Author Topic: Dressing up for Christmas  (Read 4484 times)

John@PC

  • Guest
Dressing up for Christmas
« on: December 21, 2014, 11:12:13 PM »
I decided to clear out my cave of exposed-rind pressed cheeses because we were going to be out of town.  Also I had a  bout of excessive cave humidity and subsequent mold growth :( (also due to being out of town) so thought it best to clean things up and package for Christmas giving.  There was quite a bit of surface mold: the first picture shows it after I dry brushed so it was worse than what you see.  Usually I take a knife edge to scrape unwanted surface mold but this time I used a rectangular cabinet scraper and it did a fantastic job!  Took a bit of work but got the assortment cleaned up and packaged. 

Let me add that in case you're wondering about my cheezy packaging this is the first year I've made up trays of cheese to take to friends; next year should be better :D.
« Last Edit: December 21, 2014, 11:22:42 PM by John@PC »

Offline scasnerkay

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Sunnyvale, California
  • Posts: 853
  • Cheeses: 197
  • Default personal text
Re: Dressing up for Christmas
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2014, 12:09:58 AM »
Can I be your friend too??
Susan

John@PC

  • Guest
Re: Dressing up for Christmas
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2014, 12:31:34 AM »
Can I be your friend too??
You already are Susan.  I would trade cheeses with you any time except I would feel guilty I was getting the better end of the deal! 

Offline OzzieCheese

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Australia
  • Posts: 1,507
  • Cheeses: 171
  • Sun-Grass-Cow-Milk-Cheese-Happiness
Re: Dressing up for Christmas
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2014, 01:15:25 AM »
"Better" than What ????  This spread is utterly amazing and does two things - makes me motivated to do better next year and makes me happy with my efforts as my Christmas 'Malembert's are already out the door and my Cheddars ready to be portioned and a my first Gouda should be Goudenough - I Hope.

To all a very merry Festive Season and PLEASE be safe - the world is crazy at the moment.

For Northern Hemispahere  - I hope you have Chesse, Mulled Wine, a craking fire and family to share them with.   
For those like me down South  - Cheese, an Ice cold beer, a craking fire (I'm Camping !!) and family to share them with.
And for All here : A safe and better 2015 !!

-- Mal
Usually if one person asks a question then 10 are waiting for the answer - Please ask !

Offline H-K-J

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: South East Idaho
  • Posts: 1,776
  • Cheeses: 145
  • Act as if it were impossible to fail.
    • Cookin with uh dash dogs hair
Re: Dressing up for Christmas
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2014, 01:40:43 AM »
Uneeduhcheese
we are handing out gifts also, Yet after observing yours, WE"RE NOT WORTHY!!!! WE"RE NOT WORTHY!!!!
I am sure those who receive will be most appreciative  8)
Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
http://cocker-spanial-hair-in-my-food.blogspot.com/

Offline Danbo

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Denmark, Europe, Earth, Universe
  • Posts: 1,277
  • Cheeses: 116
Re: Dressing up for Christmas
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2014, 07:20:34 AM »
Wow!!!! It looks great - a cheese for you... :-)

Offline awakephd

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: North Carolina
  • Posts: 2,351
  • Cheeses: 240
  • compounding the benefits of a free press
Re: Dressing up for Christmas
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2014, 02:29:58 PM »
Wow, what a spread! AC4U. What types of cheeses are included?

I will be taking a few cheeses to the family Christmas gathering -- a 6 month should-be-Gouda-but-isn't, the remains of an 11-month parma, an 8 month cheddar, and a little taste of a very, very strong 6 month Manchego, and a 6-week Lancashire. Unfortunately, none of them look anything as good as yours!
-- Andy

Offline OzzieCheese

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Australia
  • Posts: 1,507
  • Cheeses: 171
  • Sun-Grass-Cow-Milk-Cheese-Happiness
Re: Dressing up for Christmas
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2014, 10:34:10 PM »
Looks schmooks !  Taste.  If we went on looks I'd have given up ages ago :).  Don't fret, be happy - or something like that !!

Hell, Gouda,CHeddar,Manchago and Parmeasan - I'll send you my address and we can eat with blindfolds on - Beer (and wine) , Cheese and great company - not much better...

Merry Christmas

--Mal
Usually if one person asks a question then 10 are waiting for the answer - Please ask !

Offline OzzieCheese

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Australia
  • Posts: 1,507
  • Cheeses: 171
  • Sun-Grass-Cow-Milk-Cheese-Happiness
Re: Dressing up for Christmas
« Reply #8 on: December 24, 2014, 11:49:49 PM »
My humble offerings...
Clockwise from the back
1. 9 month old Cloth bound Cheddar
2. Double Cream 'Malembert' - my own little vanity
3. St Paulin style
Usually if one person asks a question then 10 are waiting for the answer - Please ask !

Spoons

  • Guest
Re: Dressing up for Christmas
« Reply #9 on: December 27, 2014, 09:35:12 AM »
John and Mal, what nice looking cheeses! Great job!!! John, that must have been 20 lbs of cheese! Damn!!

Now I have a sudden urge to eat some St-Paulin

John@PC

  • Guest
Re: Dressing up for Christmas
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2015, 10:07:00 PM »
Trying to catch up but thanks for the nice comments. 
What types of cheeses are included?
If I remember it was Gouda, Fontina, Cheddar, Emmental, Gruyere, Ale-washed rind (my very favorite),  Havarti and a Stilton that was so stinky I may have lost some friends :(.  There were a few smoked varieties stuck in there also.

I will repeat one thing I discovered cleaning these up to pack: the cabinet scraper (similar to this one) did so well and better (and faster) than a knife.  As Qdog can explain a cabinet scraper is just a flat sheet of carbon steel with a flat edge, and it's the edge that peels up the rind better than a beveled knife edge.  It's also great to, well, scrape cabinets :).

Offline pastpawn

  • Mature Cheese
  • ****
  • Location: Clearwater, FL
  • Posts: 251
  • Cheeses: 45
  • It aint easy being cheesy
Re: Dressing up for Christmas
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2015, 10:29:56 PM »
Just wow.  I have to step up my game.  Those cheeses look great.
- Andrew