How to Make Halloumi at Home
Life seems to be getting more and more expensive by the day. Prices are through the roof for simple ingredients. Because of this enjoying delicious cheeses like halloumi can seem like an expensive venture. This can make life more unbearable than it needs to be. But you do not have to starve yourself of the good things in life. In fact, you can make your own cheese without much trouble at all. It is much easier than you might think, and that is what I am going to help you with in this article.
In particular, I am going to go over how you can make your own delicious homemade halloumi cheese. Don’t be intimidated by the prospect, it is really very easy to make and with my guidance you will get there.
So, without further ado, let us dive right in and get started!
What Are You Going to Need?
Before you can even begin making your halloumi cheese, you need to make sure that you have everything on hand. Below is a list of the ingredients that you will need to make this tasty squeaky cheese:
- Whole Milk
- Diluted Liquid Rennet
- Calcium Chloride
- Rock Salt
There are a few things that you are going to need on top of the four ingredients I have mentioned above. The equipment that you will need are as follows:
- Muslin Sheet or Cheese Cloth
- Instant Read Thermometer
- Curd Knife
Now that you know what you will need to make yourself a delicious batch of halloumi cheese, it is time to take a closer look at what you will need to do to make this tasty cheese.
Step-By-Step Instructions on How to Make Halloumi Cheese
I will assume that you have everything you need to start making yourself a delicious fresh batch of halloumi cheese. It might seem daunting to start making your own cheese, but I can assure you that it is so much easier to make than you think.
Step 1 – Heat Up the Milk and Add the Rennet
The first thing you need to do is pour your milk into a large pot. You will need to be stirring constantly until your milk reaches thirty-two degrees Celsius. When your milk as reached thirty-two degrees Celsius take the pot off the heat and add the rennet and calcium chloride
Stir the mixture well and then cover the pot with a lid for between thirty and forty minutes. This allows the curds to set in, and the curds are what is going to make your tasty halloumi cheese.
Step 2 – Cut the Curds
Next, you are going to need to cut your curds using your curd knife. The curds need to be cut into cubes which are about 1.25 centimetres. Once you have done that you must allow your curds to rest for about five more minutes.
Step 3 – Put Your Pot on a Low Heat
Now that your curds have been cut, and you have allowed it to rest for a further five minutes, you must return the pot to a low heat. Make sure that the heat is low and only allow your curds to heat up to thirty-eight degrees Celsius.
This process should take between fifteen and twenty minutes. Once that time has elapsed you must set your curds aside to rest for a further ten minutes. When the curds have become a bit more solid you can move onto step four.
Step 4 – Strain Your Curds and Whey
For this step you can use your cheesecloth, muslin cloth or even a sieve. Place your muslin cloth over a bowl and slowly pour the curds and whey onto the cloth. Allow the mixture to drain for a few minutes until there is no whey left. Once there is no more, why use the cloth or your hands to squeeze the curds to remove the last drops of whey.
Step 5 – Move the Curds to a Board
At this point you will need to transfer your curds, still in the cloth, to a large chopping board. Fold your cloth over the curds so that they do not spill out of the muslin cloth. Grab a second board and place it on top of the curds to add some weight to the cheese. You can use a cheese press if you would rather, but this works just as well. Allow your cheese to be pressed for about ten or twenty minutes.
Step 6 – Return the Whey to the Stove Top
While your curds are being pressed, you can put all your whey back in a pot and return it to the bob. Allow it to heat up to about ninety degrees Celsius and throw away any curds that you have missed.
Step 7 – Remove the Weight and Cut the Curds
Now that your curds have been weighted for a while you can now take the chopping board off it. Cut the curds into pieces which are about ten centimetres by fifteen centimetres. Grab your sliced curds and place them into how what. Make sure that the heat is set to low before you do this.
Your curds should sink to the bottom of the whey when you put them in. After they have cooked for about forty-five minutes the halloumi will float to the top, and you can remove it from the hot whey. Allow your freshly cooked halloumi to rest for about fifteen minutes before removing onto the next step.
Step 8 – Place the Cheese in a Shallow Dish
You now have a batch of halloumi! Only a few steps left. Place the cheese into a shallow dish which has been dusted with rock salt or cheese salt. Fold your halloumi over while it is still hot and then allow it to drain for about one hour.
Step 9 – Store Your Fresh Halloumi Cheese
Now that you have your fresh and delicious batch of halloumi cheese, it is not important that you store it properly. You should place it in an airtight container for about twenty-four hours before you eat it. But, you can enjoy this cheese fresh if you would rather. You could also vacuum seal your cheese and keep it in the fridge for about six months. Alternatively, you can freeze your halloumi cheese and take it out when you want to enjoy it.
A Few Great Halloumi Cheese Recipes
If you really want to make your own halloumi cheese I recommend that you find yourself a good recipe to follow. There are a wide range of recipes on the internet to choose from which is why I have gathered a few that I thought were a tier above the rest.
- Refika’s Kitchen – First on the list has to be Refika’s Kitchen, her videos are fun, interesting and educational. I certainly learned a lot by watching this video.
- Cheese Making – If you need a simple recipe which you can easily follow, this is likely going to be a good option for you.
- Larder Love – A simple and easy to follow recipe is sometimes all you need. With this recipe you will get exactly that.
There are a plethora of fantastic recipes on how you can make halloumi cheese out there if you are serious about it. You will be able to find a good recipe that works for you without any trouble.
Final Thoughts
I hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about how you can make your own delicious halloumi cheese. It really is very easy to do and tasting fresh halloumi is something that you will almost definitely love.
If you have enjoyed reading this article, make sure to check out my website. I have a range of fantastic homesteading and self-sufficiency articles there that you are bound to find interesting. From making mozzarella to what goat milk tastes like. There is a wide range that will certainly be interesting and educational for you.