Making Jarlsberg Cheese at Home

Jarlsberg cheese is a mild, semi-soft cow’s milk cheese of Norwegian origin. It resembles a Swiss Emmental with distinctive, open and irregular ‘eyes’ although it tends to be sweeter and stronger than Emmentaler.

Jarlsberg is a semi-firm yellow interior that is buttery, rich in texture with a mild, nutty flavour.

I found Jarlsberg quite easy to make, and the hardest part is waiting the 8 weeks for it to mature.

Jarlsberg Cheese

Makes about 1.1 kg of Jarlsberg

Ingredients

• 9 Litres (9 quarts) whole milk (about 3.8% fat)
• 500 ml (½ qt) partially skimmed milk (about 1% fat).
• ¼ teaspoon (Tad) Thermophilic Culture (MOT92)
• 1/8 teaspoon (Dash) Propionic Shermanii 
• 2.5ml (½ tsp) liquid rennet IMCU 190, diluted in ¼ cup non-chlorinated water.
• 2.5ml (½ tsp) Calcium Chloride, diluted in ¼ cup non-chlorinated water.
• Cool saturated brine solution (18%).
• Cheese wax

Equipment

Mould – 165mm cheese mould

METHOD

Adding Ingredients

1. Sanitise all equipment.
2. Warm your milk to 33°C (92°F), stirring gently whilst bringing up to temperature.  Turn off the heat.
3. Sprinkle culture and P. Shermanii over the surface of the milk and allow to rehydrate for 3 minutes.  Stir thoroughly in an up and down motion without breaking the surface of the milk.  Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes at the target temperature.
4. Add the Calcium Chloride solution and mix well.
5. Add the rennet solution to the milk and mix thoroughly using the same up and down motion for no more than 2 minutes.  Cover and allow to set for 45 minutes.
6. Check for a clean break.  If necessary, leave for another 5 minutes then check again.

Cutting and Washing the curd

1. Using a balloon whisk in an up and down motion, cut curd into 0.75 cm (¼ inch) cubes.  When the curd is cut, continue stirring for 2o minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Drain off the whey to expose the curds.  I use a sieve and ladle to ensure that I only drain out the whey.
3. Replace the whey with an equal amount of warm water (about 60°C (140°F) to the original level of the whey to bring the curd temperature up to 38°C (100°F).
4. Turn on heat to low to gently warm the curds to 42°C/108°F over a period of 30 minutes, whilst stirring continuously.

Draining and Pressing

1. Let the curds settle and begin to mat together.  Drain off into a cheesecloth lined colander allow to drain for 1 minute.  Bundle up the curd filled cheesecloth and transfer to your cheese mould.  Fold the cheesecloth over the top and put the follower on top.
2. Place the mould in the cheese press and press at 11 kg (24 lbs) for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the cheese and re-wrap in cheesecloth and place it back in the cheese mould.  Cover with the excess cheesecloth and replace the follower.  Press at 22.5 kg (50 lbs) for 8 hours.
4. Release from cheese press, turn and re-wrap in cheesecloth and press as before at 22.5 kg (50 lbs) for 8 hours.

Brining

1. Remove cheese from the cheese press and unwrap.  Place in the saturated brine solution for 12 hours, turning over once at 6 hours.
2. Remove from the brine and let air dry on a cheese mat at room temperature for 2-3 days.  Turn a couple of times daily until touch dry.

Affinage (aka Maturing)

1. Coat the cheese in 2 layers of cheese wax.  Ripen at 10°C (50°F) and 85% humidity, for two weeks, turning daily for even ripening.
2. After two weeks, continue ripening cheese at 18°C/65°F for 4 to 6 weeks, turning the wheel twice weekly.
3. You will notice the cheese begins to swell at the 4-week mark.  If wax splits, then re-wax to avoid drying until fully matured.
4. The Jarlsberg cheese is now ready to eat and should have fully formed eyes.

You can pick up supplies for Jarlsberg cheese at our shop https://www.littlegreenworkshops.com.au. I recommend the Italian Cheese Kit with the addition of Propionic Shermanii, as it contains most cultures, supplies, and equipment you’ll need to make this cheese.