As often as I can, I write down old family recipes in my recipe notebooks. I want to make sure I have every little detail down so I can continue preserving my family culture, foods, and traditions.
I always loved the simplicity and taste of when my nonna made her own cheese. So I made sure to ask her how to make it and document it. We had lunch and then a nice espresso as we waited for the cheese to curdle on the big pot she had put on the stove. She laughed the entire time that I wanted to record this and save it as she explained the process to me. Here is the recipe and my photographs!
Ingredients
1 gallon of whole milk
1 tablet of Junket Rennet Tablets
Salt
let's make it
2. Place 1 tablet in a small cup with a teaspoon of water and break it apart with a spoon.
3. Place the broken apart tablet in the pot with milk and stir.
4. Place a lid over the pot and cook on low heat until the tablet begins to curdle the milk and chunks start to form. It is around 1 and a half hours. Be sure to check on it occasionally.
5. Once all of the broken up cheese rises to the top, take a kitchen skimmer and take the cheese out of the pot and onto a plate.
6. Take the cheese and place it in the cheese mold to cool for about 1 hour.
7. Once the cheese has cooled, you can slice the cheese into pieces for everyone to enjoy.