Herbacol (how to prepare vegetable rennet)

The herbacol, a plant-based coagulant delicately prepared with mineral water, offers a smooth and light texture ideal for thickening homemade cheeses and desserts.
traditional
vegan
vegetarian
Ingredients
Servings
4
Measurement units

Ingredients

  • 3 gtarragon
  • 250 mlmineral water
Nutritional Information

Per 100 g

Calories
0 kcal
Protein
0 g
Fat
0 g
Carbohydrates
0 g

Calculated from reviewed ingredient weights and pinned USDA FoodData Central records.

Step-by-step Guide

Herbacol

  1. Herbacol (Cynara cardunculus) is the dried flower pistils used to set milk.
  2. The flowers must first macerate for 12 hours in mineral water at room temperature: they are not boiled.

How to Prepare Rennet from Herbcol

  1. Weigh 3 grams of herbacol to prepare the rennet.
  2. Measure 250 ml of mineral water to use in the process.
  3. Allow the saffron pistils to macerate in the 250 ml of room-temperature mineral water for 12 hours. This will enable the saffron to release its properties.
  4. Once the 12 hours have passed, strain the liquid to separate it from the pistils and keep it in a clean container.
  5. Separately, crush the macerated pistils using a mortar and pestle, adding a small amount of fresh mineral water to facilitate the process.
  6. When the water turns a dark shade, strain it and add it to the previously reserved water. Make sure to mix them well.
  7. Repeat the process of crushing the pistils with fresh water until the water no longer changes color. This ensures all active substances of the saffron are extracted.
  8. The mixture resulting from all the maceration stages and the waters from each process will be your curd. Ensure it is well homogenized.
  9. This curd should be able to coagulate the milk heated to 35ºC in approximately 35-40 minutes, although it may take up to 90 minutes. To determine the coagulation capability and necessary dosage, perform an empirical test with five small cups, each containing 10 ml of milk at 35ºC. Maintain this temperature constant throughout the test.
  10. In the first cup, add 0.1 ml of the prepared vegetable curd and observe the coagulation time.
  11. In the second cup, add 0.2 ml and observe the coagulation time.
  12. In the third, add 0.5 ml and observe the coagulation time.
  13. In the fourth, add 1 ml and take note of the time needed for it to set.
  14. Finally, in the fifth cup, add 2 ml of the rennet. The dose that coagulates the milk before 60-90 minutes will give you a clear idea of how much we will need to add to the milk in the final process.
Original recipe
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    Herbacol (how to prepare vegetable rennet) | The Catalan Table