Our sheep milk hot cocoa recipe can be made using fresh milk. It also works equally well using frozen milk. As you might know from previous blog articles, sheep only lactate seasonally, but sheep milk freezes well without any loss of quality. This means that you can have delicious creamy beverages like fresh hot cocoa outside of milking season. Simply defrost the frozen milk prior to using it.

Additionally, we find that you can easily make a large batch of cocoa and then store it in the refrigerator for several days. Simply reheat as desired. Here is our favorite sheep milk hot cocoa recipe. We encourage you to give it a try this winter.

Ingredients:

½ cup brown sugar (you can also use granulated)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
4 cups sheep milk (you can use fresh or defrosted frozen milk)
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

In a small sauce pan combine all the ingredients together except the vanilla.

Place over low heat. As the milk mixture is heating, use a whisk to stir the chocolate in. Whisk until the chocolate is incorporated, the sugar is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Continue to heat until the mixture is steaming. Make sure to stir the hot cocoa regularly as it is heating to prevent scorching the milk. Do not allow it to boil.

Once the mixture is hot, remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour into mugs to serve. Feel free to stir in any add-ins you desire at this point. Whipped cream, peppermint candies, marshmallows and chocolate shavings all make great additions. Or for cinnamon fans, steep the cocoa with a cinnamon stick.

If you wish to make a large batch to store:

Heat the milk mixture up just enough to melt the sugar and chocolate. Make sure both the sugar and chocolate are fully incorporated and that the mixture is whisked smooth. Then turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Allow the hot cocoa to cool to room temperature before putting it into the refrigerator. As the mixture is cooling you should whisk it regularly. When you heat and cool sheep milk it tends to form a thick skin on the surface as it cools, much more so than cow’s milk. This skin can easily be eliminated by periodically whisking it back into the milk until the mixture is smooth.

Once the mixture has cooled, it can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for several days. To serve, you will need to stir or shake the hot cocoa thoroughly. Then simply pour into mugs and reheat in the microwave.

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Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post 5 Minute Sheep Milk Hot Cocoa first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

This ice cream recipe is quick and easy to make. You have the option of using an ice cream maker and freezing it according to the manufacturer’s directions. Alternatively, you can use the method described below which requires no special equipment. And since we know no one wants to scroll through thousands of words to get to the actual recipe, we’re going to jump right into making the ice cream. This recipe makes about 1.5 quarts of ice cream.

Ingredients:

3 cups chilled sheep milk

1/2-¾ cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Any add ins desired. 1.5-2 cups is usually enough to swirl through the ice cream, and they should be chilled prior to adding them. Add ins could be peanut butter candies, brownie chunks, berry sauces etc.

Combine all the ingredients except add ins in a blender. Whip in the blender for several minutes until the mixture is frothy. More air in your mixture = better ice cream, so don’t skimp on whipping the mixture.

Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions, or follow the directions below to freeze without an ice cream maker.

Making ice cream without an ice cream maker:

Pour into a large bowl that provides space for you to be able to whip the ice cream throughout the freezing process.

Put the ice cream mixture into the freezer and allow it to start freezing. We try to check on ours about every half hour. As it starts to freeze, use a wire whisk to whip the forming ice back into the mixture. Repeat this process every 30 minutes to an hour until the ice cream is almost frozen, and too hard to whip.

When the ice cream is almost frozen solid stir in any add ins you desire. It is best to chill the add ins prior to adding them if at all possible so that they don’t melt your ice cream. Once you have stirred in the add ins, allow the ice cream to freeze a bit longer to fully solidify. It is then ready to serve.

It usually takes several hours for the ice cream to freeze, so plan to make it on a day you will be home to watch it.

The key to making good sheep milk ice cream without an ice cream maker is to whip air into the mixture frequently as it is freezing. Don’t skimp on the whipping or you will be disappointed. Ice cream that is not whipped enough will turn out hard and difficult to scoop.

While homemade iced sheep milk is not quite as rich and creamy as traditional ice cream, we find it to be a delightful guilt free snack for hot summer afternoons.

If you would like more sheep milk recipe ideas, gardening tips, and information about how we get things done on our farm, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to have our blog post delivered directly to your inbox.

Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post Easy Homemade Sheep Milk Ice Cream first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

Persimmons ripen all at the same time. Obviously, you can only eat so many at that time, so you must either waste or preserve the remaining persimmons. Hoshigaki is an ancient food preservation technique used by the Japanese people to preserve persimmons for use during the winter months. Additionally, while astringent persimmons are not edible straight off the tree, after being turned into hoshigaki, they morph into honey sweet treats.

By making hoshigaki, none of the persimmon harvest goes to waste. Hoshigaki can be stored for months and months. Plus, drying persimmons this way requires no refrigeration, fancy tools, or modern preservation methods.

If you are one of the people interested in reconnecting with your food. Hoshigaki most certainly meets the definition of slow food. It is relatively labor intensive, and takes a month or two to make. However, just like with vegetable gardening, it allows you time to relax, reflect, and appreciate your food in a way that is often missing in fast food culture. Your months of patience will be pay off with the satisfaction of creating a healthy, delicious treat unlike any other dried fruit you have ever tried.

Making hoshigaki is simple. You will need persimmons, string, a peeler, pot of boiling water and a place to hang the fruit to dry. The only other thing you will need is the commitment of spending a few minutes a day massaging the persimmons.

Step 1: Select appropriate persimmons

It is critical to your success that you select appropriate persimmons for making hoshigaki. Traditionally hoshigaki was made from astringent persimmons. However, hoshigaki can be made from either astringent or non-astringent persimmons. We use Fuyu persimmons to make hoshigaki because they are what we have available, and we find non-astringent persimmons to be more versatile for other uses.

The only type of persimmons that should be avoided are seeded persimmons. So though American persimmons are astringent and plentiful in some areas they should not be used. Persimmons seeds are hard as a rock, and will ruin your hoshigaki.

The persimmons that you use to make hoshigaki should be firm and blemish free. You will be peeling the persimmons, so they must be firm for you to be able to do that. You also should try to select persimmons that have a nice long stem. Ideally they would have a small piece of branch attached as well. That way the string you tie around them will not slip off.

If you do not have persimmons with suitable stems, you can use a skewer to pierce the persimmon just underneath the stem, or a screw jammed into the stem end. You just need to provide something to hang it from. If you do use a foreign object to puncture your persimmon, make sure that you sterilize the object with boiling water prior to stabbing it through the persimmon. If you do not, you may disappointingly end up with a persimmon full of mold rather than hoshigaki.

You also want to make sure your persimmons are blemish free and not bruised. Damaged persimmons will be prone to rotting. Starting with the persimmons least likely to rot will make you more successful at slowly drying them.

Step 2: Prepare the persimmons

Once you have selected which persimmons you will be using for hoshigaki, you need to thoroughly wash and then peel the persimmons. As you are washing, or before you peel the persimmons, you can break off the loose leafy portions near the stem end leaving just the firmly attached portion in the center. Remove all of the skin, you can but do NOT remove the stem end of the persimmon. Removing the skin is what will allow the fruit to slowly dehydrate.

Once you have a bunch of persimmons peeled, you need to tie a string onto each stem. Tie the string tightly. You do not want the persimmon to fall off as you are manipulating them or if they get bumped.

Traditionally, a persimmon was tied to each end of a short string and then they were hung over a bamboo rod. You can also tie a whole bunch of them in a line down a string if that better suits the space available to you. It doesn’t really matter how you do this as long as you make sure that none of the persimmons are touching. They need to have good airflow around them.

Step 3: Scald the persimmons

When you have all of your persimmons tied on strings, it is time to sterilize them. This can be done by dipping them in an alcohol like Vodka, or by using boiling water. We have had good success using the boiling water method.

To use the boiling water method, heat a large pot of water to boiling. Once the water is boiling, dip your strings of persimmons in the water and immediately pull them back out. Allow them to drip dry for a minute and then hang them up where they are not touching anything. You do not want to recontaminate them by setting them on a non-sterile surface after they come out of the boiling water.

Step 4: Hang the hoshigaki to dry

After scalding, you will need to hang your hoshigaki in a location that provides good drying conditions. This needs to be a clean place that they can hang for a month or more as they slowly dry. It can be either indoors or outdoors, and a sunny location is best. However, the only absolutely necessary criteria is that is is a warm, dry location. Do not put them in a very humid location or a cold damp basement as that will cause them to rot and mold rather than drying.

If you have selected a good location for your hoshigaki, they will form a dry, kind of leathery skin and shrivel considerably in the first week of hanging. If your hoshigaki has not done this you need to move them to a better spot.

Step 5: Massage your drying hoshigaki

Once your hoshigaki has formed a leathery skin, it is time to start massaging the persimmons. This must be done very gently at first. Do not squeeze them hard enough to burst through the dry exterior. As they continue to dry you can massage them more forcefully. Gently massage each persimmon briefly every day until the persimmons have fully shriveled and are fairly firm. The massaging process helps to break down the interior of the persimmon releasing the sugars and turning it into the unique hoshigaki texture.

The amount of time that it takes to transform a persimmon into hoshigaki can vary depending on how drying the environment is. It will likely take 4-6 weeks, maybe longer. You will know they are completely dried when they fail to continue to shrink.

As the hoshigaki age, they should produce a highly prized, white sugar bloom on the surface. This bloom is also an indication that your hoshigaki is nearing completion. However, if you are using a non-astringent persimmon to make hoshigaki and a bloom does not appear, do not despair. With or without the bloom the dried fruit will be delicious. We think that astringent persimmons are more likely to produce a sugar bloom than non-astringent varieties.

Once they are dried they can be left to hang or can be taken down and stored. If thoroughly dried, they can be stored at room temperature. However, they will last the longest in the refrigerator or freezer.

How to use my hoshigaki

You can start to use the hoshigaki before they are completely dry if you wish. Do some taste testing to determine what texture you prefer. Earlier in the drying process they will have a texture similar to a prune. As they get drier they will become less sticky and more chewy in texture.

Hoshigaki can be used like you would any other dried fruits. They are delightfully sweet and fruity flavored, almost like eating a chewy candy. They can be eaten alone as a snack. You can chop them up and put them in granola, use them in ice cream or in baking. Try substituting hoshigaki chunks for raisins in salads and other dishes. Because hoshigaki is so sweet, they pair well with strong or bitter flavors. Add thin slices of them to a cheese plate for your next gathering. Or try pairing them with goat cheese, pear and onion on a pizza.

We hope this has inspired you pick all those extra persimmons to try your hand at this ancient food preservation technique!

If you would like to read more articles about growing and preserving food, please sign up for our newsletter!

Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post How To Make Hoshigaki—Preserving Food Like Our Ancestors first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

The first step is to render and strain the fat. If you are using raw fat from processed animals, you will need to render and skim the fat. These processes are described below. If you are using fat you drained off of something like hamburger, you can skip the rendering process and just heat and strain the fat well to remove any impurities and food particles. Then, let it harden. We store ours in the freezer until we have accumulated a sufficient quantity to make a batch of soap.

If you are using fat from animals you processed, it needs to be rendered

To render raw fat, you simply need to chop it up into small pieces and then heat it slowly in a crock pot or on the stove over low heat. Allow it to simmer on low heat for several hours. Over the course of time, the fat will melt, any moisture will boil off, and all of the ‘impurities’ in it will separate out. You will eventually get crispy bits of stuff starting to float on the surface.

When ready, strain the fat to remove any impurities

At this time you can strain the fat through a fine mesh to remove any debris. This process is the same for raw and reserved fat. Both will need to have all the impurities removed to make the fat clean/pure and ready to turn into soap. Allow the fat to cool, and you will be left with a block of pure tallow ready for soapmaking. You do not have to allow it to cool if you are ready to make soap when you finish straining it.

To make soap you only need 3 basic ingredients and a few tools.

You need your rendered fat, water, and lye. Lye can be purchased from various soapmaking supply places. You also need a stainless steel bowl, stainless or silicone spoon, a way to accurately weigh ingredients. Plus you need a pot or crock pot to melt your fat in and a soap mold, which can be as simple as various plastic containers. Some people use cleaned out Pringles cans. A stick blender comes in handy, but is not essential. Lastly, for your protection use gloves and eye protection when handling the lye. Lye is caustic and can burn your eyes or skin.

Before you get started making soap, you need to get a soap recipe from a lye calculator. There are several of them available for free online. Weigh out the volume of rendered fat you ended up with and input both the quantity and type of fat you are using into the lye calculator. The calculators will tell you the amount of water and lye you need to successfully make a batch of soap. Once you have done that you can proceed to making soap.

There are two ways to make soap. Cold process and hot process. Today we are going to be demonstrating how to make hot process soap, because we prefer to make hot process soap. Plus there are a lot more cold process soap tutorials on the internet. However, we’d like to note that cold process soap can be made using exactly the same recipes as hot process. You simply omit the cooking steps. Both soapmaking processes have their pros and cons. The nice thing about hot process soap is that once the cook is finished you have usable soap. There is no required waiting time for it to be safe to use.

Let’s get on to actually making soap!

The first step is to measure out your soap making ingredients according to your recipe. To make hot process soap you want to use water on the higher end of the range the recipe suggests. Start by weighing out your fat and putting it in the crock pot on low so that it can start melting.

While the fat is melting, put on your gloves and eye protection and measure out lye into your stainless steel bowl. Carefully add the water to the lye and stir it gently to dissolve the lye. This needs to be done carefully to avoid splashing. It should also be done in a well ventilated area to avoid the fumes released by the reaction. When the lye is mixed with the water, it will get very hot. Be careful not to burn yourself. Allow the lye water mixture to cool while your fat melts.

Once your fat is melted, carefully combine the lye mixture with the fat in the crock pot. Avoid splashing the mixture on yourself. At this point you need to stir the mixture to combine the ingredients. Use your immersion blender if you have one. If you don’t, stir the pot with a spoon. You need to stir it until the oil and water mixture have been combine into a uniform mixture.

There is a lot of discussion about something called ‘trace’ in the soapmaking community.

This is basically when your mixture has been stirred enough that it starts to thicken. This is the point at which cold process soap is ready to be poured into molds. We have found that for making hot process soap from tallow, trace per se is not what is important. Fully blending the mixture until it has emulsified is the key. Tallow comes to trace extremely slowly, even with an immersion blender, so don’t obsess over trace for our hot process soap. Just make sure your fat and lye are very thoroughly mixed.

Once your mixture is emulsified (and you can tell its there, because the mixture will be a uniform creamy color), put the lid on the pot and start to cook your soap on low. This process will take between 30 and 60 minutes.

Do not leave your soap unattended while it is cooking!

It can create a dangerous soap volcano of caustic half cooked soap if left unattended.

As your soap is cooking, you will see that it starts to bubble up around the edges. You also may see some of the fat start to separate out. When this happens you can thoroughly stir the soap and then allow it to keep cooking. Stirring it a couple times will redistribute the heat and speed up the cooking process and allow the soap to cook more uniformly.

Your soap is done cooking when it has thickened and has a glossy texture.

The soap will also harden on your spoon almost immediately when it cools. Pay attention to how it behaves on the spoon when you stir it mid-cook, and you will notice an obvious change at the end of the cook. The hardened soap on your spoon at the end of the cook will no longer feel greasy and will rinse off your fingers easily. You can also test the soap with pH strips or let it sit for a couple weeks before use if you are worried about it not being fully cured and safe.

Once the soap has cooked, stir it thoroughly and quickly transfer it to your molds. Prior to pouring into the molds would also be the time to add in any fragrances or essential oils you wished to add. You will need to work quickly here. As soon as the soap starts to cool it will harden. Your soap can be unmolded and cut (if necessary) within a few hours when it has cooled completely. It is now ready to use. However, it will continue to lose some moisture and get harder and more durable if allowed to cure for several weeks before use.

We hope this inspires you to turn that waste fat into something useful. Enjoy your homemade soap!

If you would like to read more articles like this, please subscribe to our newsletter!

Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post How To Turn Kitchen Waste Into Homemade Soap first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

If you have just started to delve into the art of cheesemaking or have made some of the easy acid coagulated fresh cheeses, you might have realized how complicated and intimidating many cheese recipes are. There is a dizzying array of cheese types and recipes for variations on those cheese types, many of which you have likely never even heard of. On top of that a quick look at a cheesemaking supply catalog will reveal there are many different cultures and additives, and all sorts of special molds and tools for making cheese. Where to start?

Today we are going to look at a very easy to make rennet based cheese.

It requires no fancy molds or presses, and is the perfect cheese to introduce you to the various techniques used in more advanced recipes.

Not only that, but Halloumi is DELICIOUS! It is not a common cheese, and you may have never heard of it. Nonetheless we encourage you to give it a try. Halloumi is an ancient cheese that was traditionally made with sheep milk. It is a unique cheese in that it does not readily melt and is typically grilled or pan fried. It can make an excellent snacking cheese or can make a meat substitute. It is a mild salty cheese with a ‘squeaky’ texture. Traditionally this cheese was coated with dried mint in the last step. However that is completely optional, and we do not typically make the cheese with mint.

If you are new to making cheese, set aside an entire morning or afternoon to devote to the process.

That way you are not trying to rush. You can take the time to learn the techniques that will allow you to succeed at making more complex cheeses later. Making cheese is “a hurry up and wait” process. Halloumi takes several hours to make from start to finish.

Before you get started you will need to acquire a few items. You will need a single strength liquid rennet. We personally use animal rennet. You will also need cheese salt. You can buy a special cheese salt or use a salt like pickling salt for this purpose. Whatever salt you use needs to be fine textured, NOT Iodized, and without any sort of anticaking agents added—just plain salt. If you are using raw sheep milk no culture is required. If you are using pasteurized milk, you will need either a buttermilk culture or MA 4002 (or equivalent). MA 4002 is a mixture of mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria.

As far as required tools go, you will need a large pot, a thermometer, long knife, and a colander. If you have a cheese basket mold it will make a prettier finished cheese, but it is not required.

It is always a good idea to sanitize all your tools before you begin. This can be done by steaming them over a boiling pot of water.

We will be making this recipe with 100% sheep milk, however you can also make it with cow or goat’s milk.

If using cow or goat milk the yield will be less than with sheep’s milk. The photos in this article are of a 5 gallon batch we made, but this recipe will be for a 1 gallon batch.

*A note about milk: Cheese cannot be made from ultra high temperature pasteurized milk. The process damages the milk proteins and prevents them from coagulating properly, so if you are purchasing pasteurized milk to use, be sure to check that it is not ultra-pasteurized.

Ingredients:

1 Gallon Sheep Milk (If you are using raw milk be sure to handle it carefully and properly from milking through to making the cheese so that you do not contaminate it with harmful bacteria. Pasteurized milk can also be used however, see note above.)

1/8th tsp single strength liquid rennet (you will need ¼ tsp for pasteurized milk)

3 tsp salt

¼ tsp of MA 4002 culture (optional, not needed for raw milk)

Step 1: Heat your milk to between 86 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit and then add rennet.

You need to heat your milk slowly and carefully. For a small batch it is probably best to place your pot of milk in a sink full of very warm water as small batches are easy to overheat or scald on the stove. If you choose to heat your milk on the stove, do so very carefully. Monitor the temperature closely and stir it often. Once your milk has reached the target temperature, turn off the heat. You can now add the optional culture. Stir thoroughly to incorporate the culture.

Once the milk is at temperature, add your 1/8th (or ¼ tsp for pasteurized milk) of rennet to ¼ cup of cold water, and mix well. Pour your rennet mixture into the pot of milk and stir it thoroughly using an up and down motion for about a minute to make sure the rennet is well incorporated into your milk.

Now you will need to let the milk sit quietly without stirring for 30-40 minutes. You will likely see it start to thicken in about 15 minutes, but it needs the full 30-40 minutes to finish the process. You want it to produce a nice solid curd as that is essential to your success in the rest of the process. The milk will coagulate long before the 30-40 minutes has passed. However, it is not ready yet.

Step 2: Cutting the curds.

When you have reached 30-40 minutes and the milk looks firmly coagulated, take your long knife and cut the curd. If when you make your first cut, the whey appears very cloudy, or the curds collapsed allow it to sit a little bit longer. You want a nice clean cut as seen in the below pictures. Cut your curd into 3/4-1” pieces vertically, and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes. At the end of 5 minutes, take your spoon and stir and cut the curds horizontally until you have uniformly sized 3/4-1″ pieces. Do this gently so that you do not shatter the curds into tiny bits.

Step 3: Cook the curds to remove the whey.

Once you have your curds broken up into about ¾” cubes, you can start to heat them. You want to very slowly heat the curds up to about 105 degrees. It should take 20-30 minutes to raise the temperature. Then the curds should be held at that temperature for another 30 minutes. When raising the temperature, you should stir the curds gently. Once you have reached 105 degrees stir them every few minutes to prevent them from matting together. As you do this the curds will release whey and shrink. After holding them at that temperature for 30 minutes, you can allow the curds to settle under the whey for a few minutes while you prepare for the next step.

I’d also like to note here, it is important to try to heat your curds as slowly as the recipe states. A large part of what gives various different cheeses their unique characteristics is how the curds are handled in the process. Changing the handling and heating the curds differently than stated in the recipe can drastically alter your end product.

Step 4: Separate the whey from the curds.

Scoop out the whey (the liquid) down to just above the level of the curds. Retain this whey as it will be needed in a future step. Once you have most of the whey removed, you can pour the curds and remaining whey through the colander. I usually do this over a large bowl to catch the remaining whey. If you are using a cheese mold, the curds can be transferred to the mold at this time.

Return the whey to your pot.

Side Note: If you wish you can make ricotta cheese with the whey. To do so, add ½ cup of distilled vinegar or lemon juice to the whey while you are heating it to 190 degrees, but before you cook the halloumi. Once you have reached 190 degrees, stop stirring and you should see the ricotta float to the surface. You can either skim these curds off the surface, or can strain it through some cheesecloth/butter muslin, and then continue with the recipe above.

Step 5: Consolidate and form the curds.

What you want to accomplish here is consolidating your curds into a solid mass rather than a million little pieces. You can use some light hand pressure, or 1-2lbs of weight to help press the curds. If you are using basket molds and have 2 of them, you can alternate placing one on top of the other to press the curds. If you are using a colander, you can place something like a plate with some canned goods on top of it to press the curds. While they are pressing you want to carefully turn them over every 15 minutes or so. That way you will end up with a uniformly consolidate mass of curds.

While you are consolidating your curds, begin heating the whey you returned to the pot. It needs to be heated to between 185 and 195 degrees though it shouldn’t be allowed to boil. Stir it regularly so that it does not burn. When your whey is hot and your curds are sufficiently consolidated move on to the next step.

Step 7: Cooking your halloumi.

We are almost done! This cooking step is integral to making your curds halloumi rather than a different cheese.

Once your whey has reached 190 degrees, and your curds are compressed into nice well formed blocks, gently place them in the pot of hot whey. Be careful as you are setting it in so that they don’t get stuck to the bottom of the pot. We usually carefully lift up our halloumi periodically to make sure it isn’t sticking. Keep your whey hot during this time. The cheese will need to cook in the 190-195 degree whey for 30-40 minutes. When it is done cooking it will float, and instead of being stiff when you scoop it up, it will droop off the sides of your spoon.

Step 8: Drain and flatten your cheese.

When your cheese floats, remove it from the pot and place it on a flat surface that can drain. I typically use an upside down dinner plate placed on a cookie sheet (to catch the whey running off). Allow the cheese to cool slightly, and dip your fingers in cold water. Flatten the cheese into a larger disk. I usually flatten mine to 1/2-3/4” thick as I feel that pan fries well. How much you flatten the cheese is up to you. Once it is flattened, sprinkle it with the salt (and the optional mint if you wish to do so). Then fold the cheese in half and allow it to cool.

At this point your cheese is done. It is best left to sit for a day or two to allow the salt to disperse uniformly throughout it, and it should stored in the refrigerator as soon as it cools.

To cook this cheese

You can place it on the grill, or cook in in a frying pan with a small amount of oil until it is golden brown. It will form a caramelized crispy outer surface and have a soft interior texture.

We hope this helps you to dip your toes into the world of cheesemaking, and we hope that you get the opportunity to try this wonderful cheese that is not part of the American diet.

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Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post How To Make Halloumi Cheese first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.