Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (2024)

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Farmhouse cheese is a cooked curd cheese with a delicious cheddar-like flavor. It is a simpler hard cheese recipe that is made without a cheese press or cave.

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It is a simplified recipe that I designed to work in my urban townhouse. And I don’t own a cheese press, a cave, or even a basem*nt or garage to age cheese in!

Notes For Beginners

This recipe assumes some basic cheesemaking knowledge. For anyone new to cheesemaking, I recommend starting with making fresh cheese.

However, this is a good recipe for anyone interested in learning how to make hard cheese!

If you are uncertain about any of the steps, check out this post on how to make cheese for more detailed information on ingredients, equipment, and techniques.

Aging Farmhouse Cheese

Farmhouse cheese is perfect for experimenting with all the different ways to ripen cheese. The flavor and texture of this cheese will dramatically change depending on how it is aged.

Here are the four different ways to finish homemade hard cheese:

  • Fresh unripened farmhouse cheddar is like quark or cheese curds. Store the cheese in the fridge right after pressing for an unripened hard cheese. This is a great option if you don’t have a way to age the cheese.
  • Waxed farmhouse cheese is similar to Gouda or Cheddar. Waxed cheeses need to be thoroughly air-dried before waxing.
  • Washed rind cheesesare brined after pressing. Then they are regularly washed salt water to encourage orange mold to grow on the outside of the cheese. This mold gives the cheese a strongstinky cheese flavor.
  • Bandage wrapping isthe easiest way to age hard cheese. It involved coating the cheese in a layer of butter then wrapping it in cheesecloth. The cheesecloth layer will mold, flavoring the cheese without any of the added work involved with washed rind cheeses. The layer of mold comes off cleanly when the bandage is removed.

See Aging Hard Cheeses for more details on how to wax or bandage hard cheeses, along with information on how to make an aging cave in your home.

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Farmhouse Hard Cheese

Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (3)

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Farmhouse cheese is a basic hard cheese that doesn’t need any special equipment. See the notes to create your own cheese press and cheese cave with items already in your house! Experiment with waxing, bandage wrapping, or making a washed rind cheese.

  • Author: Emillie
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 12 lbs cheese 1x
  • Category: Cheese
  • Method: Cheddaring
  • Cuisine: British
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale

  • 1gallon whole milk
  • 1/2 packet of powdered mesophilic starter or 1/4 cup of cultured buttermilk
  • 1/4 tsp of rennet mixed in 2 Tbsp filtered water
  • 1/4 tsp of food-grade calcium chloride in 2 Tbsp filtered water (if using hom*ogenized milk)
  • 1 Tbsp salt (non-iodized)

Instructions

  1. This is not a beginner recipe. Please read up on how to make cheese for more details about any of the steps.
  2. Heat milk to 90F (32C).
  3. Stir in culture and maintain at 90F for 45 minutes.
  4. Stir in calcium chloride, then add the rennet, mixing thoroughly. (If you’re using tablet rennet, then follow the instructions on the package).
  5. Maintain at 90F for 45 min and do not stir.
  6. When the curds show a clean break, cut the curds into 1/2-inch cubes.
  7. Cook the curds by stirring the cut curds every 5 minutes for the next 1/2 hour, slowly raising the temperature to 100F (38C).
  8. Line a strainer with butter muslin and pour the curds into it. (Save the whey! See notes).
  9. Hang the curd in the butter muslin and allow to drain for 1 hour.
  10. After an hour, place the curds into a bowl. Break the curds into small pieces and mix in the salt.
  11. Pack the curds into a cheese mold lined with butter muslin. Press at 11 lbs for 10 minutes.
  12. Remove the cheese, re-wrap it and turn it over, press at 22 lbs for 10 minutes.
  13. Re-wrap the cheese again and turn over, press at 44 lbs for 12 hours.
  14. See the section above for 4 ways to finish the cheese. (Fresh, waxed, washed, or bandage-wrapped).
  15. Age farmhouse cheese at around 55 F (13 C) and 75% humidity for 1 to 4 months.

Notes

  • Sanitationis key to making hard cheese. It’s the only way to ensure that the cheese is cultured with exactly the right strains of mesophilic bacteria.
  • If you don’t have a cheese press, thenmake your own using heavy objects from around your house. The cheese won’t be as firm if it isn’t pressed at 44lbs, but you will still get a semi-hard slicing cheese pressing with 11 lbs for the full 12 hours. Just flip twice, as directed, to evenly press the cheese.
  • Don’t throw out your whey! The sweet whey from cultured cheese can be used to make ricotta. Here are a few other ways to use up whey.

Previous Post: « Rind Development and Aging Hard Cheese

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (4)Ruben

    I made parmesan that is hard as a rock with a cobbled together press in my basem*nt. We should chat.

    Reply

    • Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (5)Emillie

      I actually have started wondering if the issue was around the milk I use. What milk do you use? Any interest in writing a guest post on Parmesan? 🙂 I started a hard Italian cheese, but I really couldn’t age any of my cheeses for more than a month, I just don’t have the space to devote to a cold room. I just used it for my photos on washed rind cheese, then used it up with pasta!

      Reply

    • Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (6)Avram Adrian Marius

      I made this cheese, after the second day of drying it looks excellent. Unfortunately, the cloth stuck to the cheese when pressing, maybe the cloth was not thick enough? I don’t have the wax at the moment so I’ll try to brine wash it, hopefully that will work?

      Reply

      • Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (7)Avram Adrian Marius

        I forgot to say, the first time I didn’t have the patience to let it ripen, I ate it, it was a little sour, but good enough to eat it urgently, all the family. 🙂

        Reply

        • Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (8)Emillie Parrish

          Great! Thanks for sharing! Sticking cheesecloth might be because it wasn’t finely woven. I recommend butter muslin if you can find it. Cheers!

          Reply

  2. Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (9)Rey

    This tastes great! I love cheese, to be able to make my own is the dream.

    Reply

    • Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (10)Emillie Parrish

      Glad you liked it!

      Reply

  3. Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (11)Nicole

    Making this today! How long do you leave in fridge before slicing and eating? I’m not able to make a rind yet.

    Reply

    • Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (12)Emillie Parrish

      Honestly, food doesn’t last long in our fridge, so I usually start eating it right away! It will taste like cheese curds rather than an aged cheddar. But aging in the fridge won’t greatly impact the flavor. Enjoy!

      Reply

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Farmhouse Cheese - A Hard Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does farmhouse cheese taste like? ›

Taste Notes

Farmhouse Cheddar delivers a force of flavor. Nutty and buttery smooth notes will satisfy all your savory cravings.

What cheese is considered a hard cheese? ›

Parmigiano, Grana Padano, Pecorino, Cheddar, Gruyere, Emmental, and Mimolette are some of the most popular hard cheeses. Nutritionally, hard cheeses are rich in fat, protein, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and sodium.

What is the difference between cheddar and farmhouse cheddar? ›

What distinguishes farmhouse cheddar from the more available dairy version? It all starts with the raw ingredients. The best producers use milk from grass-fed cows (with decent levels of fat and protein) and stop using it for cheese once cows are brought indoors for wintering on silage.

What is the hardest cheese to make? ›

While there is no one type of difficult cheese to make, the hardest cheeses to make are romano, gorgonzola, burrata, parmesan, provolone, etc. The reason being is because they require a longer aging period to ensure they reach their desired texture and require a specific type of culture.

What's the tastiest cheese? ›

10 Best Cheeses of the World
  • Valencay With Ash French Goat Cheese. $24.
  • Camembert du Bocage French Cheese. ...
  • Buchette with Ash French Goat Cheese. ...
  • Brillat Savarin Fresh French Cheese. ...
  • French White Winter Truffle Butter Roll. ...
  • Perlagrigia Italian Truffle Cheese. ...
  • Bleu D'Auvergne AOC French Cheese. ...
  • Petit Basque French Sheep Cheese.

What is an example of a farmhouse cheese? ›

Farmhouse Cheeses are often cheddar — though “farmhouse” is now being applied to other cheeses, such as Farmhouse Cheshire Cheese and Farmhouse Lancashire Cheese.

What is the difference between a fresh cheese and a hard cheese? ›

What's the difference between fresh and aged cheese? Aged cheese loses moisture as it grows older, so it tends to be harder than young cheese, which is usually softer and more pliable. Young cheese is better for melting, while aged cheese is better for adding flavor.

Which is better hard or soft cheese? ›

For the health-conscious, she suggests soft cheeses with strong flavors. Soft cheeses, she said, tend to have less fat than hard cheeses. However, she noted, there isn't a huge difference between hard and soft cheeses. Most all contain healthy doses of fat, protein, saturated fat, calcium and sodium.

Why is it called hard cheese? ›

As the name suggests, hard cheese is firm. Often savory, it can be divided into two categories: hard (such as Parmesan), and semi-hard (such as Gouda). Production involves separating and draining most of the whey before pressing the curd, which is then either brined to create a hard rind or waxed.

What is the meaning of farmhouse cheddar cheese? ›

FARMHOUSE is a cheese that is made in a traditional way by a professional cheesemaker and is a product of one farm, that means that the milk for cheese making came from the same farm where the cheese was made.

What does West Country Farmhouse Cheddar taste like? ›

Ford Farm's award-winning West Country Farmhouse Cheddar is a delicious, mature variety with a range of delicious yet contrasting flavours from sweet and creamy to tangy and nutty. Encased in wax to preserve its freshness.

How is hard cheese made? ›

To make hard cheese, the curd is cut very finely and then cooked at temperatures as high as 55°C. This maximises the amount of moisture (whey) removed before the curd is placed in hoops, soaked in brine, turned regularly and left to mature for six to 36 months.

What is the most loved cheese in the world? ›

MOZZARELLA – THE WORLD's MOST POPULAR CHEESE.

What hard cheese doesn't melt? ›

Acid-Set Cheeses: The Grillers and Fryers

There's one type of cheese that no amount of tweaking will melt: Acid-set cheeses, like fresh goat cheese, quick farmers cheese, paneer, queso fresco, and ricotta, just can't do it.

What is farm style cheese? ›

What is farmer's cheese? Farmer's cheese, a fresh cheese variety, is a pressed cottage cheese that is slightly more acidic and has a firmer texture, thanks to a lower moisture content. Farmer's cheese can be made from the milk of cows, sheep, or goats and can be rolled in different herbs or seasonings for extra flavor.

What is comparable to farmers cheese? ›

What's a good substitute for farmer's cheese? We've already mentioned that cottage cheese is a good alternative, but Indian paneer and ricotta work too. That said, certain Slavic recipes (like pierogis, blintzes, and vareniki) are simply not as authentic without it.

Does farmers cheese taste like cream cheese? ›

Draining the curds slowly in muslin bags keeps the texture moist, silky and smooth. Brought fully to room temperature, the cheese is airy on the tongue, not dense and sludgy like some cream cheese. The flavor reminds me of yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese all at once, rich and lactic with an appealing tang.

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