Fourme de Parkland (Fourme d’Amberg #3)

[Boofer]

Edited August 3rd: I decided to localize the name of this make. My village of Parkland translates to "espaces mpl verts" 
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I finally got back to this style after three years. My two earlier efforts were interesting.

This follows the basic recipe in Fourme d’Amberg #2 with minor changes: milk was 3 gallons, no LM057, 1/16 tsp dry calf rennet, 1/4 tsp PRB18 (2011), 1/16 tsp PLA, and brining time was 10 hours.

The PR has a best by date of 2011...hopefully, it will proceed without problems. This cheese should be ready sometime in October.

It's in the cave now inside its minicave. It's pretty lonely in there...no other cheeses around.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

After two weeks, the geo has been joined by some bluing.

Washing with a light PLA brine....  So far, so good.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

Three weeks in and it's time to pierce for some blues action. 

The rind is marvelously clear except for the light Geo presence. There is some evidence of blues trying to gain a foothold on the little nooks and crannies on the surface, so I expect the blue to populate fairly soon.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

I expected to cut this cheese today, but it showed that it just wasn't ready.

All wrapped up and put into the colder big fridge for slower ripening.

-Boofer-

[Stinky]

Pretty, though.

[Boofer]

Today I decided to open the cheese paper and see what the blue was doing.

I saw that the blue had indeed progressed but that the paste was still underdeveloped. Six wedges got vacuum-sealed to stop the bluing and maybe help the paste to smooth out a bit more.

I enjoyed some of the cheese drizzled with honey along with some fresh Bosc pear slices. Yum!

-Boofer-

[Al Lewis]

That cheese looks amazing Boofer!  Despite any drawbacks I think you had a near perfect end product.  Wish I made it.   AC4U my friend!!  What was the total ripening time both in and out of the big fridge?

[Boofer]

Thanks, Al.

The cheese was wrapped in cheese paper and in the big, colder fridge for just shy of a month.

I've been fairly successful with some other semi-soft or semi-hard cheeses and I'd like to make one of them, inoculating it after two months. With a total affinage of four months, that would give the blue two months to settle in. But that would be a different cheese style.

-Boofer-

[OzzieCheese]

Hey Boof... A cheese to from me.  I like the 'delayed' bluing action. It does look a nice cheese.  Not a rip snorter back of the throat blue assault but a sophisticated caress of the palate.  Well done

-- Mal 

[olikli]

Looks wonderful! I'd love to try that. My first cheese goes to you.

[Boofer]

Thanks, guys.

This morning I sliced some onto sweet, homegrown tomatoes set atop sourdough bread and melted wonderfully under heat.

Too bad I hadn't baked the bread...my tomatoes and my cheese.

-Boofer-

[Al Lewis]

I can recommend a great book for bread making.    Reinhart is the last word in bread making.