Making Homemade Jack Cheese
What Makes Cheese A Jack?
What Is Jack Cheese Used For?
What Is The Difference Between Colby Jack and Monterey Jack Cheese?
Is Monterey Jack Cheese Bad For You?
Monterey Jack also contains a large number of essential nutrients including phosphorous, zinc, riboflavin, vitamin B12, and vitamin A. It is also a dense source of high-quality protein.
What You Will Need To Make Jack Cheese
To make jack cheese at home you are going to need:
- Large Stock Pot
- Large Long Handled Metal Spoon
- Cooking Thermometer
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Timer
- Long Bladed Stainless Steel Knife
- Hot Pan Holders
- Apron
- Large Colander
- Large Clean 300 count pillowcase
- Cheese Mold/press or Large Can from Tomato Sauce Or Other Items Sterilized, with holes drilled in all of the sides and bottom with the top reserved.
- If you are using the can you will need a gallon of water for the weight and some vessel that will fit in the top of your can to rest on top of the cheese that you put the gallon jug of water on top of. We use a ceramic jar with a cutting board on top and then the full water jugs on top of that.
Jack Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
Combine milk and calcium chloride in a stockpot and heat to 88 degrees. Add Mesophilic-A culture and stir thoroughly. Allow the milk to ‘ripen’ for 45 minutes (while this is happening dissolve rennet in distilled water).
Increase the temperature of the milk to 90 degrees. Stir 1 teaspoon salt into the dissolved rennet mixture, then gently stir it into the milk. Allow the milk to set covered at 90 degrees for 60 minutes.
Using a long-bladed stainless steel knife cut the curds into 1/2 inch cubes. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Place the pot of cheese in the sink and pour 100-degree water around it. Indirectly heat curds to 100 degrees by increasing the temperature no faster than 2 degrees every 5 minutes. It should take 30 minutes to reach 100 degrees. Stir the curds frequently but gently during this 30 minutes period.
Maintain the curds at 100 degrees for an additional 30 minutes stirring every couple of minutes.
Allow curds to settle for 5 minutes.
Place a large colander in a sink and pour the curds and whey into the colander so they can drain. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of salt. Gently mix it in with your hands.
Pour cheese into a clean 300 count pillow slip and place in the mold. Pull up on the cloth to prevent bunching. Spread the remaining cloth over the curds. Place the follower on top and set with a 4-pound weight (you can use cans from the pantry or a 1/2 gallon of water for this. Press cheese for 15 minutes.
Remove the cheese from the press and pillowcase, flip it, put it back into a pillowcase and return to mold. Press this side with 8-10 pounds (1 gallon of water will do it) for 12 hours.
Remove the cheese from the mold and pillowslip. Mix 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 cup water. Use a corner of the pillowslip to brush on the saltwater. Place on a bamboo mat to air dry for 1-3 days, turning twice daily. When a yellowish rind appears and it is dry to the touch it is ready to wax for storage.
Wax the cheese and store for aging 1-4 months. Turn the cheese daily for the first month and several times weekly for the rest of the time.
Print Jack Cheese Recipe For Later
Jack Cheese Recipe
This Jack Cheese recipe is a beautiful mild cheese. It is delicious sliced for sandwiches, used on your tacos or enchiladas or shredded on your eggs in the morning.
Ingredients
- 3 Gallons whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon Mesophilic-A Culture
- 3 Teaspoons of 30% Calcium Chloride in 2 tablespoons distilled water
- 1/2 a rennet tablet dissolved in 1/4 cup distilled water
- 1 teaspoon + 3 Tablespoons flaked salt
Instructions
Combine milk and calcium chloride in a stockpot and heat to 88 degrees. Add Mesophilic-A culture and stir thoroughly. Allow the milk to 'ripen' for 45 minutes (while this is happening dissolve rennet in distilled water).
Increase the temperature of the milk to 90 degrees. Stir 1 teaspoon salt into the dissolved rennet mixture, then gently stir it into the milk. Allow the milk to set covered at 90 degrees for 60 minutes.
Using a long-bladed stainless steel knife cut the curds into 1/2 inch cubes. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Place the pot of cheese in the sink and pour 100-degree water around it. Indirectly heat curds to 100 degrees by increasing the temperature no faster than 2 degrees every 5 minutes. It should take 30 minutes to reach 100 degrees. Stir the curds frequently but gently during this 30 minutes period.
Maintain the curds at 100 degrees for an additional 30 minutes stirring every couple of minutes.
Allow curds to settle for 5 minutes.
Place a large colander in a sink and pour the curds and whey into the colander so they can drain. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of salt. Gently mix it in with your hands.
Pour cheese into a clean 300 count pillow slip and place in the mold. Pull up on the cloth to prevent bunching. Spread the remaining cloth over the curds. Place the follower on top and set with a 4-pound weight (you can use cans from the pantry or a 1/2 gallon of water for this. Press cheese for 15 minutes.
Remove the cheese from the press and pillowcase, flip it, put it back into a pillowcase and return to mold. Press this side with 8-10 pounds (1 gallon of water will do it) for 12 hours.
Remove the cheese from the mold and pillowslip. Mix 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 cup water. Use a corner of the pillowslip to brush on the saltwater. Place on a bamboo mat to air dry for 1-3 days, turning twice daily. When a yellowish rind appears and it is dry to the touch it is ready to wax for storage.
Wax the cheese and store for aging 1-4 months. Turn the cheese daily for the first month and several times weekly for the rest of the time.
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