We cut into the Caciotta and the Camembert at my sister's over Thanksgiving weekend.  They had reached the early part of their "ripe and ready" period, so I was a little skeptical.  Normally, I like to wait until the middle of that phase for a couple of reasons.  First, the flavor tends to be stronger, yet more mellow.  Secondly, especially with a Camembert or Brie, I've cut in just a bit too early, and the creamy texture has not yet fully developed in the center.  The taste was OK, but for aesthetics, it does not look quite right...part creamy, part more solid.

I left the cheeses at my sister's and she in turn took them to a brunch get-together with friends on Sunday.  Everyone loved them.  Whew! After not making cheese for so long, I wondered if they'd be OK.  Her friends were eager to learn that I have Roqueforts aging now.  Guess I'll have to share.

With the Holidays coming, I'll have more time on my hands.  Things slow down for work as my customers take long shutdowns at this time.  I'm thinking it'll be a perfect time to try a Port Salut.  That one requires a LOT of babysitting to avoid mold growth on the rind.  I've had to throw out a 3lb wheel before, and struggled to get the next one through the aging phase....plenty of spot treatments with vinegar/salt solutions to curb the spots of mold.  But this time, I have a secret weapon!  Natamycin.  My culture supplier now offers this to help stop unwanted mold growth on brined rind cheeses.  I loved the Port Salut I made before and wanted to make it again, but the work to keep the mold at bay is a put-off.  I'll report on how the natamycin works later this winter.

I'll have to buy extra milk, though.  It's not the Holidays without juustoa!

Been away from cheese making for a while.  We had some family health issues and I cut back on my hobbies simply because there wasn't any time.  Making cheese requires that you babysit the little guys, especially early in the aging process when you have to turn the cheeses daily.  I just could not guarantee that I would be around for extended periods to tend to them properly.  Another reason I stopped making cheese was that last fall, my supplier of pasteurized sheep's milk ran into the no-man's-land between state and federal regulations and could not sell his product for human consumption until the issue was resolved.  He had been following the more restrictive federal guidelines, but our state had not caught up and refused to recertify him because he was not following state guidelines.  Talk about red tape!

Things at home settled down after a year, and I was just considering restarting my cheese making hobby.  I had not heard a word from my sheep farmer in over a year, and was content to make cheeses that used cow's milk.  Then out of the blue, the farmer emailed and said he is now back in business and wanted to know if I'd like some pasteurized sheep's milk!  Talk about timing!

Well, of course, my cultures had been sitting in the freezer for 18 months.  Had to toss those, and get fresh cultures.  I dusted off my equipment, got milk (pun intended), turned on my aging refrigerator, then began.  In October I made Camembert and Caciotta, which I just put up for storage after a month of aging.  Last week, I made Roquefort.  It is now beginning to show a hint of blue mold, and shortly I'll have to skewer them to allow air into the cheese to develop nice veining.

No pics this time around :-(  I figured you've seen these cheeses before on my blog. And yes, I started with cheeses I've successfully made before for a reason:  Start with what you're good at (and like), before you venture out into new territory.  I'll have to look through my cheese making recipe book to find one I'd like to make which I have not made before.  Will keep you posted.