Author: looper

Warm the milk up to 32°C or 90 degrees Fahrenheit

Add the bacterial cultures and stir thoroughly.

Cover the milk and leave it to ripen for about 45 minutes.

Add the diluted Rennet and leave it to set for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour or until you have a clean break.

Afterward, carefully cut the curd into equal 3cm cubes and leave the curds to rest for 10 minutes.

Carefully stir the curds with a whisk to cut the curd once more.

Your curd should result in pieces that are slightly larger than grains of rice.

Slowly heat the curds until the temperature reaches 46°C or 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

This should take between 30 to 45 minutes to attain the temperature. Be careful to slowly raise the temperature. A longer scalding period results in a drier cheese while a shorter period should give you a more moist cheese.

Gently stir the curds regularly at about every 5 minutes during the scalding period.

Once the optimal temperature is reached, leave the curds to settle for 10 minutes.

Drain off the whey up to the level of the curds.

Scoop up the curds to one side of your pot or container and place approximately 5kg or 10lbs of weight directly onto the curds. I used a large plate and 1 x barbell weight to do this pre-press.

Leave them for 15 minutes then pour out all remaining whey.

Immediately move the curds onto a cloth-lined mold while being careful and gentle so as not to break them.

Press the curd at 10kgs or 25lbs for an hour. If you used different measurements work out your pressing pressure here.

Remove, flip then redress. Press again at 15kg or 35lbs for an additional 2 hours.

Remove, flip and redress then press again at 20kg or 50lbs for 8 hours. You can also leave them overnight.

Remove and unwrap the cheese.

Soak the cheese in saturated brine for 12 hours and make sure you turn over the cheese every 3 hours to ensure even coverage.

Remove and pat the cheese dry.

Air dry it at 10°C for 2 weeks or until you notice it is obviously dry on the surface.

Rub salt on the cheese and afterwards transfer it to your cheese cave.

Wash the cheese with brine about 3 to 4 times a week for the first 2 to 3 months to manage the growth of molds.

Heat the milk to 87°F. Add the thermophilic culture and lipase, and stir well. Cover and allow to ferment for 45 minutes.

Check temperature and make sure milk is no warmer than 90°F. Stir to homogenize the milk, and slowly incorporate the diluted rennet using an up-and-down motion with your spoon to ensure that the rennet works its way through all the milk, so you can get the highest possible yield.

Allow the cheese to set for 30 to 45 minutes at 90°F, or until the whey begins to separate from the curd. You should see a layer of mostly clear whey floating on top of the curd, and the curd should be pulling away from the sides of your pot. If you use lipase, this may take a little longer.

Using a long knife, cut the curds into 1/4-inch cubes.

Stir the curd with a whisk, slicing it into small pieces. The pieces should all be roughly the same size.

Over the next 25 minutes, slowly heat the curds to 100°F, stirring frequently with your wooden spoon. As you stir, the curds will shrink.

Slowly heat the curds to 125°F, stirring to prevent matting. The curds should be small, and if you bite one it should squeak in your teeth. When they have reached 125°F, turn off the heat and allow the curds to rest for 5 minutes.

Pour the curds into a press lined with cheesecloth, and press at 5 pounds of pressure for 15 minutes.

Using a fresh piece of cheesecloth, flip the cheese and press, again, at 10 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes.

Repeat this process again, at 15 pounds of pressure for 2 hours, rinsing your cheesecloth in clean, cool water each time and hanging to dry.

Finally, press at 20 pounds of pressure for 12 hours, or overnight.

Mix 2 Lbs.of sea salt with 1 gallon of cold water to make a brine. Place the cheese in the brine and let it soak for 24 hours.

Take the cheese out of the brine and age at 55° to 60°F for at least 8 months. (Click here for practical methods for aging cheese.) Coat the cheese daily with olive or coconut oil, and if mold appears wipe it off with a clean cloth dipped in salt water or vinegar.

Heat Milk Pour the milk into the pot and heat to 185–194°F (85-90°C) on a stove top or in a sink surrounded by hot water. If using a stove, stir the milk while it heats slowly. Once heated, hold the temperature for 20–30 minutes.

Prepare Citric Acid Add 1 tsp. citric acid to 16 oz. of 170°F (76°C) water.

Add Citric Acid Cool milk down to 170°F (76°C), then slowly add in the citric acid mixture while gently stirring the milk.

Curds Continue stirring the milk until you see a separation of curds and whey (solids and liquid). Stop stirring and let the curds and whey sit undisturbed for 20–30 minutes.

Prepare the Colander While the milk is sitting line the sterilized colander with the butter muslin and place it in a sink, large pot, or within a bowl to catch the whey.

Removing Whey Begin by ladling out the whey into the muslin. Then pour the remaining curd into the muslin. (Removing the whey first allows for better drainage.)

Draining Allow the curds to drain for 30 minutes. Giving a gentle stir helps the whey drain off.

Pressing: Part One Once the curds are well drained, the muslin can be pulled up and tied off. Allow this to drain a few minutes before opening the cloth. You will begin to see much drier curds and the early Paneer that is still quite crumbly.

Pressing: Part Two Retie the muslin, pulling it tightly around the curd mass. Place the tied off ball of curds in the colander and then a plate over the curd mass. Place a pot with about 1–2 gallons of warm water on top of the plate and allow the curd to be pressed for 10–15 minutes. The plate helps disperse the weight more evenly. The amount of weight and time for pressing will depend on how dry and compact you want your final Paneer to be.

Storing Fresh Paneer won’t last long in the fridge, so make sure you use it within a few days. Many people think that because the milk has been heated to such a high temperature that it’s stable for long storage. This is not true. It can be refrigerated for 4–7 days with no salting or 1–2 weeks if lightly salted and packed in an airtight package.

Warm the milk to 200°F: Pour the milk into a 4-quart pot and set it over medium heat. Let it warm gradually to 200°F, monitoring the temperature with an instant read thermometer. The milk will get foamy and start to steam; remove it from heat if it starts to boil.

Add the lemon juice and salt: Remove the milk from heat. Pour in the lemon juice or vinegar (or citric acid) and the salt. Stir gently to combine.

Let the milk sit for 10 minutes: Let the pot of milk sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. After this time, the milk should have separated into clumps of milky white curds and thin, watery, yellow-colored whey — dip your slotted spoon into the mix to check. If you still see a lot of un-separated milk, add another tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and wait a few more minutes.

Strain the curds: Set a strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with cheese cloth. Scoop the big curds out of the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the strainer. Pour the remaining curds and the whey through the strainer.

Removing the big curds first helps keep them from splashing and making a mess as you pour.)

Drain the curds for 10 to 60 minutes: Let the ricotta drain for 10 to 60 minutes, depending on how wet or dry you prefer your ricotta. If the ricotta becomes too dry, you can also stir some of the whey back in before using or storing it.

Use or store the ricotta: Fresh ricotta can be used right away or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

Sort and wash grapes, and remove stems. Place them into a large kettle and crush them. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and extract juice. Allow the juice to stand in a cool place overnight to prevent the formation of crystals in the jelly.

Strain the juice through a double thickness of damp cheesecloth. Measure 4 cups of the juice into a large pot. Stir in the sugar. Quickly bring to a full rolling boil. Stir in pectin, and allow to boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and skim off foam. Pour into hot sterile jars, and process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.

PURÉE peppers in food processor or blender with 1 cup cider vinegar until smooth. Do not strain purée.

COMBINE purée with remaining 1 cup cider vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

ADD Ball® RealFruitTM Liquid Pectin, immediately squeezing entire contents from pouches. Continue to boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add food coloring, if using, and skim foam if necessary.

LADLE hot jalapeno jelly into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.

PROCESS in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Cut the cabbage. Cut the cabbage lengthwise through the stem into quarters. Cut the cores from each piece. Cut each quarter crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips.

Salt the cabbage. Place the cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Using your hands, massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to soften a bit. Add enough water to cover the cabbage. Put a plate on top of the cabbage and weigh it down with something heavy, like a jar or can of beans. Let stand for 1 to 2 hours.

Rinse and drain the cabbage. Rinse the cabbage under cold water 3 times. Set aside to drain in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the spice paste.

Make the spice paste. Rinse and dry the bowl you used for salting. Add the garlic, ginger, sugar, and fish sauce, shrimp paste, or water and stir into a smooth paste. Stir in the gochugaru, using 1 tablespoon for mild and up to 5 tablespoons for spicy (I like about 3 1/2 tablespoons); set aside until the cabbage is ready.

Combine the vegetables and spice paste. Gently squeeze any remaining water from the cabbage and add it to the spice paste. Add the radish and scallions.

Mix thoroughly. Using your hands, gently work the paste into the vegetables until they are thoroughly coated. The gloves are optional here but highly recommended to protect your hands from stings, stains, and smells!

Pack the kimchi into the jar. Pack the kimchi into a 1-quart jar. Press down on the kimchi until the brine (the liquid that comes out) rises to cover the vegetables, leaving at least 1 inch of space at the top. Seal the jar.

Let it ferment for 1 to 5 days. Place a bowl or plate under the jar to help catch any overflow. Let the jar stand at cool room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 1 to 5 days. You may see bubbles inside the jar and brine may seep out of the lid.

Check it daily and refrigerate when ready. Check the kimchi once a day, opening the jar and pressing down on the vegetables with a clean finger or spoon to keep them submerged under the brine. (This also releases gases produced during fermentation.) Taste a little at this point, too! When the kimchi tastes ripe enough for your liking, transfer the jar to the refrigerator. You may eat it right away, but it’s best after another week or two.

Wash and chop your apples into medium sized pieces (or use the peels and cores of 6-7 small apples after making a pie). Place them in a clean, rinsed and sterilized wide mouth jar.

Mix the sugar with 1 cup of water and pour on top of the apples.

Add more water if needed to cover the apples.

Cover the jar with a paper towel or a cheesecloth and secure it with a band. This keeps nasties away while letting the liquid breathe.

Strain out the liquid and discard the apple pieces.

Return the liquid to the same jar and cover it again (same paper or cheesecloth).

After the first 4 weeks, you can begin to also taste your vinegar and once it reaches an acidity you like, you can actually transfer it to a bottle with a lid and begin using it.

Add 3 cups of water, ginger, sugar, molasses and sea salt to a saucepan.

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 – 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add 4 cups of water. Cool to room temperature.

Transfer to a 1/2 gallon glass container with lid.

Add lemon or lime juice, and ginger bug. Stir.

Put lid on jar and tighten.

Allow to ferment on counter for 2 – 6 days. (Shorter time period if room is warm and longer time period if room is cold.)

Once bubbling begins, burp the jar by loosening the lid and then re-tighten.

Strain and bottle in Grolsch bottles and refrigerate. Will last for several months. Check the bottles occasionally and burp the lid to prevent too much build-up of gases

Place the ginger, sugar, and water in a quart-size wide-mouth mason jar and shake gently to dissolve the sugar.

Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and a lid ring or rubber band and set the jar in a warm spot to ferment.

Every day for the next week, add one tablespoon each of finely chopped (or grated) ginger and sugar to “feed” the ginger bug. Toward the end of the week you should notice some bubbly action in the jar and you may notice a faint yeast smell. These are all signs that fermentation is happening as it should! If you do not notice any bubbly action after a week, or if mold forms on the surface, you may need to start again.

Once bubbles have formed at the top of the ginger bug, it is ready for use in your homemade soda recipe. Pour off the amount that you need for the soda recipe, and replenish the ginger bug for future use.

To keep the ginger bug alive, feed it daily as above. If you will not be using the ginger bug for a while, you can store it in a refrigerator and feed it once a week. When you are ready to use your ginger bug again, place it in a room temperature location and resume feeding it daily.