Pepper Jack Cheese | Our Simple Pepperjack Cheese Recipe - Cultures For Health (2024)

INGREDIENTS FORPEPPER JACK CHEESE:

• 2 gallons whole milk (do not use UHT/UP milk)
• 1 packetdirect-set mesophilic culture
• 4-5 jalapeños, seeded, diced
• 3-4 habeñeros, seeded, diced
• 1/2 tsp.liquid rennet, diluted 1/2 cup unchlorinated, room-temperature water
• 1 tsp. cheese salt

INSTRUCTIONS FORPEPPER JACK CHEESE RECIPE:

1. In a water-bath setup or a double boiler, gently and slowlyheat milk to 88°F.
   
2. Addstarter by sprinkling it over the milk and allowing it to rehydrate for 1 full minute. After 1 minute,stirin starter using your cheese spoon in slow, steady up-and-down motions.
3. Cover milkand allow toripen at 90°F for 30 minutes,undisturbed.
4. Adddiced peppers andstirwell. This is the step that sets pepper jack cheese apart from regular monterey jack cheese.
5. Immediately adddiluted rennet to the milk by pouring it through the cheese spoon and into the milk.Stirthe milk in steady up-and-down motions for 1 full minute.
6. Cover milk and maintain at 90°F for 30 minutesor until the curds give a clean break.
7. Use acurd knifetocutthe curd into 1/4-inch cubes; let them rest, undisturbed, forapproximately 40 minutes.
8. Gradually heat the curds to 100°F,only increasing the temperature by2 degrees every 5 minutes. Stir lightlybut consistently during this time to keep the curds from matting. Maintain the curdtemperature at 100°F for 30 minutes, continuing to stir gently.
9. Let the curdsset for 5 minutesout of the heat, covered and undisturbed.
10. Carefully begin topouroff the whey to the level of the curds. Let the curds sit in just enough whey tocover for another 30 minutes, stirring ever 5 minutesduring this time, maintaining thetemperature at 100°F throughout.
11. Linea clean colander with damp cheesecloth and suspend it over a sink or large bowl. Ladle warm curds into the colander.Addsalt andmixin lightly by hand.