• About
  • Contact Me

Little Green Cheese

Cheese making at home with Gavin Webber the Cheeseman

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Cheese eBook
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Cheese Making Kits
  • Courses
  • Support Me!
  • Live!
You are here: Home / Recipes / Italian Bag Cheese

Italian Bag Cheese

03/02/2013 By Gavin Webber 9 Comments

If you want to make something different, give Italian Bag Cheese a try.  This cheese is made in a most unusual manner, but it tastes great all the same.

I had never heard of it until I stumbled upon it in a cheese making book titled “Homemade Cheese – Recipes for 50 Cheeses from Artisan Cheesemakers” by Janet Hurst.

Janet adapted it from a recipe by Giuseppe Licitra, Ph.D., Research Consortium dairy industry, Ragusa, Sicily!  Truly Italian.

Now the only problem that I had, was that some of the instructions were missing, so having a little bit of experience under my belt, I ended up with a nice firm cheese and further adapted the recipe.  Here is my version of this cheese.

(Note; The original recipe called for Mesophilic MM101 culture which is also known as Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis + Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris + Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis var. diacetylactis.  I know that this is a little more technical than my posts usually are however this type of Mesophilic culture is a moderate acidifier with some gas and high diacetyl production.  Diacetyl, is a fermentation compound which contributes a desirable buttery aroma to a cheese; Gas production: refers to cultures which produce CO2.

If you do have Mesophilic MM100 or MM101 on hand, then use it instead for a less acidic and more buttery flavour.  I chose to use Mesophilic MO 030 (or MA) starter culture which is a moderate/high acidifier with no gas or diacetyl production, because that was all I had.)

Italian Bag Cheese

Ingredients

  • 4 litres (1 gallon) full cream cow’s milk
  • ¼ teaspoon calcium chloride mixed with ¼ cup (60ml) non chlorinated water if using homogenised milk.
  • 1/8th teaspoon, (or a heaped smidgen) Mesophilic direct set culture type MM100/MM101
  • ¼ teaspoon liquid rennet diluted with ¼ cup (60ml) non chlorinated water
You will also need;
  • Fully Saturated Brine (500 gm non-ionised salt to 2 litres (2 quarts) lukewarm water).  this is a very salty brine!  Add a teaspoon of white vinegar to stabilise the brine.
Method;
Add milk to stainless steel pot.

If using homogenized milk, add calcium chloride solution.

Heat milk to 30°C (86°F).

Add the direct set culture and stir top to bottom for 30 seconds.  Add the rennet solution, and stir thoroughly for one minute, with a top to bottom motion.

Cover pot, and wait for 45 minutes or until you achieve a clean break.

Using a curd cutter, or flat knife,

Cut the curds into 13 mm (½ inch) cubes.  Do not stir or rest.

Line a colander with cheesecloth (double folded) or butter muslin,

and ladle the curds into the cloth.  Ensure that you put a pot under the colander as you need to save the whey for later on.

Gather the corners of the cheesecloth and form a bag.

Hang the bag over the whey pot and drain for 30 minutes.

Once the 30 minutes is complete, untie the bag, where you will find a ball shape.

Carefully turn it over, top to bottom trying to encourage development of the round shape.  I failed.

Re-tie the bag.

Hang and let drain for 1 hour.

After the 1 hour has elapsed, tie the bag tighter leaving no visible holes.  Place the curd bag into the original pot, pour in the whey.

Bring the temperature up to 88°C (190°F), which will take about 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat and leave the curd bag in the whey until it is cool.  This will take about 5 hours to get back to room temperature.

Once the whey is at room temperature, remove the curd bag from the whey and hang for two hours or until the whey has stopped dripping.

Remove the cheese from the bag.  It will be very firm.
Italian Bag Cheese before brining
Italian Bag Cheese before brining

Place the cheese ball in the fully saturated brine.

Make sure that it stays submerged.  Cover and leave for 2 hours.

Remove from the brine (keep the brine for other cheeses).  You can eat this cheese fresh or let air dry for 4 hours and then refrigerate in an airtight container.

Italian Bag Cheese
Italian Bag Cheese

This cheese will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Now, I know that it doesn’t look like much, but this unique fresh cheese is very salty and has a tight texture a bit like mozzarella when refrigerated.  It tastes fantastic with freshly picked, home-grown, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, with a basil leaf on top.  It is a nice alternative to mozzarella made in the traditional way.

It is also delicious if it is heated up a little, and does melt when grilled.  It would be a nice addition to a home made pizza.

I believe that if I had have used MM culture, I dare say it would taste a little different with less acidity and a more buttery flavour.  When I next order some cultures, I will try to make this cheese again.  Even so, it does taste good.

Who knows, I might even make a video tutorial!

Will this article help someone you know? If so help them out by sharing now!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Recipes, Taste Test Tagged With: Italian Bag Cheese

← Making Cream Cheese Stilton Testimonial →

About Gavin Webber

Gavin Webber is passionate about home cheese making. He loves to make cheese in his spare time and shares the techniques, videos, podcasts, and recipes with his fellow curd nerds!

Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Comments

  1. AmyCarter says

    07/06/2019 at 09:26

    Do you have workable recipes for reduced fat cream or milk?

    Reply
  2. Vivian Heyob says

    10/06/2018 at 03:13

    The first time I made this cheese with whole fresh milk from my cow, all went great. Made it again and had trouble getting a curd. Rennet isn’t old used same culture and amounts the same. Any idea what I may have done wrong. It has been an hour and still no clean bread.
    Thanks, Vivian

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      10/06/2018 at 09:39

      Raw milk can throw in many variables in cheese making. Was the first batch from a morning milking and the second from an afternoon one? Were the two batches of milk taken during different lactation cycles? After milking, was the milk left longer before making the cheese? All these variable can have a big impact on your final product.

      Reply
  3. Vladimir Norenko says

    18/09/2013 at 07:11

    Hi Gavin!

    Thanks for this recipe. One question – Mesophilic or Thermofolic culture should be used? I thought all Italian cheeses use thermofolic culture.

    Thanks for this blog with a lot of usefull information!

    Reply
    • Cheeseadmin says

      18/09/2013 at 11:13

      Meso. Not all italian recipes use thermophilic, only the hard ones. This cheese is eaten straight away.

      Gav

      Reply
      • AmyCarter says

        07/06/2019 at 09:22

        So if one wants to make a Parmesan cheese you use thermophilic?

        Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    19/02/2013 at 15:27

    I have more mozzarella failures than I care to admit. This recipe worked very well for me. Kathryn — I only use raw milk and never boil or pre-cook (aka pasteurize) before making cheese.

    A few slices on homemade sourdough was quite good! Thank you for this recipe.

    Reply
  5. Kathryn says

    03/02/2013 at 01:48

    Hi Gavin. Love your blogs – am an avid reader! I have a little question. We have raw milk and I would like to know if I have to do anything differently to make cheese. Someone told me that I will have to boil it first. Can you help? Cheers Kathryn

    Reply
    • Cheeseadmin says

      03/02/2013 at 05:18

      Hi Kathryn. If you have raw milk, you can pasteurize it yourself. Never boil the milk otherwise you will make the soluble calcium in the casein (white stuff) insoluble and it will not be able to form a firm curd. Just search for slow pasteurization via google.

      Gav

      Reply

Leave a comment for the Cheese Maker! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Us via Social

FacebooktwitterpinterestrssyoutubeinstagramFacebooktwitterpinterestrssyoutubeinstagram

Cheese Making Kits

Cheeseman.tv Merchandise

Cheeseman.tv Merchandise
Cool Cheesy T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, and more
0:00
54:12
  • LGC097 - Interview with Tutu Saad Artisan Cheesemaker Bangladesh
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Archives

Tags

Aging Blue Brine Caerphilly Camembert Cheese Cave Cheese Press Colby Cream Cheese Curd Cutter Curds Drunken Cow eBook Emmentaler Equipment Farmhouse Cheddar Feta Gavin Halloumi Jarlsberg Kits Monterey Jack Mould Ripened Cheese Moulds Mozzarella Parmesan Parmigiano Reggiano Podcast Queso Fresco Raw Milk Rennet Ricotta Romano Romano Pepato Salt Sanitisation Starter Cultures Stilton Storage Technique Tzafatit Video Tutorial Waxing Whey Ricotta Workshops

Subscribe to Cheese Podcast

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS

Subscribe to Cheeseman.TV

Podcast Reviews

  • Love it. Keep it up!
    February 12, 2022 by Corknip from Denmark

    Excellent podcast. Started the home making adventure last month and have been catching up on all the past episodes and YouTube videos. it is a gold mine of shared knowledge. Thank you!

  • So funny!!!!
    June 15, 2020 by purple quaqamale from United States

    Little green cheese is so funny

  • Great podcasts
    June 14, 2020 by Chrissy Curd Nurd from Australia

    I’ve just started cheese making at home,Gavin ‘s podcasts are so informative. I also watch his you tube tutorials. Thanks for your great work!!

  • An excellent guide to artisan cheese!
    January 14, 2020 by N.K.13 from Australia

    I recently became aware of Gavin’s lovely YouTube channel and podcast and it’s been incredible. His competence and comprehensive explanations leave you craving more. Much like a good cheese! Cheers Gavin!

  • Perfect for Cheesemakers of all levels!
    December 3, 2018 by Viki Leeasa from Thailand

    I love that this podcast does not just have helpful tips and tricks on cheese making, but also stories and news from the cheese world, as well as nice little anecdotes from the host. A big fan from Thailand!

  • If you think you want to make cheese, listen to this!
    November 30, 2018 by paulsaw from United States

    Gavin Webber’s Little Green Cheese is By Far the best podcast I have ever heard! A truly informative and quality production!

  • Great program
    October 9, 2018 by p37dg9q14 from United States

    Very informative and enjoyable podcast. I started at episode 1 and currently listening to 25. I’ll be giving cheesemaking a go in the next week. Mike J from Oceanside CA

  • Great podcast
    September 13, 2018 by nicole_elias from Australia

    I have a long commute to and from work and have worked my way through the back catalogue of these podcasts. Enjoyed every one of them and hope for many more to come. Thanks Gavin! Keep up the great work. Cheers, Nicole

  • Excellent!
    September 3, 2018 by emeldridge from United States

    Looking to take up cheesemaking sometime soon and this channel has provided all the information necessary to get started!

  • Great Resource!
    August 28, 2018 by olivestones from United States

    I have been learning to make cheese for the past year. Gavin's podcast and video series has been a tremendous resource for me. His love for the cheese-making craft is evident in the amount of research he will perform in order to answer a listener's cheese question. All thumbs up for the amount of time and energy he puts into his quality podcast! ...And he cracks me up with his attempts at pronunciation!

Little Green Workshops

Copyright © 2023 · Gavin Webber