Author Topic: Amazing First Crotonese Make!  (Read 8336 times)

green zebra

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Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« on: March 23, 2013, 01:06:47 AM »
Hi Everybody!
As my background is Italian, i had no choice but to make Crotonese Cheese. The pictures show both wheels at 4 weeks old, yielding 3.25 and 3.75 lb.

I am very pleased with the rind texture, pattern and colour. These were made with my first batch of Sheep's milk supplied directly from a farmer. Even though, i got pasturized milk, i was happlily surprised when i discovered a few globs of fat/cream, floating on top of the milk in the 18 litre bucket.

Considering the molds i used buckled while pressing, i was concerned i did not press out enough whey, but so far, so good. I have been wiping away a light white mold and keeping it under control.

When i achieve results like this, i just want to keep on making more cheese!

Doris  :D
 

Offline Schnecken Slayer

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2013, 01:22:37 AM »
That looks great. What is the recipe you used?
-Bill
One day I will add something here...

shotski

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2013, 01:40:18 AM »
Nice job, I am interested in the recipe as well.

Offline Tiarella

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2013, 12:21:41 PM »
Hi Everybody!
As my background is Italian, i had no choice but to make Crotonese Cheese. The pictures show both wheels at 4 weeks old, yielding 3.25 and 3.75 lb.

I am very pleased with the rind texture, pattern and colour. These were made with my first batch of Sheep's milk supplied directly from a farmer. Even though, i got pasturized milk, i was happlily surprised when i discovered a few globs of fat/cream, floating on top of the milk in the 18 litre bucket.

Considering the molds i used buckled while pressing, i was concerned i did not press out enough whey, but so far, so good. I have been wiping away a light white mold and keeping it under control.

When i achieve results like this, i just want to keep on making more cheese!

Doris  :D

Hi Doris, those look very lovely!!  What creates the lovely brown color of the rind?  They are rustic and beautiful at the same time and I can hardly wait to hear your taste report!   :D

green zebra

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2013, 01:28:19 PM »
Thanks everyone! I used the recipe from Mastering Artisan Cheese - Caldwell - page 292  Very easy i thought.

Tiarella, as you too are a patient cheesemaker, i will let you know in a year, the taste of this special cheese, LOL!!

For those of you who don't have this book, recipe is as follows...

4 gal high fat milk (i used 18 L ewe milk)
1/2 tsp Thermo B or C
1/4 - 1/2 tsp lipase
1 tsp calcium chloride
1/2 plus Rennet
pure salt

Prepare milk -warm milk to 100 - 104

Culture Sprinkle culture, let set 2 - 5 min. then stir 3-5 minutes
stir in lipase solution, then stir in cal chlor, wait 5 min.

Rennet -  Stir in rennet, stir one minute, Still milk. Hold temperature until clean break is achieved, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Cutting - Cut curd mass into 3/8 inch cubes.

Stir - Maintain 100 - 104° and stir gently for 5 min. Let rest till curds are covered by a 4-5 inch layer of whey, usually about 10 minutes. Stir and cut the curd down to 1/8 " pieces.
 
 Tip Adjust the rest period between stirring and the second cutting, depending on how the curds want to mat. If they mat too much, the second cutting will shatter them. Either stir for longer than 5 min, or let rest for less than 10 minutes to decrease the likelihood of matting.

Stir and Heat Stir gently, and increase temp to 113 - 118 ° F over 15 minutes. Hold temperature and stir for 15-20 minutes till curds pass texture test. Let settle in pot for 5 minutes.

Drain and Texture Remove whey to level of curds. Gently hand-press the curds under the whey for about 5 min to form a consolidated mass. Drain off remaining why. Goal whey pH by the end of draining is 6.3-6.4.

Press Place curd mass in a cloth-lined form. Fold cloth over the top of curd and set follower on top. Let drain without pressure for 15 min. Unmold, and turn cheese, cover and let drain without pressure for 15 min. longer. During the 15 minutes use a long meat skewer or knitting needle to pierce the mass several times to assist whey drainage. Unmold, turn, and add more weight as needed to close the rind after 1 hour more of pressing. Continue to press to goal pH of 5.3 - 5.4, usually about 4-10 hours.

Salt Unmold and dip the wheels in heavy brine, then rub with a coating of salt. Pour brine over the cloths and redress the wheel. Return to molds and continue to press for 12-14 hours. Remove from forms, rub with dry salt, and press for 24 hours. Repeat one more time. Room temperature during salting should be 55°.

Tip These cheeses are typically very salty with a final content of 5-7% (about twice as salty as similar extra-hard cheeses) If you don't like it, you can modify the salting to your tastes.

Affinage Move to an aging environment at 55° - 85% RH for 8 - 12 months. Turn daily for the first month, then weekly. Rind can be rubbed with dry salt or medium brine as needed. Traditionally rubbed with dark clay mixed with oil. Alternatively, rub with a mixture of cocoa powder and oil.


shotski

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2013, 01:48:23 PM »
Thanks for the notes, and a cheese to you for a very nice looking cheese.

Offline Boofer

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2013, 02:56:09 PM »
Beautiful cheeses, Doris. I love the rustic, dark rind. Dark clay, huh?

A cheese to you for such an outstanding result and for sharing the recipe with others. I have the book and will have to take a closer look at that page.

Good job! :)

-Boofer-
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Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Offline Tiarella

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2013, 03:19:37 PM »
is the color of your cheese from dark clay or cocoa?  I have to make cheese today so maybe.......

green zebra

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2013, 07:12:55 PM »
Boofer...thanks for the cheese salute!

 If i had the dark clay (only have green...hum...maybe not) i would have used it. Instead i used cocoa/oil mixture. I would say, it is time to apply another coat.

Tiarella, if you make this cheese, please let us know how your make goes. I would definately make more of this one...i have a good feeling it is going to be a delicious success!

Offline Tiarella

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2013, 07:27:07 PM »
Boofer...thanks for the cheese salute!

 If i had the dark clay (only have green...hum...maybe not) i would have used it. Instead i used cocoa/oil mixture. I would say, it is time to apply another coat.

Tiarella, if you make this cheese, please let us know how your make goes. I would definately make more of this one...i have a good feeling it is going to be a delicious success!

I actually went with yet another Tomme today.  The curds are curing as I write this.  I'm thinking of yet another wild experiment here.   :o. I'm thinking I might bind this Tomme with two strips of bark, rather like barrel hoops.  I'm imaging these alternating bands of air circulation and close banded might produce an interesting rind.  I better keep it away from my B. Linens party area though!   :P.

green zebra

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2013, 09:52:40 PM »
Tiarella...are tommes one of your favourites to make?

I have seen bark wrapped cheeses. Cool look! Would you wash the rind before the bark??? And what kind of bark would you use?

Interesting idea!

Offline Tiarella

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2013, 11:47:04 PM »
Tiarella...are tommes one of your favourites to make?

I have seen bark wrapped cheeses. Cool look! Would you wash the rind before the bark??? And what kind of bark would you use?

Interesting idea!


I seem to turn to Tommes and Caerphillys as easy variable cheesese that have a wide range of recipes all with different results.  At least, when I want a hard cheese other than Parm.  I do love Brie and ash/bloomy cheeses as well but I'm all out of PC. 

You can check out my shitake Bries on these threads.  The bark info is described on the tutorial thread.

Here's my first make:
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10578.msg80104.html#msg80104

Here's my tutorial with so many photos to take that I forgot to salt it and ruined the batch.....sigh:
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10706.msg81364.html#msg81364

And a short thread when I was worried about some flecks of wild blue mold showing up.
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10449.msg78414.html#msg78414


I do hope my Tomme will turn out okay.  Not sure if it's the winter milk or what but it felt very soft. I gave it plenty of time at the 100 degree temp and yet the curds still seemed a bit softer than I wanted.  I finally hooped it under whey, then flipped  (that was difficult with such a soft cheese!) and put it under a bit of weight.  I am concerned that the cheese is going to have too much moisture in it.  I may brine it longer.  I hope it'll work out.  It may end up being a shorter aged washed cheese of some sort.  I bought some honey flavored whiskey and could wash it with that perhaps.  Between that and the bark it could be pretty interesting. 

Oh, and your green clay might have been just the ticket to a new exciting cheese.....maybe some rubbed dried sage in with the green clay? 

green zebra

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #12 on: March 24, 2013, 01:08:50 PM »
Tiarella,
Thank you for the thread on using bark/shittake mushrooms.....i have got alot to learn!  A)  But being the adverturer that i am, i will try this.

As green is a favourite colour of mine, i suppose, why not use the green clay and create a different look??

thanks for the inspiration!

Today, i am making gruyer using a different recipe and hoping for better results.

Doris

Salilah

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #13 on: March 24, 2013, 01:20:05 PM »
Hi Doris
Beautiful cheese!  Congratulations!
Quick question if I may - I've got the Caldwell book but there isn't a recipe on my page 292 - what is the original recipe called?
many thanks!!
S

green zebra

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Re: Amazing First Crotonese Make!
« Reply #14 on: March 24, 2013, 01:55:39 PM »
Thank you S!

As you know Caldwell doesn't offer specific recipes for cheeses. I had to read alot in her book before i decided on this recipe on page 292, titled "Extra-Hard Piquant Cheese" as this version suited me best for the crotonese i wanted to make. I think this is her only book on Artisan Cheeses??

Hope this helps you.