How to Make a Homemade Cheese Press

 

 

Any cheese you are pressing should first be tied loosely in reusable cheesecloth. Turn a plate or soup bowl upside down and set the tied bundle of curd on the top. Cover with an identical plate or bowl. On top of this, place a gallon of milk or a gallon jug filled with water to use as a weight. Put this whole makeshift “cheese press” into a casserole dish, a large bowl, or even the sink so that the dripping whey doesn’t make a mess. Leave the curd in this press for about a half hour before checking to see if it is finished releasing whey. If you press the
cheese bundle with your hands and no whey comes out, the cheese is ready.

You can also use clean boiled stones or other weights to press your cheesecloth bundle in a sieve in the fridge, adding a few more ounces every couple of hours, with a bowl underneath to catch the dripping whey. We have a granite block in our kitchen that we use for our makeshift cheese press.

 

NOTE: If you do not remove enough whey, the cheese will never become cheddar; it will remain as cream cheese and will not be grateable. When you are done pressing the cheese, it will need to be refrigerated overnight to set up.