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- by CFH Admin
- June 23, 2022
- 2 min read
Manchego is a Spanish cheese from the La Mancha region. It was originally made from sheep milk, but can be made from other milks. Some people will tell you that the only real Manchego cheese is those wheels which are aged in the caves of its originating climate, but this is up to personal opinion. Manchego is traditionally rich and subtle, with four different stages of aging. First, a white, fresh Manchegofresco is aged for less than a week and is not technically considered a true Manchego by cheese aficionados, but is delicious all the same. Coming up next, Manchegocurado, aged for up to 12 weeks, is a semi-cured, partially solid cheese with a mild, nutty piquancy and a smooth, creamy texture. Curado is good for melting, and has just a hint of yellowish color. Next, Manchegoviejois aged for up to 12 months, and is a thoroughly solid cheese that has developed a rich yellow color. Viejo has an increased complexity, with a sharper kick to it and a slightly peppery edge. This cheese has matured enough to take center stage in any cuisine, sliced, shredded, crumbled, or melted. Finally, manchegoaceite is aged coated in olive oil for 1 year, and is the strongest, most developed of any of the stages. It is very hard, deeply yellow, and its taste is only for the strongest cheese connoisseurs.
20 minutes
50 minutes
6
INGREDIENTS AND EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE AT CULTURES FOR HEALTH
Fresh Cheese Making Kit
$45.99
Our most comprehensive choice, the Fresh Cheese Kit contains two starter cultures and supplies to make five different varieties of soft cheese - feta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, fromage blanc, and traditional quark. Kit contains a Mesophilic Cheese Culture, a Fresh Cheese Culture, calcium chloride, vegetable rennet, cheese salt, butter muslin, a thermometer, and an instruction and recipe booklet.
Packaging andEquipment in the kit may appear different than pictured.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 gallons whole cow milk
- 1/2 packetdirect-set mesophilic starter
- 1/2 packetdirect-set thermophilic starter
- 1/4 tsp. lipase powder diluted in 1/4 cup of cool, unchlorinated water and allowed to dissolve for at least 15 minutes
- 1/2 tsp. liquid rennet dissolved in 1/4 cup cool, unchlorinated water
- Sea salt and purified water for brine
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heatthe milk to86°Fin a water bath.
- Combineboth starters in a small plastic measuring cup andsprinklethem over the surface of the milk.Allowthe starter to rehydrate on the surface of the milk for1 full minutebefore stirring it in with a cheese spoon.
- Stirin the starter using smooth, long, up-and-down strokes for1 full minute, thencoverthe milk andallowit to ripen for45 minutes,maintainingthe temperature at86°Fthroughout.
- Addthe diluted lipase andstirit inusingthe same methods as used for incorporating the starter.Addthe rennet bypouringit through the cheese spoon and into the milk.Stirusingup-and-down motions for1 minute.
- Coverthe milk andlet it setundisturbed for30 minutesor until it gives a clean break.
- Cutthe curd into 1/2-inch cubes andre-coverto rest for5 more minutes.
- Using a clean stainless steel whisk,stirthe curds tocutthem into rice-sized pieces. This may take a long time, up to30 minutes.
- Slowly heatthe curds to104°F,bringingthe temperature up by 2 degrees every5 minutes.Stirthe curds to keep them from matting while you are heating them up.
- Once the curds have reached the correct temperature,let them situndisturbed for5 minutes, thenpour offall the whey.
- Linea two-lb. cheese mold with damp cheesecloth andladlethe hot curds into it.Replacethe follower andpressat 15 lbs. of pressure for15 minutes.
- Takethe cheese out of the mold,unwrapit,flipit over,re-wrapit in the cheesecloth andput it backinto the mold.Pressagain at 15 lbs. of pressure for15 minutes.
- Remove,undress,flip,redress, andreplacethe cheese.Pressonce more at 15 lbs. for15 minutes.
- Remove,undress,flip,redress, andreplacethe cheese.Pressthis time at 30 lbs. for6 hours.
- Makea saturated brine andchillit.Placethe cheese and the brine into a plastic or other non-reactive bowl andplaceit, covered, into the refrigerator for6 hours.
- Removethe cheese from the brine,patit dry with paper towels, andair-dryit for afew days.Ageat55°Ffor any length of time, depending on the desired strength. The cheese can be covered in olive oil to prevent it from becoming dried out.
Ready to Learn More?
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