This is an unusual cheese made from whey and aged in wine and herbs. It makes a delicious appetizer, or if you use a sweet wine for aging, it’s a great dessert cheese.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 gallons whey
- 1 quart milk (optional, to increase yield)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 quart water
- 1 quart red wine
- Cheese salt
- Herbs, if desired (rosemary, thyme, or oregano are good options)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Put the whey and milk together in a large, non-reactive cheese pot. Heat to 200° F over direct heat, stirring periodically.
- Once the temperature has been reached, slowly pour the vinegar in through the holes of your cheese spoon, stirring gently for 1 full minute to incorporate. Turn off the heat. Allow the whey to rest for 10 minutes, undisturbed, before proceeding. You will see it start to separate.
- Line a colander with a layer of clean butter muslin and suspend it over a sink or large bowl. Pour the separated cheese and whey into the colander, and allow to drain for 5 minutes, or until it has cooled sufficiently to handle.
- Make a draining sack out of the cheese-filled muslin and hang the bag over the sink to continue draining for many hours, or until the dripping has stopped.
- Line a 1-pound cheese press with clean, damp butter muslin. Pour in the drained curds and press at 20 pounds of pressure for 24 hours.
- Take the cheese out of the cheese press and peel away the muslin. In a large bowl, mix together the water, wine, about 1/4 cup of salt, and any desired herbs. Put the cheese into this bowl and cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for about 4 days, continuing to keep an eye on it and flipping it over in the brine about twice a day.
- Take the cheese out of the brine and allow it to air dry on a rack over paper towels, continuing to flip it regularly.
The cheese can be eaten fresh now or aged for a few weeks in cold storage before serving. This cheese will stay fresh for 3 to 4 weeks in cold storage.
