Lancashire cheese

⇐ Cheese, preserves and fermented & pickled products

Ingredients

6l whole cow's milk

⅜ tsp calcium chloride diluted in 15ml cool non-chlorinated water

⅛ tsp MA4002 powdered starter

¼ tsp liquid rennet diluted in 15ml cool non-chlorinated water

salt

Method

1. prepare equipment. Sterilise pans and equipment. Make a water bath by getting a large pot half filled with water, and put a smaller pot - but still large enough for the milk - in it.
2. bring milk to temperature. Pour the milk in the empty smaller pan. Add the calcium chloride and gently mix. Slowly raise the temperature of the milk to 30℃ over a period of 20 minutes or so. I usually switch off heat when the milk reaches 30℃-31℃ and allow the residual heat of the water bath to raise the milk to temperature.
3. add starters and ferment. Sprinkle the starter culture onto the surface of the milk and allow to rehydrate for 5 minutes. Then mix well. Maintain temperature at 32℃ and allow milk to ripen for 60 minutes.
4. add rennet. Add the rennet and stir to mix. Allow the curds to firm to a clean break for 45 minutes or longer.
5. cut curds and cook. Cut the curds to 1.5cm. Let the curds rest for 5 minutes. Bring the temperature back up to 32℃ while stirring for 15 minutes.
6. drain. Strain through a strainer lined with damp muslin. Let it drain for 10 minutes or until it stops dripping.
7. press and dry. Fold the cloth over the consolidated curds. Place a board on top and press with a 1.5kg weight. After 5 minutes, open the bundle and cut the curds into 10cm blocks. Cover with board again and press with 4-5kg weight for 15-20 minutes. Repeat 2-3 more time, cutting the curds in half each time. The curds should now be moderately dry on surface. Allow to stand for 3 hours.
8. salt. Once the curds have rested break into 1.5cm pieces. Using a total of 2% salt to curds weight add the salt in 2-3 doses, stirring thoroughly between each dose.
9. mould. Use a 6"/15cm tomme mould with follower. Put the sack of drained curds in the mould, fold the edges of the muslin over the curds and press
   1. 1 hour at 7.0kg, then redress by unwrapping, flipping and rewrapping and returning to mould,
   2. 2 hours at 15kg
   3. 24 hours at 20kg
10. wrapping. Remove cheese from mould soak. Get 2 circles of muslin slightly larger than the cheese, and one strip long enough to wrap round the cheese but slightly narrower than the height of the cheese. Using lard (or clarified butter) soak the pieces of muslin and squeeze out. Smooth on as circle of muslin on top of the cheese. Flip and line bottom return to mould and press at full weight for an hour. Wrap the strip round the side and return to mould. Press overnight.
11. aging and mould management. Age at 12℃ and 80-85% humidity. Flip the cheese daily.

Step and time summary

Step no.	Step	Time in minutes	Cumulative time, hours
1	prep	30	½
2	milk to temp	30	1
3	hydrate culture & ripen	5 + 60 = 65	2
4	rennet	45	2 ¾
5	cut, rest and cook	5 + 5 + 15 = 25	3 ¼
6	drain	10	3 ½
7	press and dry	5 + 20 + 20 + 20 = 65	4 ½
7-8	rest & salt	180	7 ½
9.1	7kg press	60	8 ½
9.2	15kg press	120	11 ½
9.3	20kg press	24 hrs
10	wrapping	overnight
11	ageing	months

based on New England Cheese Making Supply Co. [https://cheesemaking.com/collections/recipes/products/lancashire-cheese-recipe]

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