Cheese Curds
Cheese curds are small, moist pieces of curdled milk with a mild flavor and springy texture, often enjoyed fresh or deep-fried as a savory snack. This recipe shows you how to make authentic fresh cheese curds at home.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
- 1/4 teaspoon mesophilic starter culture
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet (diluted in 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water)
- 1/2 teaspoon calcium chloride (optional, diluted in 1/4 cup water)
- 1 teaspoon cheese salt (non-iodized)
- as needed oil for frying (optional)
- as needed flour (optional, for frying)
- as needed egg wash (optional, for frying)
- as needed breadcrumbs (optional, for frying)
Instructions
- Warm the milk to 90°F (32°C) in a large pot.
- Add the mesophilic culture and stir thoroughly. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir again.
- Add calcium chloride (if using) and stir. Then add the diluted rennet and stir gently for 30 seconds.
- Let the milk sit undisturbed for 45 minutes to form a curd.
- Cut the curd into 1/2-inch cubes and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Slowly heat the curds to 105°F (40°C) over 30 minutes, stirring gently.
- Maintain the temperature and stir for another 30 minutes until curds shrink and firm up.
- Drain the whey and allow curds to mat together for 5 minutes.
- Cut the matted curds into strips and stack them, flipping every 10 minutes for 30 minutes (cheddaring).
- Break the cheddared curds into bite-sized pieces and mix in the salt.
- To fry: chill curds first. Dip in flour, then egg wash, and coat with breadcrumbs.
- Fry at 375°F (190°C) in neutral oil until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve fresh or fried cheese curds warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 1peopleCalories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 12gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 300mgSugar: 2g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!