Homemade cheese is so easy to make and delicious too. This homemade halloumi is packed with flavour and perfect for frying, adding to salads, in burgers, on a BBQ and so much more.
“Blessed be the cheesemakers” – so said the great Monty Python.
Why you should try making homemade cheese
- Making cheese at home is fun and so easy you can get the kids involved in a bit of real hands-on kitchen crafting.
- Homemade halloumi (or any other homemade cheese) tastes way better than the average supermarket cheese.
- You know exactly what is in there. No additives, colourings or preservatives.
Halloumi cheese facts
Halloumi comes originally from Cyprus. And it’s traditionally made with a mixture of goat and sheep milk but commercially cow’s milk is used to produce halloumi.
This is now one of the most popular cheeses in the UK.
Squeaky cheese – A real favourite with kids because of the way it kind of squeaks when you bite into it.
Halloumi cheese is firm to start with but when you fry it or grill it the cheese goes gorgeously creamy.
It’s a great cheese for taking on other flavours. Mint and chilli are favourite additions.
Ingredients for making homemade halloumi cheese
There are only 3 ingredients here;
- Full fat milk
- Vegetarian rennet either in tablet form or liquid.
- Salt
What kind of milk do you need for cheese making?
You have to use unhomogenized milk which sounds rather daunting till you realise that this just means the full cream variety of milk you can easily buy in Tescos, Waitrose and the like. Look for the gold top milk.
I used 2 litres of milk and an eighth of a tablet of rennet.
You can even get a kit to make homemade halloumi from The Big Cheesemaking Kit Company.
How to make homemade halloumi
You dissolve the rennet in 25ml of cooled boiled water and after heating the milk to 90F/32C you very gently stir in the rennet solution, cover the pan and leave it in a water bath at the same 90F/32C for 45 minutes.
After this time you have a solid mass of curds in the pan and you cut these into cubes and slices to help release the whey.
By this time visions of Little Miss Muffet sitting on her tuffet were fairly dancing in my mind. All this curds and whey business was getting to me.
Let the curds rest for 10 minutes then heat to 105F/40C and carefully stir the curds for about 15 minutes.
Now comes the draining part. Line a colander with cheesecloth/muslin (after rinsing in boiling water) and pour in the curds. Gather up the edges of the cloth and fold over to enclose the cheese.
Place a plate on top and then something heavy to weigh it down and help press out all the whey.
After an hour you heat the whey to 200F/93C and skim off any curds that form. You are going to cook the halloumi in the whey so you need to cut it into pieces first and then gently lower into the hot whey using a slotted spoon. Let it cook for 20 minutes then dunk each piece into a bowl of chilled water to cool and set out on a baking rack to dry out. A sprinkle of sea salt on both sides and the Halloumi is ready to eat.
Though having said that it is better if you can resist the temptation to stuff yourself and leave it overnight for the salt to work its own sort of magic and really flavour the cheese.
How long does homemade halloumi keep?
Your homemade cheese will keep for up to a week in a covered container in the fridge.
How to serve homemade halloumi cheese
I managed to hang on till next day to use mine and simply fried one piece on my griddle pan for about 2 minutes on either side and served it with some spinach and basil, a good squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of black pepper.
I love serving my homemade halloumi fried, check out my recipe for fried halloumi cheese.
You can turn your homemade halloumi into amazing chips, dipped in spiced flour and deep fried to serve with a tasty yogurt dip or just ketchup!
With a salad, fried halloumi cut into pieces and mixed with juicy fresh tomatoes, basil and cucumber, summer on a plate.
Cheesemaking, yes please!
Looking for more super easy cheese-making ideas to try at home? Then check these out before you go;
Homemade Labneh (yogurt cheese) + video!
How to make Crowdie – traditional Scottish creamy cheese
How to make homemade halloumi cheese
Ingredients
- 2 lt milk whole milk non pasturised
- 1/8 vegetarian rennet tablet
- 1 tbsp salt
Instructions
- If using rennet tablets dissolve 1/8 tablet in 25ml cooled boiled water. And after heating the milk to 90F/32C you very gently stir in the rennet solution, cover the pan and leave it in a water bath at the same 90F/32C for 45 minutes. After this time you have a solid mass of curds in the pan and you cut these into cubes and slices to help release the whey.
- You then heat the curds to 105F/40C and gently stir the for about 15 minutes
- Line a colander with cheesecloth/muslin (after rinsing in boiling water) and pour in the curds. Gather up the edges of the cloth and fold over to enclose the cheese. Use a heavy weight on top to press the curds down.
- After an hour you heat the whey to 200F/93C and skim off any curds that form. You are going to cook the halloumi in the whey so you need to cut it into pieces first and then gently lower into the hot whey using a slotted spoon. Let it cook for 20 minutes then dunk each piece into a bowl of chilled water to cool and set out on a baking rack to dry out. A sprinkle of sea salt on both sides and the Halloumi is ready to eat.
- It is best to leave it to rest for 12-24 hours in the fridge to really firm up and let the flavours develop.
I’ve got the same kit, but it’s been sat on top of the fridge unused since we bought it. I’ll have to give it a go, once I’ve wiped the builders dust off the box that is 😉
Come on Sue, get making it, so easy and you’ll love it!
K x
Since halloumi is traditionally made with goat or sheep milk, do you think this kit would work using these? I can’t have cow’s milk but can tolerate sheep and goat cheeses. This would be amazing if I could make my own halloumi!!
Try goats milk but would have to be the full fat type and unhomogenized. Let me know how you get on with it.
K x
I can never get past the squeaky rubberyness on my teeth when (trying) to eat shop-bought Haloumi cheese. Perhaps, nay, probably, your home made version will be fresher(obviously) and it will taste gorgeous, but I’m afraid this os one experience I shall waiver!
Hi Lynne, I know exactly what you mean about the squeakyness. You must try making your own, when I fried this it was crisp on outside and smooth and creamy inside, so squeak at all!!!
K x
Homogenised means the fat globules are thinned so that the cream is spread evenly throughout the milk. Unhomogrnised, the cream rises the top, like in the old days. Most full cream milk in supermarkets is homogenised now.
But you can still get it, plenty in Waitrose
Tesco as well, the larger stores
you can buy it in Waitrose and Tesco
Love your enthusiasm and illustrations/pictures. Also great tips for what we have in the home store at present given with a ‘can do’ attitude.
You are an inspiration.
Thank You
Thanks so much
K