How to Make Raw Pepper Jack Cheese With Clabber Starter
Learn how to make homemade pepper jack cheese using raw milk and clabber. A bold, probiotic-rich cheese recipe perfect for from-scratch kitchens.
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There’s something incredibly satisfying about making your own cheese right at home. Especially when it’s a spicy, flavorful pepper jack cheese made with raw milk and a clabber starter you cultured yourself. This recipe brings together old fashioned techniques with the bold, creamy kick of pepper jack for a truly homemade cheese experience.
Whether you’re looking to use up extra raw milk, add to your homestead skills, or just explore traditional cheese making, this clabber pepper jack cheese recipe is for you.
What is Clabber, and Why Use It in Cheese?
Clabber is a naturally fermented raw milk starter, basically, raw milk that’s been left out at room temperature to sour and thicken. When you use clabber in cheese making, you’re embracing wild, probiotic rich cultures straight from your environment. No store bought mesophilic or thermophilic cultures needed!
Using a clabber starter in pepper jack cheese gives it a rich depth of flavor, slight tang, and a wonderfully creamy texture that’s hard to beat.
Equipment
- Large stockpot
- Small pot
- Thermometer
- Cheese press
- Cheese form
- Cheese cloth
- Curd knife or long knife
- 18% Salt brine
A full list of equipment can be found in the recipe card below.
Ingredients for Homemade Pepper Jack Cheese with Raw Milk
- Raw milk (fresh, not pasteurized)
- Active clabber starter (room temp)
- Calcium chloride (optional)
- Liquid animal rennet (or rennet tablets, dissolved in water)
- Filtered water for diluting rennet
- Red chili flakes
A full list of ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Pepper Jack Cheese with Raw Milk
Step 1: Warm the Milk
Slowly heat your raw milk in a large stainless-steel pot to 89°F. Stir gently to keep the temperature even throughout.
Step 2: Add the Clabber Starter
Once the milk hits 89°F, stir in the clabber starter and calcium chloride (if using). Let it sit undisturbed for 45 minutes to acidify.
Tip: Make sure your clabber is thick and has a pleasant smell.
Step 3: Add the Rennet
Dilute the rennet in water. Add your diluted rennet and stir gently for about 30 seconds. Then, cover the pot and let it sit for 45 minutes or until you get a clean break.
Step 4: Cut the Curd
Check for a clean break. (If you do not get a clean break, allow it to sit additional time.) When there is a clean break, using a long knife, cut the curd into ½-inch cubes. Let the curds rest for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Cook the Curd
Over extremely low heat gradually increase the temperature to 100°F over 40 minutes, stirring frequently. This firms up the curds and allows them to knit down. After 40 minutes turn off heat and allow to rest for 30 minutes stirring every 5 minutes to prevent matting of curds. After 30 minutes allow to rest for an additional 30 minutes with no stirring.
Step 6: Cook the Peppers
In a separate pot add 1/3 cup filtered water and 1/2 tablespoon red chili flakes. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Step 7: Sanitize and prep
With boiling water sanitize the press, cheese cloth, and cheese mold.
Step 8: Add the Peppers
Once the curds are firm and springy, remove the whey from the pot. Stir in your red chili flakes and water mixture. Stir for 10 minutes or until the curds are evenly coated.
Step 9: Press the Cheese
Scoop the curds into a cheesecloth-lined mold (you may want to wear rubber gloves so your hands don’t get burnt by the peppers). Press with firm pressure for 1 hour. After 1 hour flip the cheese wheel over inside the form and press for 12 hours on firm pressure.
Step 10: Salt and Age
Remove the cheese from the press and place into a room temperature 18% salt brine for 12 hours flipping halfway through. After 12 hours remove and place on a drying rack and cover with a tea towel. Allow to air dry until it is no longer clammy. Vacuum seal and store in a 55°F fridge or cheese cave. Age for 2-3 months.
FAQ: Pepper Jack Clabber Cheese Tips
Can I use store-bought milk for this recipe?
This recipe is developed specifically for raw milk. Pasteurized milk won’t clabber the same way and can alter your results.
How spicy is this pepper jack cheese?
Totally up to you! Start mild with 1/2 tablespoon red chili flakes and increase as you like.
Do I need a cheese cave to age it?
A mini fridge works great in a pinch. A root cellar that remains around 55°F will also work. If you have to store in a normal fridge (not altered) it will still age it will just take longer since cooler temps slow the process.
How long does it take to age homemade pepper jack cheese?
You can age your raw milk pepper jack cheese for as little as 3 weeks, but 6–8 weeks will develop better texture and flavor. For sharper cheese, age it up to 3 months or longer.
Do I need a cheese press to make raw milk cheese?
Yes, pressing helps remove whey and gives your cheese its shape and texture. If you don’t have a press, you can DIY one with household items and weights, such as cast iron skillets or using two 5 gallon buckets and water, but a dedicated cheese press makes it easier and more consistent.
Making homemade pepper jack cheese with raw milk and clabber is a rewarding step toward self-sufficiency. It’s a true from scratch, full flavor experience that connects you to traditional methods and gives your family something delicious and real.
If you enjoy making homemade raw milk cheese as much as I do then you have to try our homemade cheddar cheese made using old fashioned traditional methods. In just a few months you could be enjoying a buttery, golden, gooey grilled cheese on fresh milled wheat bread.
Give this recipe a try, and don’t forget to share your results in the comments and leave a star rating. I love seeing how you bring these old fashioned skills back to life in your own kitchens.
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