Make Lo-Fat Blue Cheese
There is nothing better than having some home-made blue cheese with any salad. Especially if it's low-fat. Why not take the challenge and impress your family and friends, by making your own. This step-by step guide will show your how. It will be a winner every time!
Instructions
1. Heat milk to 90 degrees. Add the mold, then add the starter. Mix together well. Cover and ripen at 90 degrees for approximately 60 minutes.
2. Add the diluted rennet and gently stir with an up-and-down motion for approximately one minute. Cover the mixture and let the set at 90 degrees, for approximately 45 minutes, or until the curd gives a clean break.
3. Cut the curd into about 1/2 inch cubes. Let the cubes set for about 5 minutes.
4. Gently stir the curds, to keep them from matting, approximately every 5 minutes.
5. Let the curds set, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes.
6. Pour off the whey. Place the curds in a colander. Let the curds drain for about 5 minutes, until all the liquid is gone. Place the curds back into the pot. Gently mix the curds by hand, so they won't mat.
7. Add 2 tablespoons of the cheese salt and mix well. Let the mixture set for about 5 minutes. While mixture is setting, sterilize a 2-pound cheese mold, two cheese mats, two cheese boards, in boiling water. Let everything drain well.
8. Place one of the cheese mats on a cheese board. Place the mold on the mat. Fill the mold with the curds. Cover with the other cheese mat and cheese board. Turn the curds in the mold, about every 15 minutes for the first two hours. Then once an hour for an additional two hours. Let the curd drain overnight.
9. Remove the cheese from the mold. Sprinkle with remaining salt over the entire surface. Shake excess salt off. Let the cheese set at 60 degrees, with about 85 percent humidity. If you have a basement, most basements meet those requirements. Set the cheese on a cheese mat or a cheese board. Turn the cheese over each day for 3 days. Salting it and shaking off the excess salt each time.
10. Poke cheese with approximately 40 holes from top to bottom, with a sterilized ice pick. Age the cheese at 50 degrees and 95 percent humidity. If you have an extra refrigerator with a pan of water, would do best. It's best to store the cheese on its side in a wooden cradle. About every 4 days, give the cheese a quarter turn on its side to keep it from becoming misshapen (keeping it from badly forming out of shape.) Mold will appear within 10 days.
11. The surface of the cheese should be covered with blue mold, with a reddish brown smear, in approximately 30 days. Gently scrape the mold and smear off with a long bladed knife.
12. Continually scrape of the mold and smear, for approximately another 20 to 30 days.
13. Scrape the cheese a final time and wrap in foil, after approximately 90 days. Lower the refrigerator temperature to approximately 36 degrees. Age the cheese another 60 days longer, turning the cheese on a weekly basis. For a milder cheese, sample it after it after 3 months. For best results. The cheese will be ready to eat in six months. Yields about 2 pounds.
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