How to Make Squeaky Cheese Curds 

Hi Gavin from a Quebecker living down under in Victoria. Looking forward to try your recipe! In Quebec, squeaky cheese is sold freshly made, unrefrigerated. Refrigerating it makes the squeak go away! After 24h you start losing the squeakiness too. You're meant to eat it the same day, after waiting for the maturing 12hs. Of course, you can always put it in the fridge to not waste it, it'll still be good, just not as squeaky!

I've just made this recipe... Started at 8 in the morning and finished bout 1pm. Lots of work and lots of steps... It made a considerable amout of cheese. I used 4L of 3.5% pasturized milk. Thanks Gavin !

In Canada, when we get fresh curds, it is not so uniformly cut into cubes or finger....more like little blobs, lol. And they are all irregular shaped. Some big, some small. Also, the best part about getting them fresh is in the bag, there is just a wee bit of the milky salty brine. It keeps them a little wet, but fresh and lovely. We eat them straight out of the bag, and of course on Poutine!

I think this makes you an honorary Canuck. Enjoy your Poutine.

In case anyone else makes these, just an FYI. The BEST time to use the cheese curds are when they're fresh, BEFORE they've been in the fridge. The fridge causes them to lose their elasticity, their telltale squeak, and they melt better fresh. They won't be rubbery anymore (Or not as much), and are more like a moist cheddar afterwards. It still tastes good, though! Also, a brown-sauce (beef) gravy is a huge no-no. It's a chicken based gravy, sometimes much thinner, or even rotisserie styled BBQ Chicken sauce (It's a thinner chicken gravy flavoured with a bit of tomato powder to give it a reddish hue and a nice acidic bite).

Great video! I am French Canadian its amazing that you are eating poutine in Australia. I wanted to tell you about "p'tit lait" People go nuts over the stuff. You go to where they make the cheese curds and you only have a 30 minute window. It is served at the point that you do the ball test with your hand. You drain out the whey ,salt it and eat it while its still hot. I think its great. Salt and vinegar chips are great with p'tit lait. Its sold by the pound. You can also press this cheese slightly overnight and its called block. Thanks for the video ill be making a batch soon.

I love watching these videos but every time I want to go out and eat every cheese I can find!!

Living in Nova Scotia, Canada where poutine is very popular (you can get it at McDonalds even!) I was excited to make my own curds and these did not disappoint. Thanks for the great recipe! I made mine with our raw goat's milk and it was just as successful.

why am i sooo addicted to these videos😂

Gavin you are such a great teacher, honestly ive made blue cheese using your recipe and its going great aging, I found your video easy to follow and Im addicted to home cheese making. My hero the curd nerd 😍

I am from Quebec city and definitely a poutine lover. I will try this receipe of home maid cheese curds, thanks for making such a great detailed video :-)

There is something really soothing about seeing familiar items like that Sistema plastic box. It's one of the reasons I end up following Australian channels.

I'm also from Quebec and really miss my Poutine.... If you make the gravy nice and hot, it should melt the cheese to the fries nicely, and make a delicious soggy mess... Mmmmmm...

Squeaky cheese curds is vital for poutine. I'm Canadian and I love poutine. That cheese looks really good. Cheers!

As a Canadian, I can approve greatly

Thank you for sharing!!! They are one of my favorite foods and are readily available in central NY. It's great to see the work that goes into. I can't think of many recipes that take as much hands on time. It's so worth it though.

Thank you for uploading this! Going to try my hand at it tomorrow!

We fry our cheese curds in Wisconsin in bread crumbs. Just as good fresh though. I love watching your videos, cheese was one of my favorite subjects in culinary school and I always wished they taught a class on making it where I attended.

I just ordered the culture, rennet and soft cheese kit, so excited to be making squeaky cheese curds! thanks Gavin!

Hey Gav, thanks for these awesome tutorials. I live in Wisconsin USA, where nearly every restaurant and bar serves cheese curds, sometimes raw and squeeky and sometimes breaded and deep fried. They're expensive here, even in a state that calls itself the "Dairy State". Can't wait to try this recipe. I've got your Leiden and Ricotta Salata and Farmhouse Cheddar with peppercorns aging in my cheese cave (wine fridge). All of these were made in the last two weeks, and I hope I have the patience to wait for them to age properly. I also made your chevre (with dill, chive and black pepper) which allowed me to convert $16 US worth of goat milk into maybe $60 US worth of chevre that I gave to 7 friends and still had some left for my family. Everybody loved it. Thanks!

the one we make poutine with are more irregular and shiny. but looks good, as long as it squeaks and slightly melt under the gravy.

i liked the humor at the end there. great video

What amazes me is how many cheeses use the same ingredients and processes with minor variations produce such different cheeses. Except of course American cheese which I don't consider cheese.

They just started selling cheese curds in Pennsylvania this year. Mainly gas stations and expensive places but dear God are they good.

Holy cow, not shy with that gravy. Looks great!

I made this last night, will sample for dinner tonight! Thanks for the recipe!

Terrific channel I have just discovered! Yes- Poutine is actually a creation by French Canadians in the province of Quebec where I am from! I must try to make at least a few of your cheeses!

Newfoundland Poutine is Curds, Stuffing, Gravy, on Chips :)

This is a great video - and I love the step by step guide! Thanks for sharing! Best regards from Weekend at the Cottage... in Canada! Nik & Carol

Hello from Canada!!

I cold smoked my second batch....mmm good. thank you for such great instructions. I really appreciate it.

Oh, it looks like this Texan might need to try this to make some Canadian Puten(Spelling?). Thanks for all your videos, love them.

Mmmm I love squeakers! Nothing like a poutine with proper cheese curds.

Awesome video! You've inspired me to give cheese making a try! By the way our (my wife and I) favorite cheese is Gruyere! we would love to see you make some!

Made my first home made cheese with this recipe. It worked! Thank you @Gavin . Homemade poutine next. #Omnomnom

we have that in northern Minnesota in the US too... we just call it squeaky cheese... the squeaky cheese ive had is normally more wet looking... good stuff

2nd time i've made this recipe. I am getting better and more efficient. Last step is real important, let the curds rest 12 to 24 hours at room temp to get the right ph level. Can't eat them right away and expect them to taste like real curds. My curds never make it to the fridge, they are room temp until they are all gone, 2 to 3 days... Thanks again Gavin and Happy new years !

so nice mr webber thanks a lot

Great video Gavin. Squeaky cheese curds are such a "thing" in Canada. Great to see how it should be done.

Keep calm and make cheese.. Genius!!! I love your show..

i make this as a living here in quebec an 1h from Maine USA.

For poutine the fries and the gravy must be piping hot. Mix the cheese curds with the fries so they are evenly distributed, then pour the gravy over top of it all. You want things to be hot enough to melt the cheese curds a little and blend with the gravy. Good luck :)

Thank God I live in Wisconsin. Would love to try homemade ones still

Makes me want poutine 😐 lol.

another amazing video ... being canadian have to say I hate poutine lol but fries with cheese ground beef and salsa is amazing so ill have to give that a try with this recipe

Found your channel a few days ago and have already watched every video you've got. Love your videos and look forward to trying to replicate your(successful) results!

10:02 "We will see that dish in action ... in my mouth ... i hope." I couldn't stop laughing.

Thanks for your videos Gavin! I'm just starting my curd nerd adventure. Is the whey from squeaky cheese curds suitable for ricotta? Also, the beginners cheese making kit I bought * recommends making up the meso culture into a starter. Why do you prefer to use the freeze dried culture directly? * I would have bought from your shop, but I'm literally on the other side of the world.

I was wondering why do you cook the curds over the whey before cutting? I've seen a bunch of recipes and yours is the only one that has that step.

Squeaky cheese curds are a Wisconsin classic

I was at the grocery store this evening and saw Garlic and Dill cheese curd's, can you tell me about how much garlic and dill to add for the amount you are making??? and when to add it.... tks, Nicky, PS they were quite expensive, $4.99 for a small pkg.

the curd is setting as we speak... I can't wait till tomorrow. I've been waiting for this video. ever try to make tortillon? I believe it's a French Canadian cheese that comes in a brine and is in a knot form. thank you for your videos.

I was just wondering last night when a new video would show up!

I am about to attempt to make them.. I thought there was a step where they are pressed with a weight for a given amount of time or is this just a different way to do it?

How would you add flavor such as horseradish, dill, habanero, etc. At what point would you add said flavoring? I bought some from a local Amish cheese maker.

ty I'm Canadian and poutin is my favorite however in u.s. cheese is expensive and the amount you made would cost 10$ or more so was looking to make my own. thx again

clever cheese man we trust

Hi Gaven, great vid (along with all the others) I have used this a few times a it’s great.I want to make a larger batch using this method since I always have sucess with this one. If I were to go from the 1gallon and increase to say 2 or 3 gal would I just double or triple everything?

Do you make a hi temp cheese for adding to sausage?

Canadian here, how did you like the poutine? we also eat curds by themselves. salty squeaky goodness

Curds are also extremely common fried or raw in the Midwestern US. I'm excited at the prospect of making my own! For these precise temperatures, would a Sous Vide double boiler work?

Just abit smaller on the curd sizes, put it in a bowl with half gravy, push your fries in the gravy. And you got yourself a perfect poutine!

I heard you can use whey in gravies, I was wondering if you have tried that? I do love me some poutine's and I think the tangy taste whey is supposed to give gravy would be good for a Montreal style poutine (some friends over there prefer their Montreal Steak Sauces for it)

Can I still use this whey to make ricotta?

Great video! What kind of mesophilic culture should I use to make cheese curds?

Hey there, just wondering if you have any tips on how to cut curds horizontally without your awesome tool? Maybe an offset spatula in layers could work? I would appreciate any advice!

Hi, I have the Mad Millie fresh cheese kit. Would the mesophilic culture in this recipe be equivalent to a sachet that I get in the kit?

my friend we loved your video ,ho yes! i m from quebec city! hello england ! :) but for the quebecer the cheese curbs ,when it s done ,it s all ready to eat and that s why it s make the sound beetween your theet ,but we have variation in the world ,but if you want to make a real poutin !first take old potato s not to much but little bite soft and when you cook it during the frying ,look on each coner of the potato s ,if it s start to have a color yellow or orange it s ready ,but the gravy must be all ready ! and the gravy must be hot !(you need to see the smoke) and the fresh cheese curbs all ready too !you try to have evferything hot !first fryes , second fresh cheese curbs,and third really hot gravy !and after the magic moment !you see the cheese curbs melting and also the sugar of the potato s all to gether make a super recipie ....you can add a little spice and saucise but you need to cut little slice and cook it , or here we add chicken and green pea ! so have really good meal my friend and thank s ! to existed!

I watched the banded cheddar video right before this one. The squeaky cheese making process seams to be very similar to cheddar's except it is not pressed or aged.

The curds will loose their squeek once you put them in the fridge. To get the squeek back you can try putting them few seconds in the microwave. :)

Would raw goat milk work with this recipe? Thanks!

Can you make raclette?

I would also like to know how to make Boursin. It's Soft buttery cream cheese from France. I think itI is called a gourmandise type cheese? Please please

when making cheese of any kind would the cheese be better, richer or worse if heavy whipping cream or 1/2 and 1/2 cream/milk was used? thank you for your channel

In the USA, when we squeeze the cheese, we call it poutine....hahahah....sorry just a little cheese humor :)

The basic version of poutine is the curds and gravy on frys, but it's kind evolved like Pizza. Poutine is now a genre of related dishes, rather than a specific recipe. The most basic version of poutine, just the gravy and curds, is the equivalent of a single topping pizza

Mr. W, if you are not sure of the fat content of your milk would you suggest adding a little heavy cream?

You did just 1 mistake: You are not supposed to put the curds in the fridge that makes them lose their squeakyness Instead you just put them in a container or a bag and leave them at room tempature they will stay good for 4 to 5 days But franky we usually eat them all the first day because they are addictive like potato chips

i think reason why people want to learn to make cheese is to make it all from scratch and poeple alos know what is being put into it and the hard work and hours as well to make why its so expencive in store and also making poutine from scratch to

icitte au quebec on mange dla poutine :)

When it hits 88F do you turn the heat off? Or do you have to maintain it at 88 for the whole 45 minute ripening stage?

When you rest for 40 minutes or so, are you keeping the temperature of the pot constant at some temperature?? I'd like to follow along. You added the rennet and simply said to set the mixture for 40 minutes.

Garvin, do you still use Mesophilic culture if you use raw whole milk from a dairy--non-past', non-homo'?

The food I haven’t tried is Poutine🇨🇦

are these the cheese curds that we can bread and deep fry?

What is the fat percentage in Full Cream Milk? 3.25%

Are you planning of making the norwegian gamalost in the future?

Hello, everyone I make about 30 kg of cheese from raw milk a month/hobby. I was in Quebec/Drummondville for 3 years. I would like to produce the "poutine québécoise" in Passau/Germany. I will test this recipe. Thank you, Karl_Heg, Bavarian Forest

can you make Bulgarian feta or Danish feta ?

Do you have to use Calcium Chloride with Pasteurised Milk because I never do and the cheeses I make turn out beautiful

Would I be able to use citric acid instead of the culture?

where do you get these ingredients?

Does this work if the only milk you can get is both pasteurized and homogenized?

is the heat on for the entire process ?

Gavin, thanks for your vids, they have been a huge help getting me started. I'll get to squeaky curds, eventually. I live in Quebec, Canada where these curds are common and indeed a staple in poutine. But the poutine you show ... I understand you are Australian (no fault intended) but if I was served a poutine that looked like that, I'd send it back to the kitchen. It looked like something we might find in fast food chain outside of Quebec. I guess I've been spoiled with gourmet poutine. I make my own, everything from scratch (except the curds), be served in a bowl and the curd should melt in the gravy, at least partially. It changes everything! It doesn't work with other cheeses, like chedder or swiss.

My first attempt at halloumi cheese. Big fail - in hindsight I think I should be left it longer before cutting the curd. Ended up like cottage cheese. Now trying to RU-vid what I did wrong...

Thank you. This isn’t what I’m looking for but interesting. My mum used to pour it into muslin and hang it on the washing line. It was soft but made from raw milk gone sour in the sun

did you use kosher salt or regular table salt?

I love cheese. All cheese... Except blue. Sorry but ew. . but these squeaky little babies mmm mm mmm. Wish i could have be your quality assurance tester.

Are you essentially cheddaring those curds?