Description
Cheese curds are small, moist pieces of curdled milk with a mild flavor and springy texture, often enjoyed fresh or deep-fried as a savory snack.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 gallon whole milk
- 1/4 tsp mesophilic starter culture
- 1/4 tsp liquid rennet (diluted in 1/4 cup cool, non-chlorinated water)
- 1/2 tsp calcium chloride (optional, diluted in 1/4 cup water)
- 1 tsp cheese salt (non-iodized)
- Oil for frying (optional)
- Flour, egg, and breadcrumbs for breading (optional, for frying)
Instructions
- Warm the milk to 90°F (32°C) in a large pot.
- Add the mesophilic culture and stir thoroughly. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir again.
- Add calcium chloride (if using) and stir. Then add the diluted rennet and stir gently for 30 seconds.
- Let the milk sit undisturbed for 45 minutes to form a curd.
- Cut the curd into 1/2-inch cubes and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Slowly heat the curds to 105°F (40°C) over 30 minutes, stirring gently.
- Maintain the temperature and stir for another 30 minutes until curds shrink and firm up.
- Drain the whey and allow curds to mat together for 5 minutes.
- Cut the matted curds into strips and stack them, flipping every 10 minutes for 30 minutes (cheddaring).
- Break the cheddared curd into bite-sized pieces and mix in the salt.
- Enjoy fresh or proceed to bread and deep-fry them for crispy cheese curds.
Notes
- Fresh cheese curds squeak when you bite into them.
- They should be eaten within 1–2 days for the best taste and texture.
- If frying, chill the curds first to prevent melting during cooking.
- Use high-quality milk for best flavor and consistency.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 50mg