Cheddar Cheese
Learn how to make homemade cheddar cheese using simple ingredients like fresh milk, rennet and starter cultures. This step-by-step guide is perfect for beginners. Get tips on aging, pressing, and adding flavors to create your own delicious cheddar at home!
Equipment
- cheese press
- cheese cloth
- large cheese mold
- large stock pot
- slotted spoon
- bamboo mat
- thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 gallons milk raw or pasteurized (NOT ultra pasteurized)
- ⅛ teaspoon mesophilic starter culture
- ½ cup water cool and filtered
- ½ teaspoon Rennet liquid veal rennet is preferred
- ½ teaspoon annatto optional for orange color
- ½ teaspoon calcium chloride only necessary if using refrigerated or pasteurized milk
- 2 tablespoons cheese salt
Instructions
How to Make Homemade Cheddar Cheese
- Pour 2 gallons of milk into a large stainless steel pot and slowly heat it to 85°F (29°C). If you’re using fresh raw milk, skip the heating and just filter it straight in from the cow — it’s already the perfect temp. Stir gently as it warms so the heat distributes evenly.
- Once the milk is at temperature, sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon of mesophilic starter over the surface. Let it sit for 3 minutes to rehydrate, then give it a gentle 30-second stir. Keep the milk at 85°F and let it ripen for 1 hour.
- Dilute ½ teaspoon liquid rennet and annatto (if you want orange colored cheese), plus calcium chloride(you only need this if you’re using refrigerated or pasteurized milk) in ½ cup of cool, non-chlorinated water. Pour it into the milk while stirring gently in an up & down motion for about 30 seconds so it’s evenly mixed. Now let it rest, undisturbed, for 45 minutes to 1 hour until it sets. Check for a clean break, then slip a knife in and if the curd separates neatly, you’re ready for the next step.
Cut, Heat & Strain the Curds
- Take a long knife and cut the curds into ½-inch cubes. Let them sit for about 10 minutes so they can firm up a bit before heating.
- Over the next 30 minutes, slowly heat the curds to 100°F (39°C), stirring gently to keep the warm curds from clumping. Once you hit 100°F, hold that temp for another 10 minutes with occasional stirring. You’ll notice the curds shrinking and firming up and they'll begin to sink to the bottom of the pot, and that’s exactly what you want.
- When the curds are firm and springy, pour off the whey. I like to line a mesh strainer or colander with cheesecloth and dump the curds in, saving the whey in case I need it later. Let them strain for about 20 minutes.
Cheddaring & Pressing
- This the beginning of the cheddaring phase, aka what that makes cheddar, well… cheddar. Take your drained curd mass and slice it into slabs. Stack them in your pot or on a board, then flip the stack every 20 minutes for about 2 hours. The texture will change as you go — the curds will get firmer, smoother, and a little more elastic.
- Once cheddaring process is done, cut those slabs into ½ inch-sized pieces. Sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of cheese salt and toss to coat evenly. *At this point, you have made cheddar cheese curds! I'll put a note below for how to age your curds if you want to stop here.
- Line your mold with cheesecloth and pack the salted curds in. Fold the cloth over and press at 10 lbs for 10 minutes. Take it out, rewrap in fresh cheesecloth, and press again at 20 lbs for 1 hour. Then flip, rewrap, and press at 50 lbs for 12 hours.
- After pressing, remove from the mold and let the cheese air-dry at room temp for 2-5 days, flipping now and then until the surface is dry to the touch. I like to set mine on a bamboo mat over a plate or bowl to catch any extra whey. In my kitchen, 3 days is perfect for developing a natural rind. You might hear a home cheese maker say it is ready when it feels like a clammy handshake, but I think that's pretty subjective.
Aging/Storage
- Once dry, apply cheese wax or vacuum seal it and age in a cheese cave at 55°F (13°C) or in your refrigerator. I age our vacuum sealed cheddar in the back of our refrigerator at 38°F for 4-6 weeks before taste testing, then build flavor by aging 3+ months. Traditional cheesemakers will tell you this is the wrong way, but in all of the cheesemaking groups I'm in online, refrigeration is how home cheese makers are having the most success. People are rarely waxing cheeses anymore due to the convenience of vac sealing!
Notes
* How to Make Cheddar Cheese Curds
To make cheese curds instead of pressing a cheddar wheel, follow the recipe through cutting, cooking, draining, and salting the curds. After salting, spread them on a cheesecloth-lined mesh rack and let them rest at room temperature for about 24 hours. This helps them firm up and develop a little more flavor.
After that, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container, or get creative and brine them—pickle juice is a fun option! They’re best eaten fresh but will keep for a few weeks in the fridge (just know they lose their squeak as they chill). Here's an instagram reel to give you a better look at the process.
Adding Inclusions
Once you get this recipe down, it's time to start having fun! You can make your own cheddar cheese recipes by adding inclusions (like dried peppers, herbs, or fruit).
You’ll add inclusions right after salting the curds but before pressing. At this point, the curds are drained, salted, and still loose, so it’s easy to gently fold in your ingredients without breaking the curds. Make sure everything you add is completely dried (no moisture!!) and chopped small, which keeps your cheese safe during aging.
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 10gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 701mgPotassium: 473mgSugar: 15gVitamin A: 511IUCalcium: 389mgIron: 0.01mg
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