COJITA Cheese (cultured)
Recipe is for 2 gallons of Whole Milk
COJITA is a hard and crumbly cheese similar to feta, but if left to age for longer it becomes more
like a parmesan style cheese. A similar ‘cousin’ is Queso Fresco, which is softer and crumbles more easily and is a bit easier
to make.
Note: You will need to PRESS and BRINE this cheese
Ingredients Needed
2 Gallons of Whole Milk
¼ tsp Liquid Calcium Chloride (unless using non-pasteurized milk)
¼ tsp LyoPro MD Mesophilic Starter (can also use MM 100 Series)
¼ tsp Thermophile B Thermophilic Starter
¼ tsp Microbial Vegetarian Rennet (can also use ¼ tablet if using tablets)
½ oz of Kosher Cheese Salt for salting
1.5 cups of Kosher Cheese Salt to make your Brine (add to 1 quart water)
You’ll also want to have on hand:
Milk Thermometer, whisk, colander
Curd Knife
Cheese Cloth (60 grade)
2-4 Gallon Mould with Lid Follower (see our Tomme Moulds- large size)
Cheese Press (need to press up to 25 lbs)
Directions:
Warm milk slowly to 100F (recommend Double boiler method) and hold
Add the ¼ tsp Calcium Chloride if using pasteurized milk – stir in gently
Add ¼ tsp of EACH culture ; allow to dissolve a couple of minutes and then stir in gently
with a whisk in an up and down motion
keep milk & culture at 100F for 45 minutes (ok stays within a couple of degrees)
dilute ¼ tsp of your rennet (or ¼ tab) in ¼ cup water and then sprinkle across top of milk,
stir in gently in up and down motion with our whisk. Do not over stir when adding.
Still keeping the milk warm but with the stove off, allow to sit for 45 minutes and then
check for a clean break; if you don’t get a clean break wait another 15 minutes.
Use your curd knife to cut the curds into pieces- cut across one way, then the other, and
then cut the longer pieces into smaller ones. Target 1 /2” cubes
After cutting- let curds ‘rest’ (sit in the whey) for 10 minutes undisturbed.
NEXT you will raise the temp and ‘cook the curds’- put your stove back on and stir your
curds gently while the temp goes back up this time to 105F. The temp should go up
over about 15-30 minutes.
Now take the pot off the heat, and allow the curds to rest in the whey again 10 minutes.
It’s time to move the curds to your cheese cloth lined colander; you can remove as
much of the whey as you are able before scooping curds out to the colander so it’s
easier to get the curds transferred. We recommend using a Curd Scooper which makes
it easy to scoop your curds and allows whey to drain out of the scoop.
Note- keep temp around 70-75F (pretty much room temp) and allow the curds to drain
in the colander for a half hour.
SALT the curds- sprinkle in ½ of the salt, and work into the curds, then sprinkle in the
other ½ and work in again using KOSHER CHEESE SALT – no iodine, no anti-caking
additives etc. (curds are still in the colander and the cheese cloth)
FORM and PRESS your Curds:
Line your moulds with damp cheese cloth and split the curds into two even amounts,
and gently scoop into the moulds. Try to keep the amount in each mould about even.
Note- our HARDWOOD DUTCH CHEESE PRESS is perfect for pressing and also has a
draining tray that allows you to press next to a sink where they whey drains right off.
1 st Press- 15 lbs for 30 minutes
2 nd Press- Flip and redress the cheese, and now press 15 lbs for 12 HRS
Gently remove cheese from the mould and unwrap from the cheese cloth and now it’s time to BRINE your cheese!
Brine should be a room temp (1.5 cups Kosher Cheese Salt in 1 Quart of Water)-
Place your unwrapped cheese into your Brine Solution at room temp for 24 hours.
Flip a few times during the 24 hour period.
(afterwards you can save some of the Brine and use for wiping aging cheese)
AGING
Place your Cojita in an AGING CONTAINER on a platform to keep out of any dripping moisture /
whey. Add a small container of water inside the aging container to increase humidity to as
close to 85% as you can get.
AGE at 55F (use your cheese cave / or convert a refrigerator with our Cheese Cave Thermostat)
for 2 WEEKS, then wrap (can use 2 Ply White Cheese Wrap, or you can ‘bandage’ with cheese
cloth if you like a more dry rind. Others prefer to Vacuum Pack- all work fine) and MOVE to
4 more weeks at normal refrigerator temp of about 38F. Aging longer allows the cheese to get
harder more like a parmesan; otherwise it will crumble more easily.
Note- if you see any mold while aging- just wipe it off with your leftover brine!
Aged Longer or short- it will still taste great! Congrats!
