THE BLUE IS REALLY BLUE NEW PICTURE

Have about 3 weeks left b4 I can eat the blue but how blue it is...............

We may have Swiss Cheese ( with illlegal holes )

Well I finally got my stuff that the post office lost ( imagine that ) Time to make Swiss Cheese with illegal holes....YA !!!!!!!! First off here is the recipe I used and as always I changed it to fit what I know will work. That is the major problem when you first try making cheese. There are like umpteen recipes for the same cheese so you wonder which one is right. For me seeing is believing so usually I go to youtube ( good old youtube) and watch to see that it does indeed turn out. Then a little trial and error to get it to work better and walla use it and take notes.....pleaze....Save yourself such heart ache on hours of hope and work and then FLOP.....What a let down, could ruin your whole night....Oh am I being petty ? Well hope dashed is hope dashed you know what I mean, right ?


  
    Instructions

        things you'll need:
     2 gallons of whole milk, 1/8 teas of direct-set thermophilic
      starter or 2 ounces of prepared thermophilic starter, 1 teaspoon calcium chloride, 1/8 teaspoon
      of propionic shermanii powder, 1/2 teaspoon of liquid rennet or a
      1/4 renbet tablet, 2 pounds of cheese salt, for brine, plus a pinch
      of cheese salt, 1 gallon of cold water, for brine. curd knife,
      stainless steel whisk, cheesecloth. ladle
  

          Swiss Cheese
           1
            Heat the milk to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the starter and
            mix well.
           2
            Remove 1/4 cup of milk from the pot and add the propionic
            shermanii to it. Mix thoroughly to dissolve the powder. Add
            the mixture to the milk and stir. Cover and allow the milk
            to ripen for approximately 10 minutes.
           3
            Make sure that the milk's temperature ALWAYS remains at 90
            degrees. Add the diluted rennet and stir gently with an
            up-and-down motion for approximately 1 minute. If you are
            wanting to use farm fresh <#> cow's milk, top stir for
            several minutes longer. Cover and let the milk set at 90
            degrees for approximately 30 miutes.
           4
            Using a curd knife and a stainless-steel whisk, cut the curd
            into 1/4 inch cubes.
           5
            Keeping the curd temperatures at 90 degrees, gently stir the
            curds for approximately 40 minutes. This is called
            fore-working and helps expel whey from the curds before they
            are heated.
           6
            Heat the curds by one degree every minute until the
            temperature is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This will take
            approximately 30 minutes. If you put your burner on the lowest setting it will work just     fine. Maintain the temperature at 120
            degrees Fahrenheit for another 30 minutes, stirring often.
            The curds must be cooked until they reach a stage called the
            "proper break." To test for this, wad together a handful of
            curds and rub it gently between your palms. It the ball
            readily breaks apart into individual particles, the curds
            are sufficiently cooked. If they are not sufficiently
            cooked, they will be too soft to hold the cheese together.
            Let the curds set for approximately 5 minutes.
           7
            Pour off the whey and reserve it for other recipes
            .
           8
            Line a 2 pound mold with cheesecloth and place it in the
            sink or over a large pot. Quickly ladle the curds into the
            mold. You do not want the curds to cool. Press at 8-10
            pounds of pressure for approximately 15 minutes.
           9
            Remove the cheese from the mold and gently peel away the
            cheesecloth. Turn over the cheese, re-dress it, and press at
            14 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes. DON'T BOTHER REDRESSING JUST FLIP IT WILL BE FINE
           10
            Repeat the process but press at the same pressure of 14
            pounds for 2 hours.
           11
            Repeat the process but press at 15 pounds of pressure for 12
            hours.
           12
            Make a saturated brine bath by combining the salt and water
            in a noncorrosive pot; stir well. Remove the cheese from the
            mold, peel away the cheesecloth, and soak the cheese in the
            brine. Sprinkle the remaining pinch of salt on the surface
            of the floating cheese. Refrigerate the brine and let the
            cheese soak for 12 hours.
           13
            Remove the cheese from the brine and pat dry. You can
            reserve the brine for other recipe uses if you so desire.
            Place the cheese on a clean cheese board and store between
            50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and at 85 percent humidity. Turn
            the cheese daily for one week, wiping it with a clean
            cheesecloth dampened in salt water. Do not wet the cheese.
           14
            Place the cheese in a warm, humid room, such as the kitchen,
            with the temperature between 68 and 74 degrees fahrenheit.
            Turn it daily and wipe it with a cheesecloth dampened in
            salt water. Do not wet the surface of the cheese. Let the
            cheese set for 2-3 weeks, until eye formation is noticeable.
            The cheese will swell somewhat and become slightly rounded.
           15
            Age the cheese at 45 degrees Fahrenheit. and at 80 percent
            humidity for at least 3 months. Turn the cheese several
            times a week. Remove any surface mold with cheesecloth
            dampened in salt water. A reddish coloration on the surface
            of the cheese is normal and should not be removed.This
            recipe will make about 1 pound of cheese. If you an
            additional pound, just double the recipe.
    Here are some pics

This is when the curds are totally cooked

After the 3rd press

Now we soak it 12 hours in a heavy brine in the fridge.

Flipping the world of Feta

O.K. I have seen the world of feta ( many recipes ) and alot of them a joke... Ok I did my own thing and guess what ? Maybe it will be AWESOME....Look at the recipes available and u will be confused as I was... Let it drain or press it that is the question....I pressed it....Salt....be careful.......Age at room temp or fridge.....another ? room temp seems to be the key.....I added half and half like the added butterfat.....pics to follow........One of the things I have noticed is the sour smell on my hands. not sure but I think that is from the culture that I used.....or I messed up somewhere in the process..... Another thing I noticed , since I am getting used to making hard cheese is how soft the curd for the feta was, almost mushy and I for sure did not think that it would mat at all. It is amazing what a few degrees in temp lowered does to the texture, the smell and yes the taste. I tasted it after I sliced it and wow sooo good. I can amagine how it will be in a few days..we will see..I intended on making swiss today but it seems that my order was delivered to some one else...Gonna figure it out tomorrow.

This is after a night in the press at 10lbs

here it is after I sliced it. Sliced very nicely just like soft cheese < grin >

Here it is after I light salted it with kosher salt

Now in the pan cover and wait 5 or 7 days turning every day   YA !!!!!!!!!

A curious fact about swiss cheese

I thought I would share this amazing fact I just learned when I was researching stuff about swiss cheese. Did you know that the cheese industry lobbied the lawmakers to pass a law to restrict the size of the holes in swiss cheese ? Yes it is a fact that the holes in swiss cheese in the U.S. can not be over 3/4 inch....
No need to police it, for the reason is simple. Large holes make it hard for the cheese to be commercially sliced and it takes a longer time to age the cheese. So they can age the cheese for consumtion in 3 months instead of 6-9 months.

Tomorrow is the big day. I will be trying my hand at making swiss. And can assure you that my holes will be against the law....< grin >

Check back tomorrow for the rest of the story......

BLUE UPDATE

WE HAVE BLUE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   2 more weeks will be eating this sucka...YA

A new kind of Cheddar

I have already made farm cheddar so now I decided to make this cheddar. A bit better than farm cheddar but a bit more work also. Takes about 3 hours to prep for the press but hey looks like it worked here are the pics. I'll let u know in 6 months. Next Cheese Swiss.......
                                    

How to make Stirred-Curd Cheddar:

2 gallons whole milk (cow or goat milk)

1 packet direct-set mesophilic starter

2 drops cheese coloring per gallon, diluted in 1/4 cup water (optional)

1/2 teaspoon liquid rennet (or 1/2 rennet tablet) diluted in 1/4 cup cool, unchlorinated water
1/2 teaspoon calcium chloride
2 tablespoons cheese salt

Step 1.  Heat the milk to 90-F.  Add the starter and stir well.  Cover and allow the milk to ripen for 45 minutes.



Step 2.  For cheese coloring, use 4 drops per gallon of milk–8 drops total–diluted in 1/4 cup of cool water.



Add the coloring to the milk and stir well to distribute evenly.



Cheese coloring must be added before the rennet, and stirred in
well as it can destroy the coagulating ability of the rennet.  If you
find later that you forgot to add the coloring, forget it.  You can’t
add it later.  Make white cheddar.

Also, be careful with how much coloring you add!  Don’t get carried
away.  When you put the coloring in, it will look like it didn’t even
make a difference.  There’s still a lot of water in the milk.  You’ll
really only see the result of the coloring after the cheese is
pressed.  The color comes out more and deepens as the cheese air dries
in the first few days following pressing.  Follow recipe guidelines for
adding cheese coloring.  If you make cheese while you’re drinking and
forget you put the coloring in then add more, you’ll end up with clown
cheese!  Don’t make cheese while you’re drinking!!

When diluting the rennet, don’t use the same container you used to dilute the coloring.



Step 3.  Make sure the milk’s temperature is 90.  Add the diluted rennet
and stir gently with an up-and-down motion for 1 minute.  If using
farm-fresh milk, top-stir for several minutes longer.  Cover and allow
to set at 90 for 45 minutes, or until the curd is firm and gives a clean
break.



Step 4.  Cut the curd into 1/4-inch cubes.  Allow the curds to set for 15 minutes.

Step 5.  Heat the curds to 100 degrees, increasing the temperature no
more than two degrees every 5 minutes.  This should take about 30
minutes.  Stir gently to keep the curds from matting.

Step 6.  Once the curds reach 100, maintain the temperature and continue stirring for 30 minutes.  Let set for 5 minutes.

Step 7.  Drain off the whey.  Pour the curds into a large colander
and drain for several minutes.  Do not drain too long, or the curds will
mat.  Pour the curds back into the pot and stir them briskly with your
fingers, separating any curd particles that have matted.

Step 8.  Add the salt and blend well.  Do not squeeze the curds; simply mix the salt into them.

Step 9.  Keep the curds at 100 for 1 hour, stirring every 5 minutes
to avoid matting.  The curds can be kept at 100 by resting the cheese
pot in a sink or bowl full of 100-degree water.

Step 10.  Line a 2-pound cheese mold with cheesecloth.  Place the
curds in the mold.  Press the cheese at 15 pounds of pressure for 10
minutes.

I’ve taken to using disposable cheesecloth.  It’s so much easier.



Step 11.  Remove the cheese from the mold and gently peel away the
cheesecloth.  Turn over the cheese, re-dress it, and press at 30 pounds
of pressure for 10 minutes.

Step 12.  Repeat the process but press at 40 pounds of pressure for 2 hours.



Step 13.  Repeat the process but press at 50 pounds of pressure for 24 hours.

Step 14.  Remove the cheese from the mold and peel away the
cheesecloth.  Air-dry at room temperature for 2-5 days, or until the
cheese is dry to the touch.

Step 15.  Wax the cheese (if desired).

Sometimes I wax, sometimes I don’t.



In some ways, it’s easier to “wax it and forget it” but I do prefer the
looks of the unwaxed cheeses.  They take some extra tending, though.

Step 16.  Age it at 45-55 degrees for 2-6 months.

Yield:  2 pounds.

  

.

unpeeling the cloth

disposable cheese cloth

holding at 100

the Purrfect cheese

I forgot the Monterey Jack.....

This is before the pressed but after it has drained 2 hours

A Purrfect Monterey Jack Wheel See u in June

I made Monterey Jack and totally forgot to post about my exeperience. As always it was fun, exciting and a genuine rush, just getting cheese out of milk is an exciting experience. Such a chemical experiment and not always with expected results for there are so many variables....But this ended in a happy way, A perfect wheel of Monterey Jack ready to eat in JUNE.....Always the Loooong wait and u never know until u crack the wax if it turned out good....Oh well I'll keep it up. Plan on making a new cheese every month or even sooner....Here are a few pics of my Monterey Jack.......