Fresh Cheddar – Recipe

Here’s a straightforward Fresh Cheddar Cheese recipe you can try at home. This recipe yields a mild, young cheddar—great for snacking or melting. Aging longer will develop a sharper flavor.

🧀 Fresh Cheddar Cheese (Quick Version)

Yield: ~1 pound
Time: 4–6 hours (plus optional aging)

🧂 Ingredients:

4 gallons (15 L) whole cow’s milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
1/4 tsp mesophilic culture (e.g., MA4001 or MA4002)
1/2 tsp liquid rennet (or 1/4 rennet tablet) diluted in 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water
1.5 tsp cheese salt (non-iodized)
Optional: Annatto coloring (for orange cheddar)

🧑‍🍳 Equipment:

Large stainless steel pot
Thermometer
Long knife or curd cutter
Slotted spoon
Cheese mold and follower
Cheese press
Cheesecloth
pH meter (optional)

🔧 Instructions:

1. Heat the Milk

Warm the milk slowly to 86°F (30°C).
Stir gently to prevent scorching.

2. Add Culture

Sprinkle mesophilic starter over the surface.
Let it rehydrate 2 minutes, then stir gently for 1 minute.

3. Add Annatto (Optional)

Stir in coloring if using (for a classic orange cheddar).

4. Add Rennet

Stir in diluted rennet gently for 1 minute.
Let the milk sit undisturbed for 45 minutes until it forms a clean break.

5. Cut the Curd

Cut curd into 1/4-inch cubes.
Let rest 5 minutes.

6. Cook the Curd

Slowly heat to 102°F (39°C) over 30–40 minutes, stirring gently.
Maintain this temperature for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Drain the Whey

Pour off the whey down to the curd line.
Let curds mat together for 10 minutes.

8. Cheddaring

Cut the curd mass into slabs.
Stack and flip slabs every 10–15 minutes for 1 hour to expel whey and develop acidity.

9. Mill the Curd

Cut slabs into small pieces (1/2–1 inch).
Mix with salt.

10. Pressing

Pack curds into a cheese mold lined with cheesecloth.
Press at 10 lbs for 15 min, then re-dress and press:
- 20 lbs for 12 hours

11. Drying

Remove from mold, air-dry at room temp for 1–2 days until rind is dry.

12. Optional Aging

Wax or vacuum-seal and age at 50–55°F (10–13°C) with 80% humidity.
Mild cheddar: age for 1–2 months.
Sharp cheddar: 6+ months.

📝 Notes:

For a quicker version, you can skip aging and enjoy the cheese fresh—just note it will be very mild.
pH at the end of cheddaring should be around 5.3–5.4.
Always use non-chlorinated water to dilute rennet.