WHAT TO MAKE WITH PEPPER JACK CHEESE RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the milk to 90°F in a stainless steel pot.
• Add culture and allow to re-hydrate for 2-3 minutes. Stir in with a stainless steel or wooden spoon with an up and down motion.
• Cover pot and let sit for 30-45 minutes to culture.
• Stir in any cream that may have separated, and add the rennet and water mixture stirring with an up and down motion.
• Let the pot sit undisturbed at 90°F for 45 minutes or until the whey separates out from the curd.
• Cut the curd into 1/4 inch cubes and let sit undisturbed for 45 minutes.
• Bring the temperature slowly up to 100°F over the next 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Keep the temperature at 100°F for the next 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Let the curds settle for 5 to 10 minutes and then pour half the whey out. Leave just enough to cover the curds.
• Keep the curds at 100°F for another 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Pour the curds into the colander lined with butter muslin. Add the sea salt and the pepper mixture. Mix in thoroughly.
• Let the curds drain.
• Line the mold of your press with butter muslin and pack the curds in. Press for 15 minutes at 5 pounds of pressure.
• Remove the cheese and redress. Press for 12 hours at 10 pounds of pressure.
• Remove cheese from press and allow to air dry for 2 to 3 days.
• Wax or vacuum seal cheese and age at 55° to 60°F for 30 days or 60 days if you used raw milk.

Steps:

• In a water-bath setup or a double boiler, gently and slowly heat milk to 88°F.
• Add starter by sprinkling it over the milk and allowing it to rehydrate for 1 full minute. After 1 minute, stir in starter using your cheese spoon in slow, steady up-and-down motions.
• Cover milk and allow to ripen at 90°F for 30 minutes, undisturbed.
• Add diced peppers and stir well.
• Immediately add diluted rennet to the milk by pouring it through the cheese spoon and into the milk. Stir the milk in steady up-and-down motions for 1 full minute.
• Cover milk and maintain at 90°F for 30 minutes or until the curds give a clean break.
• Use a curd knife to cut the curd into 1/4-inch cubes; let them rest, undisturbed, for approximately 40 minutes.
• Gradually heat the curds to 100°F, only increasing the temperature by 2 degrees every 5 minutes. Stir lightly but consistently during this time to keep the curds from matting. Maintain the curd temperature at 100°F for 30 minutes, continuing to stir gently.
• Let the curds set for 5 minutes out of the heat, covered and undisturbed.
• Carefully begin to pour off the whey to the level of the curds. Let the curds sit in just enough whey to cover for another 30 minutes, stirring ever 5 minutes during this time, maintaining the temperature at 100°F throughout.
• Line a clean colander with damp cheesecloth and suspend it over a sink or large bowl. Ladle warm curds into the colander. Add salt and mix in lightly by hand.