Belper Knolle

My first belper knolle, aged for 2 months but we have been eating it along the way to taste the difference in aging time. My 12 year old daughter prefers it younger (4-5 weeks old), I like it older. I made 2 batches, 1 with garlic and 1 without. The ones with garlic definitely taste so much better. 

Here's how I made them, adapted from the recipe on New England cheese making website.

4 liters of whole milk
Calcium chloride if you use stor bought pasteurised and homogenised milk
60 ml Yogurt for the culture. (On the original recipe it calls for chevre culture packet)
1/8 tablet of vegetable rennet OR 1/8 tsp of liquid rennet
1.5 tsp. Himalyan Pink Salt
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 Tbs. Black Peppercorns, toasted and ground

 
Heat the milk to 30C (add the calcium chloride if using), add the yogurt and mix well. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Add rennet, mix for 1 minute then let it rest for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, drain into butter muslin, let it drain until it resemble a bread dough consistency. Add salt and garlic. Formed into balls by hand and coat with ground peppercorns. Dry and aged for at least 1 month. The flavours will continue to develop for few more months.

Then you can shave it to your pastas, salads, eat it with crackers and so on.

Thr texture is somewhat similar to parmesan after aging for 2 months, really yummy taste.