Making Haloumi - Part One

I'm in the process of making two pounds of Haloumi Cheese. This is a picture journal of the process. The pictures show various stages of cheese making from the curd setting to draining and packing of curds in the cheese press. Jason is drinking a warm glass of whey right after I drained the curd from it. Whey is actually very tasty and nutritious. I always save and find additional uses for whey leftover from the cheese making process. The top picture is of my rennet and a digital thermometer needed to keep precise track of temperatures during the process. The nexdt one down shows the milk ripening with a Mesophilic culture that I inoculated it with. The culture will help to give it its' specific flavor and character. I will post pictures of the second half of the process which will include what the cheese looks like out of the press, the brining process and more.