How to make Leicester Cheese

Leicester cheese is normally coloured with annatto and can be orange to red in colour. This is where the term Red Leicester comes from. It was traditionally made in the shape of a flat wheel.

This video uses the same process, including cheddaring, but is lighter on the colouring. To make Red Leicester, just add 4 drops of annatto per litre of milk. For this recipe, you would need to add 32 drops diluted in half a cup of non-chlorinated water.

Annatto;

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[stevenmandolene]

Just have to say Gavin, I made this recipe following your video, 10 months ago. We opened it yesterday and omg, it has to be the best cheddar I've ever had. Wow. The taste is rich and very expensive tasting, texture is amazing and the color perfect, we made Red Leicester. I've made a new batch every two months. Thank god. Excellent old cheese, but nothing better cheddar. Thanks Gavin.

[SuperCheeko]

Buddy wanted me to make cheese didn't think I could do it watched your videos an they gave me the confidence to do it. Having a great time ever since

[carpenoctom]

We need to find you a bigger pot, you're making me nervous!
Thanks for the awesome videos!


Do you ever save the whey for ricotta?

[digypsy]

Made this today, I added 32 drops of anotto looks beautiful. Can't wait to see how it goes. Thanks for your videos I love them.

[shanej]

Just finished making this one, everything turned out great, I added extra annatto to make it a red Leicester, my yield seemed very high for this cheddar style cheese, I got 1.95 kg from 15L of milk, seem high? I was using 4.1% milk.

[larsh]

it's 3 am on a school night, what am i doing?

[takgavin]

This reminds me of a time when I was a young thruster. Hopped up on too many sweets and Pepsi, I decided it would be a good idea to do something adventurous. I dismantled my cheese sandwich (it was Leicester cheese), broke a bit of the cheese off, rolled it up into a ball then rammed it right up my left nostril as far as it would go. My laughter quickly turned to panic-fuelled screams when I realized how utterly immovable the cheese was. I went tearing into the garden where everyone was enjoying a summer BBQ, balling my eyes out and rapidly patting my face in horror. I even went crashing into one of the tables with various foods on it, sending it crashing into the pond. My mum eventually managed to rugby tackle me to the ground, sending me face first hard into the dirt. I was rushed to the hospital to have the offending lump of cheese removed by a doctor who went about the whole affair as though he did that kind of thing all the time and was getting pretty bored with it all. I even got a lollipop for being a good boy! It was a great birthday party, one to remember. After all, you only turn 18 once..

[sharonrobertson]

Absolutely love your work !!!! now progressing from brie, feta and haloumi to the cheddar cheeses - I like the simplicity of the cloth banded cheddar process - can I do that to all the cheddar style cheeses instead of waxing ???

[kenwhibley]

Hi Kevin, not sure if the MO30 is available here in UK any suggestions for the UK. I do have Danasco MA 11 is suitable for most semi-hard cheeses.
a general question! would slightly over heating the curds for a cheddar result in a low volume cheese that has not knitted together, as i can still see the curd pieces on the finished cheese. hope that question makes sense.

[Reel_Sober]

The answer to my last question in your other video was answered in this video about the spring. lol Guess I should have watched a few more before asking ;). 1 more! The mold you use here, is it a tomme style mold? I like the shape and thickness.

[charvelgtrs]

I went to my local cheese shop and asked for some Red Leicester, but unfortunately they were fresh out. I enjoyed the band that was playing though.

[danielcard]

3am and I am watching how to make Cheese (kudos on the vid tho thanks)

[chrisa]

how mandatory is the waxing / vac-packing? Could I not just leave it open to form a natural rind? would that require more salt / brining if I wanted to do that?

[xingxax]

Whenever I've never heard of a cheese I can always count on Gavin Webber to teach me

[peterbrown]

Thanks for another great recipe Gavin. I have just finished making a Red Leicester. Only about three months to wait before I can try it, May I ask, do you ever monitor PH levels when making your cheeses? I have read that it helps to make consistent cheeses, if so, would you be able to include the target PH levels in you videos? Thanks again for the recipe,

[gianfrancocerrone]

Hi Gavi, how much does that cheese weigh?

[mitchellm]

hi there Gavin
my sister in law carlene is from leicester - uk
and here's an aussie just like me making leicester cheese
hehehe
absolutely love it
rachel m - sunshine coast

[ousswooxful]

thanke u for ur time :) am going to make it, but have to wait all 2 - 4 months ?

[McDowallManor]

Great clip mate.  Even as a fellow cheese maker, I have to say there is some great tips in the clip passed on in a nce simple way.  Congrats.

[backyardsounds]

getting 'real' milk here in the States is near impossible since selling unpasteurized milk commercially isn't allowed.  I was able to procure a gallon and I thought that my additional culture in the milk would take over the native culture - nope! I was going for cheddar but after six months or so, it became nearly spot on to Parmesan except the aroma was a cross of many cheeses. I really like it though.  But next time I'll do it proper.