I haven't made cheese for a while so I decided to whip up a batch of haloumi & feta yesterday. We nipped down to the local supermarket and after surveying the fridges for a few minutes I decided to blow the budget and get 6l of organic milk.
It was all going well - temperatures were right, rennet & starter were both safely stored in the freezer, the hangover was subsiding and the V8s were driving round in circles on the telly - but after a few hours the milk was refusing to set. You're looking for what's called a 'clean break' (where the solid curd splits neatly over your finger) and instead I was getting this
Even after letting it set overnight I was getting this
I dug one of the milk cartons out of the recycling bin and the advertising all looked very homely & healthy
but then I read the small print - 'Ultra-pasteurised'
It turns out that ultra-pasteurised milk is treated differently to normally pasteurised milk. Instead of being heated to around 70 degrees Centigrade for 15 to 20 seconds, ultra-pasteurised milk is forced through a microbial filter and narrow pipes at around 135 degrees Centigrade for 2 seconds. "In the way nature intended" I assume. This kills more of the bugs in the milk but also mangles the proteins in the milk so it won't form curds. It increases the shelf life significantly, which is ironically why it's used for organic and other higher unit-cost milks. So something else to look out for - don't get ultra-pasteurised milk to make cheese as it won't work and it's probably been sitting there for weeks. Full fat 'regular' milk is a cheaper, better, fresher option.
It seemed a shame to throw away 6l of milk so I thought I'd try a soft cheese instead. I ladled the mush into colanders lined with muslin, tied them into balls and hung them to drip dry for the day. In 35 degree heat, which was a little concerning.
It actually worked out pretty well as the cheese is soft, spreadable and tasty
I added garlic, salt, pepper, spring onion greens and a dash of paprika to one batch and it's great on crackers
Perhaps I won't take it back to the shop for a refund after all...
It was all going well - temperatures were right, rennet & starter were both safely stored in the freezer, the hangover was subsiding and the V8s were driving round in circles on the telly - but after a few hours the milk was refusing to set. You're looking for what's called a 'clean break' (where the solid curd splits neatly over your finger) and instead I was getting this
It seemed a shame to throw away 6l of milk so I thought I'd try a soft cheese instead. I ladled the mush into colanders lined with muslin, tied them into balls and hung them to drip dry for the day. In 35 degree heat, which was a little concerning.
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