Monday, August 29, 2011

Experiment or Mistake: You Decide

Back in June/July, I wanted to make a Stilton style blue cheese.  I had the premeasured packets for both Brie and blue from my local supply guy in the freezer.  So I got everything together, put it all out on the counter, sterilzed everything, and rechecked to make sure I had the right packet for blue cheese.  I used the recipe that came with my first kit, following every instruction to the letter.  It looked good going into the mold and the press.  I was excited!  But this would be a test of my patience.  Blue cheese takes longer to age in order to develop the full sharpness.  By now, I had my new wine refrigerator to control the temperature of the aging steps.  I was ready!

A couple weeks had gone by and no blue penicillin mold was growing on the cheese.  Instead, it was covered in a white mold identical to Camembert/Brie.  By now I had washed the surface several times with a salt solution like you are supposed to for a Stilton, and I was concerned.  So, I rechecked my supplies.  What did I find?  I was down one packet of Camembert/Brie, and had all of my blue cheese LAB/mold cultures.  I had used the mold cultures for Brie but had followed the instructions for Stilton blue cheese. 

I was tempted to toss the mistake at first.  Who knows what the heck I would get and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out.  But something in me decided that it may not be the best cheese, but it would probably be safe to eat.  So I waited.

A couple weeks ago, I cut into one of the rounds to try it.  Here's a picture of it:


The texture is somewhere softer than a Stilton, but not creamy like a Brie, even at room temperature.  The flavor is sharp, but with undertones of a Brie.  As you can see, there are areas inside the cheese with penicillium candidum blooming instead of penicillium roquforti (white instead of blue).  The sharpness is not quite that of a Stilton.  The rind is very thin and almost not noticeable.  Our family really likes it.  My friends say I should name the "new"cheese I came up with.  I think I'll wait and try making it again.  I did take notes when I prepared it, so I should first see if I can replicate it before naming it.  If anyone has a suggestion for the name of my mistake, I'll gladly entertain them.

So you decide.  Was this a mistake or an experiment?  I say, it was a mistake that turned into an experiment.  In either case, it had a happy ending.  And it does prove a point.  As long as your "mistake" isn't from contamination, wait and see what it turns into.  You might be pleasantly surprised.  May all your mistakes have a fortunate outcome!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Comments from Violet

A reader of my blog, Violet, sent me a comment and a recipe for juustoa.  It was attached to the posting I did on this blog July 11.  I thought I'd reply to her comments as full fledged post.  So if you have not seen her comment, go back and look for it.  It's very informative.

First, thank you Violet!  I appreciate your comments and your kind words.  I shall give your recipe a try to see how it compares to mine.  I'm not afraid to experiment (more on experimenting in my next post).  I have not run into problems with small rice-like curds using pasteurized, but NOT homogenized, milk.  I did run into that from time to time using regular store-bought milk, though. In fact, with the pasteurized only milk,  the curds turn out large and intact as long as I don't over-cut the curds and I let the rennet do it's job by not rushing the process.  I always wait for a clean cut, which I usually have once the curd separates from the wall of the pot, giving a thin layer of whey around the edge.  I also have not had any problem with the curds being fragile.  That's why I drain them in a cheesecloth lined collander.  They stay together well, and more of the whey comes off so I have less to drain during the broiling process.  It's hard to see in the photo of my juustoa, but there are whole larger curds evident in the cut-away.  My juustoa had a good texture to it...not grainy at all.  That's not saying one method is better than another.  Just different approaches to the same end result.  What counts is that they work!

On rennet, as I've said before, I've had mixed results with the tablets of vegetable rennet.  The dry granular calf rennet has always worked for me.  I do have some of the tablets in my cupboard.  I'll give them a go when I make Violet's juustoa recipe.  I say, if it works, don't mess with it.  If you have success with the tablets, then by all means, stick with it!

Violet says she uses unpasteurized milk in her juustoa.  I have yet to use unpasteurized milk for any cheese.  I have my reservations.  However, I would probably try it with juustoa first for the following reasons.  IF any bad bacteria were present, it takes them time to grow in cheese.  Juustoa is a fresh cheese and is not aged, but consumed almost immediately after making.  So the chances of any bad bacteria causing illness is minimal with juustoa.  There just simply isn't enough time for the bacteria to multiply to the point of tainting the cheese....if it were present in the first place.  I am quite content making cheese with pasteurized milk, so long as it isn't homogenized.  The reason I have not tried unpasteurized milk is that I want to be sure I know who I'm getting the fresh milk from, and that I am satisfied with the cleanliness of the dairy operation.  So far, I have not had the time to look for a local farmer.  So, I stick with the non-homogenized organic milk from the co-op that's been pasteurized.

Violet also indicates that she uses a bit more sugar than I do in my recipe.  To that I say, "it is a matter of taste."  When I try making Violet's recipe....and I will be doing that and blogging about it....I will use her complete recipe, except for the unpasteurized milk.  Sorry, Violet, I'm not ready to go there just yet.  I'll probably try her recipe the week after Labor Day weekend.  I just finished putting up another Camembert this weekend and I have to keep an eye on the mold development as well as turn the cheese daily for a while. As much as I'd like to make more cheese, I do have a lot going on these days.  I have to pace myself.

Thanks again, Violet!   As always, everyone's comments are welcome.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

My First Camembert

My wife and I decided to cut into the Camembert I made in late May.  It's been aging since wrapping in late June.  I let it come to room temp before cutting.  Holy Cow!  It oozed perfectly from the white rind and it tasted better than any Camembert or Brie purchased from the store!  Thank goodness I made two.  I did wrap what you see on the plate and put it in the refrigerator.  Otherwise, I would have eaten it all during the evening.  I am definitely making this again, and again, and again!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Update

Still haven't made any cheese lately.  Too many things occupying my time right now.  However, I did check my Camembert that I made in May, and it is getting soft in the middle.  I just gently squeezed the wrapped cheese to check it's progress and it's much softer than it was a couple weeks ago.  I'll be ready to unwrap one in mid September to try it out.

The Stilton blue cheese is looking ugly on the outside...the way it's supposed to look.  The penicillin mold on the rind has started to give way to a mix of brown and white mold and it is shrinking a bit as the rind dries out, even in humid conditions.  I used a heavy duty straw, sterile of course, to core the cheese and it tastes good.  It is developing sharpness.  I like the fact that I used a little extra cream to make it, because the texture is like a Stilton, but a bit "creamier".   I also used sterilized stainless steel skewers to poke holes in it to help develop the blue veining.  I still have to wait for November to wrap it, and then by the Holidays, it should be just about ready to cut open. 

I have to remember to get a cheese corer/sampler in the future.  If I make a cheddar, it will be critical to have one to check it's progress.  Maybe my family will get one for me for a Christmas present?