Colby-Jack Cheese

Name: Colby-Jack Cheese
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 8 h
Yield: About 1 small home batch
Ingredients: 2 gallons pasteurized whole cow milk; 1/4 teaspoon direct-set mesophilic starter culture; 1/2 teaspoon calcium chloride diluted in 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water; 1/2 teaspoon single-strength liquid rennet diluted in 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water; 2 tablespoons non-iodized cheese salt; 1 gallon orange Colby curd and 1 gallon white Jack curd, made side by side or as two half batches

Colby-Jack Cheese is a washed-curd American cheese with gentle cooking, curd washing, salting, pressing, and a short controlled aging period.

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Difficulty

Advanced

Prep time

1 to 2 hours active

Cook time

4 to 8 hours make day

Total time

2 to 6 weeks

Servings

About 1 small home batch

Region

Midwestern and national deli cases

Era introduced

American Dairy Age

Introduced by

Colby cheese

Recipe tools

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The Story

Colby-Jack combines orange Colby curd and white Jack curd into a marbled American slicing cheese built for sandwiches, snacks, and melting. The recipe below keeps that history practical for a home cheesemaking setup: use pasteurized milk, sanitized tools, measured culture, controlled temperature, controlled humidity, and refrigerated aging rather than casual countertop ripening. It is a learning recipe for the American style, not a commercial standard of identity or raw-milk guidance.

Ingredients

2 gallons pasteurized whole cow milk
1/4 teaspoon direct-set mesophilic starter culture
1/2 teaspoon calcium chloride diluted in 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water
1/2 teaspoon single-strength liquid rennet diluted in 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water
2 tablespoons non-iodized cheese salt
1 gallon orange Colby curd and 1 gallon white Jack curd, made side by side or as two half batches

Equipment

Large stainless steel pot
Accurate dairy thermometer
Long curd knife
Slotted spoon
Colander
Butter muslin or cheesecloth
Cheese mold
Cheese press
pH strips or pH meter
Aging refrigerator or cheese cave

Directions

Read the safety notes before starting. Use pasteurized milk only, sanitize every tool that touches milk or curd, wash hands well, and discard the batch if it smells rotten, turns slimy, grows black or pink mold, or shows swelling that does not match the style.
Warm the milk to 86 F. Add mesophilic culture, rest 3 minutes, stir 1 minute, cover, and ripen for 45 minutes.
Add calcium chloride and rennet as separate diluted additions, stirring each for 30 seconds. Hold still at 86 F for 40 to 45 minutes, until the curd gives a clean break.

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