Jalapeño cheese curd ハラペニョペッパー自家製チーズ

We had some excess 1% milk which was approaching it’s “best-by” due date so my wife used it to make a cheese (curd). This time she tried something different for the flavoring and asked me to prepare finely chopped Jalapeño pepper. The picture below shows fresh cheese curd infused with jalapeño flavor but essentially no heat (spiciness). We like it very much. The fresh pepper taste is great. She served it slightly warmed in the toaster oven which is better that cold from the refrigerator.

She made cheese curd in usual way with heated milk and sushi vinegar. The main innovation was the use of 1% instead of 4% milk, plus the addition of the jalapeño mixed right into the cheese instead of part of an oil based marinade.

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon of 1% milk (could be basically milk of any fat content)
1/3 cup vinegar (she used sushi vinegar)
(The recipe also suggests the juice from one or two lemons, or 1/2 tsp citric acid)
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Directions:
Slowly heat the milk to 200 degrees F stirring constantly. After it reaches temperature remove from the heat pour in the vinegar and stir gently to combine. Leave the pot undisturbed for 10-15 minutes. It should be separated into clumps of milky white curds and watery yellow colored whey. If there is still a lot of unseparated milk add another tablespoon of the vinegar. Line a strainer with cheese cloth and set it over a bowl. Using a large spoon transfer the curds to the strainer. Let the curds drain depending on how dry you would like the ricotta to be. (If it is too dry add some of the whey reserved in the draining bowl). Gather the edges of the cheese cloth and gently squeeze the curd to further drain the whey. Then using string tie the top edges together and hang the bag from the faucet to further drain. After the most of the liquid whey has been drained off put the curd in a bowl, add the jalapeño and 1 tsp. kosher salt. Stir until everything is incorporated. Put clean cheese cloth in the cheese press. Add the curd and clamp on the lid. After one day of pressing in the refrigerator, the cheese becomes rather solid (below). 

For serving, she cuts the curd into small cubes as seen in the first picture. This cheese is a little more moist than the cheese made with 4% milk. (Wether this is due to the lower fat content of the milk or the way it was drained is subject to question). The Jalapeño adds a nice fresh green pepper taste that permeates the cheese. It is not spicy but it is very refreshing. We also like the curd slightly warmed in the toaster oven. This version of cheese curd is a nice contrast to the one with yogurt curry flavor marinade which is fried. We really like both and they go really well as an appetizer with a glass of red wine.