Water

  Syrodelkin: 40% of the remaining 7 L curd-whey mass after the 3 L whey draw = 2.8 L, at 40 °C.

• Non-iodized salt for the grain — 0.33 tsp (Details: Salt: Salting in curd; Iodized: No)

  Role: Salt · Kind: Salt

  Syrodelkin: ⅓ tsp fine salt into the drained grain. Brine follows.

• Boiled water for brine — 1 l

  Role: Water · Kind: Water

• Non-iodized salt for brine — 190 g (180–200 g) (Details: Salt: Brining; Iodized: No)

  Role: Salt · Kind: Salt

  Syrodelkin: 180–200 g non-iodized table salt per 1 L boiled water. Strain through cloth.

Equipment

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

Process

1. Heat the milk to 37 °C

   Heat · Milk preparation

   Warm 10 litres of whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized, on the lowest heat to 37 °C.

   Temperature: 37 °C

2. Culture 20–30 min at 37 °C

   Step code · Ripening

   Sprinkle ½ tsp dry mesophilic starter (or 6 spoons of bulk mother culture). After 2–3 minutes stir in gently, cover, and let the bacteria activate 20–30 minutes.

   Temperature: 37 °C · Time: 25 min (20–30 min) · Addition: Amount: 0.5 tsp; Rest: 2 min

3. Rennet at 32–35 °C, 40–50 min

   Step code · Coagulation

   Dissolve ½ tsp liquid rennet in 50 ml cold boiled water. Stir it into the milk about 10 seconds. Set at 32–35 °C for 40–50 minutes. If the room is cool, stand the pot in a basin of 45 °C water. Pasteurized milk should set within 1 hour. Ready when a 1–2 mm whey film shows at the wall and the curd is a firm jelly, not a loose kissel.

   Temperature: 33.5 °C (32–35 °C) · Time: 45 min (40–50 min) · Stir: Duration: 10 s · Until: Clean break · Addition: Amount: 0.5 tsp; Dilute in: 50 ml

4. Cut 1.5–2 cm; rest 10 min; draw ~200 ml

   Cut · Cutting

   Cut the curd into 1.5–2 cm cubes: first lengthways, then across. Cover, rest 10 minutes, then draw about 200 ml of whey from the top.

   Time: 10 min · Size: 1.75 cm (1.5–2 cm) · Whey draw: 200 ml · Curd cuts: Cut: Size: 1.75 cm (1.5–2 cm); Cut: Size: 1.75 cm (1.5–2 cm) · Settle: Duration: 10 min

5. First heat 10 min to 36–38 °C, grain 7–8 mm

   Step code · Cooking

   Return to low heat. Stir slowly at first, then more firmly, breaking the cubes to a 7–8 mm grain over 10 minutes while the vat reaches 36–38 °C. If the temperature arrives before 10 minutes, take it off the heat and keep stirring.

   Temperature: 37 °C (36–38 °C) · Time: 10 min · Size: 7.5 mm (7–8 mm) · Stir: Duration: 10 min

6. Draw 3 L whey; add 2.8 L water at 40 °C

   Step code · Washing

   Draw 30% of the original milk as whey — 3 litres from this 10-litre vat. Add boiled water at 40 °C equal to 40% of the remaining 7 L mass: 2.8 L.

   Temperature: 40 °C · Whey draw: 3 l · Wash water: Volume: 2.8 l; Temperature: 40 °C · Addition: Amount: 2.8 l

7. Second heat 39–40 °C, 12–16 min, grain 4–5 mm

   Step code · Cooking

   Second heat of the grain at 39–40 °C for 12–16 minutes. Finished grain size is 4–5 mm.

   Temperature: 39.5 °C (39–40 °C) · Time: 14 min (12–16 min) · Size: 4.5 mm (4–5 mm) · Stir: Duration: 14 min (12–16 min)

8. Draw whey and grain-salt ⅓ tsp

   Step code · Draining

   Draw off the whey. Mix ⅓ tsp of fine non-iodized salt through the grain.

   Addition: Amount: 0.33 tsp · Salt in curd: Amount: 0.33 tsp

9. Hoop and self-press 30–40 min, flip at 15 min

   Step code · Molding

   Ladle the grain into the hoop. Self-press 30–40 minutes; flip at 15 minutes. Cover the hoop with a lid and a towel so it does not cool.

   Time: 35 min (30–40 min) · Pressing: Stage: Duration: 35 min (30–40 min); Duration: 35 min (30–40 min) · Turn: Every 15 min · Flips: Turn: After: 15 min

10. Press 1 kg / 1 h, then 3 kg / 2 h

    Press · Pressing

    Press first 1 hour under 1 kg, then 2 hours under 3 kg. Total pressing time 3 hours.

    Time: 3 h · Pressing: Stage: Mass: 1 kg; Duration: 1 h; Stage: Mass: 3 kg; Duration: 2 h; Duration: 3 h

11. Brine 180–200 g/L, 10–12 h

    Step code · Salting

    Brine: 180–200 g non-iodized table salt in 1 L boiled water, strained through cloth. Brine 10–12 hours, turning from time to time.

    Time: 11 h (10–12 h) · Brining: Water: 1 l; Salt: 190 g (180–200 g); Duration: 11 h (10–12 h)

12. Dry 2–3 days in the fridge

    Step code · Drying

    Dry 2–3 days in the fridge, turning 2–3 times a day. Ready to age when fat beads on the surface.

    Temperature: 8 °C · Time: 2.5 d (2–3 d) · Turn: Every 12 h

13. Age 18–20 days, fridge warm spot, 80–85% RH

    Age · Aging

    Age 18–20 days in the warmest place in the fridge at high humidity 80–85%. Syrodelkin: pour water under a rack and cover the pot. Young Poshekhonsky is ready after 3–4 weeks.

    Temperature: 8 °C · Time: 19 d (18–20 d) · Humidity: 82 % (80–85 %)

Also known as

Poshekhonskiy

Also known as

Poshekhonsky cheese

Aging

Duration: 2.5 d (2–3 d); Stage: Name: Dry in the fridge; Duration: 2.5 d (2–3 d); Temperature: 8 °C; Turning: Every 12; Stage: Name: Poshekhonsky aging; Duration: 19 d (18–20 d); Temperature: 8 °C; Humidity: 82 % (80–85 %)

Storage

Temperature: 8 °C; Shelf life: 21 d

Packaging

No packaging

Allergens

Allergen: Milk

Safety

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

Source

Title: Poshekhonsky cheese at home; Creator: Syrodelkin; Year: 2015; URL: https://syrodelkin.ru/poshexonskij-syr-v-domashnix-usloviyax.html

Tags

Tag: Vegetarian