Gamalost is a Norwegian cheese which is rarely found in stores outside of Norway so this recipe will come in handy for eager cheesemakers. The cheese is generally hard with a mold ripened rind.

Recipe

What You Need

3 gallons skimmed milk
1/2 Tsp. thermophilic culture
1/8 Tsp. penicillium Roquefort mold powder
1 Tsp. cheese salt
A pinch of cylindrocarpon spp. mould powder

What To Do

Firstly, sterilize all equipment in which will be used.

Begin by pouring the milk into a large stainless steel pot and let it sit until it is at room temperature.

Once the milk is room temperature, sprinkle the culture over the milk and let it stand for 5 minutes. Then begin to gently draw the culture down into the milk with a skimmer, using up and down motions. Be sure not to break the surface of the milk. Cover the milk up and let it stand at room temperature for 48 hours or until the milk is sour.

After 48 hours, put the pot in a hot water bath over low heat and slowly heat the milk to 145F.

At 145F, turn off the heat and let stand for 30 more minutes. The solids will begin to separate from the whey and form a stringy texture.

Using the skimmer again, dip curd mass from the pot and place it in a muslin-lined colander. Now fold some cloth over the curd and press it the cheese through the cloth to drain as much excess whey as possible. Let it drain for around 7 hours.

Now remove the curd from the cloth and break it up into pieces with sterile hands.

It is time to pack the cheese into a mold which is lined with cloth and let it drain on a rack in a draining container for 2 days at room temperature.

After 2 days, remove the cheese from the mold and break up into 1-inch pieces. Place the pieces into a bowl and sprinkle them with the 2 mold powders and then mix them in salt.

Once again, place the cheese into a tightly packed mold. Add a weight to the top or place in a press and let it sit for 12 hours.

Now remove the weight and unwrap. Dry the cheese on a rack at room temperature for around 3 days, being sure to turn it daily. The cheese should become a yellowish color and be very pungent in smell.

When the cheese is ready, place the cheese on a mat in a ripening container. Ripen the cheese at a temperature of 50F and a humidity of 90% humidity for at least 3 weeks and up to 7 months. During this period, mold will begin to grow on the surface. When you notice this change, turn the cheese and rub the mold into the rind by hands at least 3 times a week.

After 2 weeks, pierce the cheese with a knitting needle or something similar all the way through vertically and horizontally in several places to encourage blue veining to occur in the interior.