I've not made any more cheeses recently. I have a busy schedule coming up and the cheeses require some babysitting early on in their creation. I just won't have time. In the mean time, the Stilton cheese is progressing nicely. The blue penicillin mold has changed to a lighter blue-gray, which is normal. Eventually, I may see some brown and white mold appear as the rind formation ages. This week, I'll skewer the cheeses to allow more air into the middle, so the penicillin works it's magic more deeply into the cheese. After that, it's just waiting for three more months and turning the cheeses twice weekly in the ripening container. The Camembert I made first should be done sometime in late August. Once I unwrap one of them and cut it open, I'll post a pic, good or bad, for everyone to see how it turned out.
So no posts for a while, I'm afraid.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Stilton Cheese Attempt
I bought my Camembert/Brie/Blue kit and was all set to use the premeasured packets for the blue cheese. I even rechecked the packets twice to be sure I was using the right ones. I followed the directions to the letter. I molded the cheeses and set them to age. Then I waited for the blue mold to appear. And waited, and waited, and waited. I got white mold. Well, penicillin does bloom white at first, then blue. So I waited some more. Still nothing. So out of curiosity, I rechecked the inventory of packets in the freezer. I was down one Camembert/Brie and had all of my blue packets! So I made Camembert but followed the heating and other methods for blue cheese. I have no idea what I'm getting, but I will be interested in seeing what it turns out to be :-)
Between the failed blue attempt and a re-do, my daughter convinced me to make cultured butter. We did and it was excellent. I even made Buttermilk Kasse from the buttermilk we got from making butter. It, too, was very tasty. So now it was time to try making my Stilton again. This time, I know I used the right packet!
After about seven days, the first little spots of blue appeared. At 12 days, the blue mold had spread throughout the borders between the curds as you can see in the photo below. The two photos at the top are of the same cheese. The first one is a top view at 12 days, and the one below it is the same top view but at 16 days...what a difference! Still, this is now July and the Stilton won't be ready until November. This hobby is not for satisfying instant gratification, I can tell you!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Finding the Right Steps for Juustoa - Holding the Temperature
In my search for the steps missing in my juustoa recipe, I came across a cheesemaking supply store called The Cheesemaker (website www.thecheesemaker.com). The owner, Steve Shapson, writes that when he got into cheesemaking, he found that many of the recipes seemed to be missing steps. So he went in search of clues to help him successfully make cheese at home. Wow! That struck a chord. So I ordered several items including a kit and instructions for making Camembert, Brie, and blue cheeses. I thought that his recipes may yield some clues for juustoa. And I kind of wanted to try my hand at Camembert and blue cheese as a lark. The kit was inexpensive and it came with both instructions and premeasured packets of LAB and mold cultures. Ideal for a novice!
In reading the recipes for Camembert and blue cheese, I noticed that they said that the milk must be held at temperature for the specified time after the addtion of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to allow the bacteria to begin working before the addition of rennet. Juustoa does not have LAB added to it. But I remembered that proteins are interesting molecules. When you change their temperature, they twist, contract, expand, relax. But it takes time for the protein to reach its natural shape after the temperature changes. Hmmm. My first theory was born: Holding the milk to temperature for an hour lets the proteins come to equillibrium. So that's why I added the step of letting the milk ripen for juustoa. That, and if it's good enough for other cheeses, why not juustoa? It seems to work.
The other change in my juustoa recipe came again as a result of reading other cheese recipes. The juustoa recipes I have all said to remove the milk from the stove after adding the rennet. This lets the milk cool as the enzyme in rennet coagulates the milk protein. Almost all of the cheese recipes I have found said to hold the milk at temperature for various times after adding the rennet. If you think about it, rennet is an enzyme found in the stomachs of calves. It's purpose is coagulate the cow's milk so the proteins can be more easily separated from the water in the calf's digestive system. Calves are living creatures and their body temp is warm, so.....yes, holding the milk at a warm temperature probably helps the enzyme work more effectively. That's theory number two! And again, it seems to work.
In reading the recipes for Camembert and blue cheese, I noticed that they said that the milk must be held at temperature for the specified time after the addtion of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to allow the bacteria to begin working before the addition of rennet. Juustoa does not have LAB added to it. But I remembered that proteins are interesting molecules. When you change their temperature, they twist, contract, expand, relax. But it takes time for the protein to reach its natural shape after the temperature changes. Hmmm. My first theory was born: Holding the milk to temperature for an hour lets the proteins come to equillibrium. So that's why I added the step of letting the milk ripen for juustoa. That, and if it's good enough for other cheeses, why not juustoa? It seems to work.
The other change in my juustoa recipe came again as a result of reading other cheese recipes. The juustoa recipes I have all said to remove the milk from the stove after adding the rennet. This lets the milk cool as the enzyme in rennet coagulates the milk protein. Almost all of the cheese recipes I have found said to hold the milk at temperature for various times after adding the rennet. If you think about it, rennet is an enzyme found in the stomachs of calves. It's purpose is coagulate the cow's milk so the proteins can be more easily separated from the water in the calf's digestive system. Calves are living creatures and their body temp is warm, so.....yes, holding the milk at a warm temperature probably helps the enzyme work more effectively. That's theory number two! And again, it seems to work.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Juustoa Recipe
As I mentioned juustoa is a simple cheese, mild, and slightly sweet from the addition of sugar. As with many cheeses, it contains salt and of course rennet, but not lactic acid bacteria. What is unusual is the addition of cornstarch. About as many recipes call for cornstarch as those that do not. I use it in my juustoa. The basic recipe below is taken from the website http://www.food.com/recipe/juusota-finnish-squeaky-cheese-79377 posted by Liisa N on December 21, 2003. It is nearly identical to several recipes on the web and is a good starting point. I have made changes to the recipe that help me ensure a good batch. I've highlighted the changes I've made below in italics and using a gray font. If you make a full batch, you will need a 10x12 pan for broiling. If you make a half-batch, then a 9in or 8in cake pan will do.
As you will see, I significantly modified this recipe by adding steps. You can view the basic recipe by visiting the website above. I felt that even though I made numerous changes, I still needed to credit the source.
You will need a stainless steel pot that can hold 2 gallons of milk easily, thermometer, collander, cheese cloth, large stainless steel spoon or cake decorating knife, 10x12 pan, measuring spoons, and a separate bowl with a little warm water.
2 gal whole milk (non-homogenized works best)
3 Tblsp sugar
3 Tblsp cornstarch
2 Tblsp salt
1 tsp rennet (I avoid using Junket rennet and buy dried calf's rennet from a cheese making store)
1/4 tsp calcium chloride solution (purchased from the cheesemaking store)
1) Sterilize all equipment before starting. You can use a dilute solution of bleach in hot water, but be sure to rinse it with hot clear water after sterilizing to remove any traces of bleach.
2) Heat the milk to 90 degrees F and hold at this temperature for one hour to ripen the milk.
3) Add the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir to dissolve. (it may help to predissolve these in a bit of cold water and then add it to the milk)
4) Dissolve the rennet into about 1/2 cup of warm water, and then add to the milk. Add calcium chloride. Stir in gently.
5) Hold at 90 degrees F for at least another 45 minutes as the rennet gels the milk.
6) After 45 minutes, check for a clean break. A spoon or knife inserted into the curd should cut it cleanly and whey should separate from the curd at the cut.
7) Remove from heat. Cut the curd into X's with a spoon, or the cake decorating knife, unitl you have the consistency of cottage cheese. Do this gently! You want the appearance of very large curd cottage cheese.
8) After cutting, let settle for another 30 minutes until they mat together at the bottom of pot.
9) Drain off whey.
10) Line the collander with cheesecloth and transfer the curd into the collander to further drain the excess whey. Let drain at least 1hr.
11) Place curd into a 10x12 cake pan, spreading the curd evenly, and broil until brown. Use the low temperature setting on the broiler and place the pan well below the broiler to prevent burning of the top.
12) Remove from the broiler and cool enough to be able to flip the curd over onto a baking sheet.
13) Once you flip it over, you may spread with a little butter and lightly salt.
14) Broil again until brown.
You will notice that as you broil the cheese, more whey comes off and it will look like the cheese is swimming in whey. Get a baster out and gently remove the excess water. If you don't, the top may not brown evenly. Let cool, and enjoy. It will last in a covered container in the refrigerator for about a week. The older it gets, the less squeaky it is.
As you will see, I significantly modified this recipe by adding steps. You can view the basic recipe by visiting the website above. I felt that even though I made numerous changes, I still needed to credit the source.
You will need a stainless steel pot that can hold 2 gallons of milk easily, thermometer, collander, cheese cloth, large stainless steel spoon or cake decorating knife, 10x12 pan, measuring spoons, and a separate bowl with a little warm water.
2 gal whole milk (non-homogenized works best)
3 Tblsp sugar
3 Tblsp cornstarch
2 Tblsp salt
1 tsp rennet (I avoid using Junket rennet and buy dried calf's rennet from a cheese making store)
1/4 tsp calcium chloride solution (purchased from the cheesemaking store)
1) Sterilize all equipment before starting. You can use a dilute solution of bleach in hot water, but be sure to rinse it with hot clear water after sterilizing to remove any traces of bleach.
2) Heat the milk to 90 degrees F and hold at this temperature for one hour to ripen the milk.
3) Add the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir to dissolve. (it may help to predissolve these in a bit of cold water and then add it to the milk)
4) Dissolve the rennet into about 1/2 cup of warm water, and then add to the milk. Add calcium chloride. Stir in gently.
5) Hold at 90 degrees F for at least another 45 minutes as the rennet gels the milk.
6) After 45 minutes, check for a clean break. A spoon or knife inserted into the curd should cut it cleanly and whey should separate from the curd at the cut.
7) Remove from heat. Cut the curd into X's with a spoon, or the cake decorating knife, unitl you have the consistency of cottage cheese. Do this gently! You want the appearance of very large curd cottage cheese.
8) After cutting, let settle for another 30 minutes until they mat together at the bottom of pot.
9) Drain off whey.
10) Line the collander with cheesecloth and transfer the curd into the collander to further drain the excess whey. Let drain at least 1hr.
11) Place curd into a 10x12 cake pan, spreading the curd evenly, and broil until brown. Use the low temperature setting on the broiler and place the pan well below the broiler to prevent burning of the top.
12) Remove from the broiler and cool enough to be able to flip the curd over onto a baking sheet.
13) Once you flip it over, you may spread with a little butter and lightly salt.
14) Broil again until brown.
You will notice that as you broil the cheese, more whey comes off and it will look like the cheese is swimming in whey. Get a baster out and gently remove the excess water. If you don't, the top may not brown evenly. Let cool, and enjoy. It will last in a covered container in the refrigerator for about a week. The older it gets, the less squeaky it is.
Tips to Start With
Before I get into anything else, I want to share three important tips I learned.
1) Sterilize, sterilize, sterilize! They are not kidding when the recipes say that everything that touches the milk or cheese, especially at the very beginning of the process, must be sterilized. I have yet to introduce "bad" bacteria, but pictures on the web of what can happen will convince anyone that this is important.
2) Some say you can use store bought milk, which is both pasteurized and homogenized. I have found that the absolute best milk for cheese is pasteurized, but NOT homogenized. It gives a cleaner "break" when cutting the curds, and the curds set up better. Calcium chloride added to store bought milk is supposed to overcome this. I found that it helps, but it is no substitute for using non-homogenized milk. So pay extra and get it!
3) Holding the milk at temperature for the time indicated is important, even for juustoa. Also, holding the curd at temperature for the time indicated before cutting the curd is important.
The trick to making my first successful juustoa was discovering that I needed to hold the milk at 90F for an hour, and then after the addition of the rennet, holding the curd at 90F for almost an hour before cutting the curd did the trick. It worked even better when I used non-homogenized milk. None of my juustoa recipes said to do this. I learned this by reading about making other cheeses. I applied these steps to juustoa and voila! Get a good thermometer, use it, and be patient!
1) Sterilize, sterilize, sterilize! They are not kidding when the recipes say that everything that touches the milk or cheese, especially at the very beginning of the process, must be sterilized. I have yet to introduce "bad" bacteria, but pictures on the web of what can happen will convince anyone that this is important.
2) Some say you can use store bought milk, which is both pasteurized and homogenized. I have found that the absolute best milk for cheese is pasteurized, but NOT homogenized. It gives a cleaner "break" when cutting the curds, and the curds set up better. Calcium chloride added to store bought milk is supposed to overcome this. I found that it helps, but it is no substitute for using non-homogenized milk. So pay extra and get it!
3) Holding the milk at temperature for the time indicated is important, even for juustoa. Also, holding the curd at temperature for the time indicated before cutting the curd is important.
The trick to making my first successful juustoa was discovering that I needed to hold the milk at 90F for an hour, and then after the addition of the rennet, holding the curd at 90F for almost an hour before cutting the curd did the trick. It worked even better when I used non-homogenized milk. None of my juustoa recipes said to do this. I learned this by reading about making other cheeses. I applied these steps to juustoa and voila! Get a good thermometer, use it, and be patient!
About Juustoa
Juustoa is considered to be one of the simplest cheeses to make. It is a fresh cheese that does not use lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to culture the milk before curding. Therefore, it does not keep long in the refrigerator. It is mildly sweet. Basically, it's solid milk. Traditionally, it is broiled on both sides to produce a golden/brown bubbly skin. It's not only aesthetically pleasing, but it imparts an extra flavor and helps drive out excess whey.
It is also called Finnish Squeaky Cheese because, when fresh, it squeaks against your teeth as you chew it. The basic recipe originated in Finland and was brought to the US by immigrants, many of whom settled in the UP of Michigan. Other Scandinavian countries have similar variations. I came to like this cheese while I was in college at Michigan Technological University, where I met my wife as well. She is of Finnish decent, and this was a staple in many local households. I have never been able to recreate this cheese until recently. My success with juustoa spurred me on to try home cheese making.
I'll be posting recipes, tips, successes, and most importantly, failures on this site. Failures are important because that is the best way to learn.
It is also called Finnish Squeaky Cheese because, when fresh, it squeaks against your teeth as you chew it. The basic recipe originated in Finland and was brought to the US by immigrants, many of whom settled in the UP of Michigan. Other Scandinavian countries have similar variations. I came to like this cheese while I was in college at Michigan Technological University, where I met my wife as well. She is of Finnish decent, and this was a staple in many local households. I have never been able to recreate this cheese until recently. My success with juustoa spurred me on to try home cheese making.
I'll be posting recipes, tips, successes, and most importantly, failures on this site. Failures are important because that is the best way to learn.
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