Home cheese-making
Simple fresh cheese (farmer's / queso fresco-style)
BeginnerAbout Queso fresco
A fresh, crumbly, salted rennet cheese — the first step into rennet.
- Hands-on
- 1 h
- Waiting
- 2 h 30 min
- Ageing
- None
- Yield
- About 500–600 g
Milk & ingredients
4 litres pasteurised (not UHT) whole cow's milk
- 4 litres milk
- ¼ tsp mesophilic culture (optional, for flavour)
- Rennet: follow the pack dose for 4 litres
- ¼ tsp calcium chloride if using shop milk (optional)
- 1–2 tsp salt
Culture: Mesophilic (optional)
Coagulant: Rennet
Equipment
- Large pot
- Thermometer
- Long knife
- Muslin
- Cheese mould or colander
- Weight
Temperatures by stage
| Stage | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Warm milk | 32 °C |
| Set | Hold about 32 °C |
| Cook curds | Up to 38 °C |
Steps
- 1.WaitingWarm milk to 32 °C; stir in culture (and calcium chloride) and rest 30 minutes.
- 2.WaitingStir in diluted rennet for 30 seconds, then keep perfectly still 45 minutes.
- 3.Hands-onCheck for a clean break; cut into 2 cm cubes.
- 4.Hands-onWarm slowly to 38 °C over 20 minutes, stirring gently.
- 5.Hands-onDrain in muslin; mix in salt.
- 6.WaitingPack into a mould and press lightly for 1–2 hours.
Storage: Refrigerate; use within about a week.
Troubleshooting
- No clean break
- Give it another 10–15 minutes; check rennet freshness and that the milk isn't UHT.
Sources
- Cheese Making Technology e-book — University of Guelph, Food Science
- Raw drinking milk — UK Food Standards Agency
Guidance changes: check the source for current wording. Original text; figures quoted from the sources where stated.