Homemade Pressed Cheese (Cheese Mold)

Ingredients

• 10 liters milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Nigella seeds (black seed)
• 1 cheese starter tablet (for cheese fermentation)
• 1 teaspoon mastic (mahlab)

Method

1. Place the milk in a pot and heat it on the stove until warm.
2. Be careful not to boil the milk too much; do not exceed about 40°C. To test, place a fingertip in the milk — if you can tolerate the heat, it has reached the desired temperature.
3. Grind the cheese starter tablet well, dissolve it in a little milk, then add it to the milk and stir thoroughly.
4. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat, place it on a thick cloth and cover well (especially in cold weather). Cover from the top as well and leave aside for about two and a half hours.
5. Stir the cheese well, let it rest 5 minutes, then pour it onto a thin cloth (cheesecloth) to drain off all the whey.
   Timers: 5 min
6. Sprinkle nigella seeds over the surface of the cheese mold.
7. Take 3 cups of the drained whey, add 2 tablespoons of salt and stir well, then bring it to a boil again.
8. Add the cheese block or pieces and stir the mixture well.
9. Let the cheese cool, then transfer it to a clean sterilized jar or container.
10. Add a teaspoon of mastic to the boiled cheese water after straining it, then add the water with the cheese to the jar after it has cooled and seal tightly.