WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 2 pounds fresh stinging nettle* (urtica dioica) (Not seeded, must be young)
- 1 tbsp. sea salt
- Colander
- Bowl
- Cheesecloth
- 4 cups water and large pot for boiling
*The clue is in the name. They sting. Wear gloves when you harvest them.
Bring the water in the pot to the verge of boiling; then cover it and let the leaves simmer for 30 minutes. Once the leaves are ready, add 1 tablespoon of sea salt to the mixture – this helps break down the leaves and extract the coagulating enzyme, then stir until it is all dissolved. Line a colander with cheesecloth, and set it inside a clean bowl. Pour the nettle water through the cheesecloth, and let it drain until it stops dripping.
Use half of this liquid, about one cup, per gallon of milk. Store your rennet in a tightly covered non-transparent container. The enzyme doesn’t do well when exposed to light.
Remember, the cheeses you make with your nettle rennet won’t be quite like regular rennet cheese as it makes a firmer curd. Also as it is already salty you. will need to reduce the amount of salt in your cheese recipe. Vegan rennet does tend to give the finished cheese a slightly bitter tang.