HALOUMI CHEESE

Ingredients: 1gallon milk Equipment: 1.5 gallon stainless steel pot, thick bottom

¼ cup fresh active yogurt large white handkerchief, boiled

1 tablet rennet colander

2 oz Kosher salt 3 quart plastic tub with lid

1) Warm 1 gallon milk in stainless steel pot to 32 C.

2) Dissolve ½ tablet of rennet in ¼ c water. (You may use 1 tablet for more rapid setting.) Meanwhile, suspend 1/4^th cup yogurt in ½ cup milk.

3) With continuous stirring, slowly add the dissolved rennet and the suspended yogurt to evenly distribute.

4) Cover the pot and let sit undisturbed at room temperature until you get a clean break (see the basic cheese page), about an hour.

5) Cut the curds as instructed on the basic cheese page, to produce curds about ½ inches in diameter.

6) Cover again, let the curds sit to firm up for 10 min.

7) Pour the curds into a sterile cloth suspended in a colander. Hang the cloth, allow to drain for 6 hours in a cool place (in the fridge in the Summer). Save the whey for “cooking” and making brine.

8) Remove the ball of cheese and cut into 6 pieces.

9) “Cook” the cheese: bring the whey to 45 C, and add the 6 pieces. Keep at 45 C for an hour.

10) Remove the cheeses from the whey, salt the surface, and chill for several hours.

11) Bring ½ gallon of the whey to the boil, add 2 ounces Kosher salt (1/4 cup), stir to dissolve, cover and let cool.

12) Transfer the cheeses to the cooled whey in a plastic tub with a lid. Place in the fridge. You may eat it immediately, but the flavor improves after several weeks or a month.