Making Havarti Cheese

Havarti is a popular Danish cheese that has a mild paste and flexible texture, making it the perfect cheese for people who haven’t developed a taste for strong-tasting cheese.  So lets start making Havarti cheese!

It is a washed curd cheese which reduces acid development and it can sometimes form eyes during maturation.

Havarti

Makes about 1.2 kg (2.6 lbs)

Ingredients

• 10 L (10 qts) Full Cream Milk
• 1/8th Teaspoon (Dash) Mesophilic Culture (Aromatic)
• 2.5 ml (½ tspn) Calcium Chloride diluted in ¼ cup non-chlorinated water
• 2.5 ml (½ tspn) Liquid Rennet (190-200 IMCU) diluted in ¼ cup non-chlorinated water
• 50 gm (just under ¼ cup) cheese salt
• Cheese Wax (optional)

Equipment

• Loose weave cheesecloth
• 165mm Cheese Basket with follower
• Cheese Press
• Ripening Box
• Stirring Spoon
• Ladle
• Curd Knife
• Sieve

Method

1. Sanitise all of your equipment.
2. Heat milk to 32°C/90°F.  Turn off heat.
3. Sprinkle Aromatic Mesophilic starter culture over surface of milk and allow to rehydrate for a few minutes.  Stir culture through milk using an up and down motion for 1 minute.  Cover and allow to ripen for 30 minutes, maintaining the target temperature.
4. Add Calcium Chloride and mix thoroughly.
5. Add Rennet solution and stir for 1 minute.  Cover and allow to set for 50 minutes.
6. Check for a clean break.  If necessary, wait another 5 minutes then test again.
7. Cut the curd into 1.25 cm/ ½ inch cubes.  Gently stir for 10 minutes.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
8. Using a sieve and ladle, remove about 4.5 litres of whey, down to the level of the curd.  Gently stir the curd for a few minutes to break up the curd mass.
9. Replace the whey with an equal amount of water heated to 77°C/170°F.  The overall temperature should reduce to 38°C/100°F.  If the temperature is too high, add some cool water to adjust.  If the curd has matted together, break it up with your clean hands.
10. Add the cheese salt to the pot, stir thoroughly.  Stir for 30 minutes at 38°C/100°F to prevent the curds from matting.
11. Allow the curds to settle for 10 minutes.  They should mat into one big mass.
12. Pour the curds and whey into a cheesecloth lined colander.  Break up curds into chunks to release some more whey.
13. Line your mould with cheesecloth and fill with curds.
14. Fold one corner of the cheesecloth over the mould and top with a follower.  Press at 5kg (11lbs) for 20 minutes.
15. Remove from press and mould, turn the cheese, redress, and press at 13kg (30lbs) for 8 hours.
16. Remove cheese from press, unwrap and place on a cheese mat in a ripening box.  Cover and ripen at 12°C/54°F @ 90% humidity for 4 weeks.
17. Turn cheese daily for first week, draining any whey that collects in the bottom.  Turn every second day for the next three weeks.  If mould starts to grow, then wipe with a cloth dipped in brine and gently remove the growth.
18. The cheese tends to flatten a little over the ripening period as it is so moist.  This is fine and perfectly okay.
19. Wax the cheese in 2 to 3 coats of cheese wax and ripen for a further 2 weeks at 12°C/54°F @ 90% humidity. Eat and enjoy!

Havarti is delicious and smooth, with a light creamy texture.  Delicious for young palates or people who haven’t developed the taste for stronger hard cheeses.

I hope you enjoyed making Havarti cheese.  For other cheese making video tutorials, check out my cheese making YouTube Channel, cheeseman.tv