Sanitize all equipment. Pour 2 liters of whole milk into a large stainless-steel pot. If using store-bought pasteurized milk, dissolve 1/2 tsp calcium chloride in 30 ml cold water and stir into the milk to restore calcium balance.

Heat milk

Slowly heat the milk to 32°C (90°F), stirring gently and monitoring with a thermometer to avoid scorching. Remove from heat once it reaches temperature.

Add starter culture

Sprinkle 1 tsp mesophilic starter culture evenly over the surface of the milk and let rehydrate for 1–2 minutes. Gently stir the culture into the milk for about 1 minute using an up-and-down motion.

Ripen

Cover the pot and allow the milk to ripen for 30–45 minutes at 30–32°C (86–90°F) so the culture can acidify the milk.

Add rennet

Dilute 1 tsp liquid rennet in 30 ml cool, non-chlorinated water. Stir the milk gently with an up-and-down motion for about 30 seconds while adding the diluted rennet. Stop stirring and cover the pot. Let the milk sit undisturbed for 30–45 minutes until a clean break forms (curd is set but still slightly wobbly).

Cut the curd

Using a long knife or curd cutter, cut the curd into 1–2 cm (1/2 inch) cubes, first vertically in one direction, then the other to form a grid. Let sit 5 minutes to firm slightly.

Cook the curds

Gradually heat the curds by raising the temperature to 38–40°C (100–104°F) over 20–30 minutes, stirring gently and occasionally to prevent matting. This will expel whey and firm the curds. Once target temperature is reached, maintain it and stir gently for another 10 minutes.

Drain whey

Line a colander with cheesecloth and ladle the curds and whey into it. Allow whey to drain for several minutes. Reserve whey if desired for other uses.

Salt and drain further

Transfer drained curds to a bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon of non-iodized salt evenly by hand. Return curds to the cheesecloth-lined mold or colander. Fold cloth over the top and press gently to expel more whey. If you have a cheese press, press at light pressure for 1–2 hours, increasing pressure gradually for a firmer texture.

Age or finish

For a fresh cheese (like farmer's cheese), remove from mold after pressing, unwrap and refrigerate; it's ready to eat after a few hours and keeps 1–2 weeks. For a firmer aged cheese, transfer to a cool, humid aging environment (10–12°C and 80–85% humidity) and age for several weeks to months, turning daily and brushing or salting the surface as needed.

Serve

Once the cheese has reached desired texture and flavor, slice or crumble as appropriate and serve. Store wrapped in wax paper or cheese paper in the refrigerator.

Notes & Troubleshooting

If curd does not set (no clean break), warm to 35°C and wait another 15–30 minutes. If still not set, you may need fresh rennet or more starter culture. Avoid overheating milk above 40°C during culturing or you can kill the cultures.

Adjust salt to taste. Use non-iodized salt to avoid off-flavors and interference with cultures.