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Parmesan

Source: Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll.

Ingredients

• 2 gallons low-fat milk (2%)
• 2 packets direct-set thermophilic starter or 8 ounces perpared thermophilic starter
• 1/2 teaspoon lipase powder, dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water and allowed to set for 20 minutes, for stronger flavor (optional)
• 1 teaspoon liquid rennet (or 1 rennet tablet) diluted in 1/2 cup cool, unchlorinated water
• 2 pounds cheese salt (for brine)
• 1 gallon water (for brine)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

1. Heat milk to 90° F. Add the starter and mix well. Add the liapase, if desired. Cover and let ripen for 30 minutes.
2. Make sure the milk’s temperature is 90° F. Add the diluted rennet and stir gently with an up-and-down motion for 2 mintues. You may need to top-stir several additional minutes. Cover and let set at 90° F for 30 minutes, or until the curd gives a clean break.
3. Cut the curds into 1/4-inch cubes.
4. Heat the curds to 100° F, raising the temperature two degrees every 5 minutes. Stir often.
5. Raise the temperature of the curds three degrees every 5 minutes, until the temperature of the curds reaches 124° F. Stir often. The curds should now be about the size of a grain of rice, and they will squeak when chewed. Allow the curds to set for 5 minutes.
6. Carefully pour off the whey without losing any of the curd particles. Line a 4-pound cheese mold with cheesecloth. Pack the curds into the mold and press lightly at 5 pounds of pressure for 15 minutes.
7. Remove the cheese from the mold and gently peel away the cheesecloth. Turn the cheese, re-dress it and press at 10 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes.
8. Repeat the process but press at 15 pounds of pressure for 2 hours.
9. Remove the cheese from the mold, line it with a fresh cloth, and put the cheese back into the mold. Press at 20 pounds of pressure for 12 hours.
10. Remove the cheese from the press. Peel away the cheesecloth. In a large, noncorrosive container, combine the salt and water to make a sauturated solution. Soak the cheese in the brine for 24 hours at room temperature.
11. Remove the cheese from the brine and pat dry. Reserve the brine for other recipes. Age at 55° F and 85 percent relative humidity for at least 10 months. Turn over the cheese daily for the first several weeks, then weekly after that. Remove any mold with a cloth dampened in vinegar or salt water. After the cheese has aged for 2 months, rub the surface with olive oil to keep the rind and cheese from drying out.