Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Coring

The day has finally come... Tasting Day.

I cored the cheese (a bit unscientifically, with paring knife) and tasted it. The knife was short, so I didn't get all the way into the center, but I still could get a good view of what is going on.

Soft, creamy, a little damp and no veining or mold on the inside!

Then I plugged up the hole with lard.

The texture: soft, creamy a bit velvety.
The taste: a little spicy/peppery, like the aftertaste of arugula.
(I was worried it would be too salty, because of the over salting at the beginning, but it was not salty at all. In fact, I could not taste salt at all.)

Since the consistency is so soft, I am going to let the cheese age for a bit longer. The tentative Cut The Cheese day is now going to be in late June, early July.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Hanker for a Hunka

In lieu of slicing into cheeseman and inspired by last weeks findings, I opted for a piece of Appleby's Cheshire.


It is surprisingly creamy, yet crumbly and nutty right next to the rind. A substantial part of this delicious dinner:

(Appleby's Cheshire, baguette, Couronne Lochoise and pea tendril salad.)

Sunday, April 15, 2007

No More Kid Gloves

Tonight, someone asked to take a look at the cheese, I kindly obliged. When I went to put him back I realized that I wasn't moving him gingerly, oh no, I picked him up and flipped him over without worrying about the structural integrity. The rind is truly formed!

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

A new reason to pump iron

The waiting game is becoming tedious. Each day I contemplate coring cheesie, just for a little taste. It is becoming harder and harder to restrain. To pass the time I have been brushing up on my cheesemaking knowledge. Visiting: Neal's Yard Dairy I finally discovered why I had so much trouble having the muslin stick to the outside of the cheese.

The cheesemakers of Appleby's Cheshire demonstrate their technique:



That's right, an IRON! They run an iron over the top of the wheel, to heat the cheese so the cloth sticks. This tid-bit of knowledge makes me want to make more cheese ASAP.

Saturday, April 7, 2007

Ugly Underbelly

The straw mat was taking longer to dry than anticipated, so I put the cheese back in the fridge on a plate, with part of the cheese resting on the lip of the plate so air could still circulate.


Big mistake...


There definitely was not enough air circulating, and the mold went crazy. I brushed off as much as possible and returned him to his comfy, dry straw mat in the fridge.