This weekend was the first outing of my cheese press. I tried a stirred curd cheddar (basically, a regular cheddar cheese with a couple of short cuts:
I obviously have some work to do on setting it up (need a much smaller section of cheese cloth for example for this small tomme mold. I also found out that keep the press level does not allow the whey to drain; I need to tilt it as seen here). But the result look amazing:
This will air dry for two or three days and then be waxed for aging. The curds were extremely well knit together, far better than I could have done with my previous arrangement (weights balanced on the top of the mold).
Now, I need a cheese cave...
Good work TB!!!
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted!!!👍
Thanks Glen! Waxing tomorrow, then we age.
DeleteLooks great, TB. Cheese cave? Time to retire? 🐰
ReplyDeleteNot lying Linda, it is a thought.
DeleteI'm still wrapping my mind around "cheese cave."
ReplyDeleteOff to the internet......... And I'm back.
A bit of internet research reveals a number of ideas for making a cheese cave at home.
But my original idea involving a backhoe still sounds like it would be a bunch of fun.
It does look wonderful.
John, as I am sure you found it, originally they really were (and are) caves. Most people don't have convenient limestone or granite caves nearby so they make do with refrigerators, rooms, or other things. Honestly, if I were home my Dad has a Backhoe so yes, a Cheese Cave could be a thing...
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Hi TB! I'm catching up on blogs and I had to comment of this (of course)!!! :) Great looking wheel! How do you like that type of press? Alex made me one, here's the post, it works very well. I was going to get the type you have but couldn't afford it, but the one I have is great. What type of culture did you use? I've had Cheddar issues for years and I've tried many varieties of cultures and I think I found the one that works for me. It's a mix of Meso and Thermo called MA4002. How will you age it?
ReplyDeleteHi Rain! So glad you are moved in and have Interweb!
DeleteThat is a swell cheese press and admire Alex's ingenuity of coming up with the weight measurement? I used a standard Meso culture - this is the first Cheddar I have made so not sure what it come out with.
Aging is a problem for me. I do not have a cheese cave or refrigerator yet so I have to either put in a refrigerator or at our room temp, which is about 10-15 F degrees too warm.
How long are you going to age it? The standard Meso should be good, but I find the standard ones make the cheese too tangy. Let me know when you are ready to taste it. It's so much fun. You can always put the cheese in the veggie drawer of your fridge for now. It's a wee bit warmer. But it'll take a lot longer for the fats and flavours to develop at lower temps. I made an emergency cheese cave when I ran out of room. I bought one of those styrofoam coolers and some cooler packs. I have a hygrometer so I put that in as well. It took 2 smaller cooler packs to get to about 10C. I had to remember to change them every 12 hours but it helped in a pinch!
DeleteThe vegetable drawer is a great idea Rain!
DeleteFor aging, the book recommends a minimum of three months but since I am working at a sub standard temperature, it may be longer than that. The styrofoam cooler is a good idea as well!
It's so tempting to taste your cheese after 3 months!! I've found with the Cheddars that they taste better after 6 months. I usually taste them, then seal half and let the second half age another 6 months. I have a great Jarslberg recipe that's AMAZING and it's ready in 2 months if you want to try that one. You may need supplemental cultures though so that it makes the "eyes" in the cheese!
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