How to Make Halloumi At Home?

Instructions

1. Pour the raw milk into a big pot and warm it to 35 C (95 F).
2. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can dip your finger inside the pot. It should feel just a bit colder than your body temperature.
3. To turn the milk into cheese, combine the rennet powder with warm water (35 C-95 F) and mix until it dissolves.
4. Add the rennet mixture into the milk and stir gently.
5. Close the lid leaving some space and cover the pot with a blanket.
6. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. During this time, milk will form into curd.
7. To wake the curd up make small and gentle cuts with a spatula or knife. Then use your hands and break up the curd into rice size particles.
8. Put a sieve on the curd and let it sit for 5 minutes to let the curd sink and separate from the whey.
9. After 5 minutes, sieve what is in the pot and collect the whey in a pot.
10. Divide the curd into three and put each one in the cheese sacks/baskets. Then press each one to get rid of the excess water and shape them.
11. While you are placing the curds into sacks pour some cold water to help the cheese hold together. Flip each cheese 4-5 times and pour over cold water each time.
12. After all, halloumi is placed into sacks, and add the 1L milk into the whey to make curdle cheese. Boil the milk and add lemon juice or vinegar to separate the whey and curdles. Sieve the milk and collect all the curdle cheese. Salt if desired is the by-product of halloumi.
13. Boil the whey again and add the salt. Transfer the cheese in the baskets to the pot and boil until they float. This is the step where we cook the raw milk so it is essential and will give the amazing form of halloumi.
14. Take out the cheeses from the whey and add 3-4 pinches of salt to each one while they are warm. Fold over each cheese and place some fresh mint leaves into each one.