Flavoring and coating chevre

[narnia]

When is the best time to flavor the chevre and / or coat the outside of a log of chevre and store in fridge?  Is it best to do these things just prior to serving the cheese?

I had flavored one of my logs with blueberries and coated with chopped pecans and stored in fridge.  The pecans were soggy the next day and looked whitish...I was afraid of the pecans molding.

The one that I had rolled in fresh chives were fine, but I would think that rolling a log in dried herbs would produce the same result...soggy herbs. 

[narnia]

Anyone?

[Stinky]

Sorry, this is one area I have no idea about.

Also sorry but I just ran out of message space this hour. 

[Gregore]

I have done very little of chèvre with herbs on the out side but the little I did do  it did not get soggy . So I suspect that maybe your curd is still a little wet . You might be able to press it very lightly in some kind of mold while still in the cheese cloth / bag.  Maybe half  to  3/4 of the weight of the cheese  pressed for the last few hrs of draining .

[SOSEATTLE]

I usually mix my chevre flavoring agents into the cheese, but have occaisionally rolled in nuts. I do that when the draining cheese has reached the texture I'm looking for. If it is too soggy for your taste try experimenting and letting it drain longer. I prefer my chevre a little more on the drier side if I'm going to flavor it.



Susan

[narnia]

I usually mix my chevre flavoring agents into the cheese, but have occaisionally rolled in nuts. I do that when the draining cheese has reached the texture I'm looking for. If it is too soggy for your taste try experimenting and letting it drain longer. I prefer my chevre a little more on the drier side if I'm going to flavor it.

Susan

Doesn't hanging it longer cause it to continue fermenting?  I wonder...can I use a weight to press out the liquid instead of hanging it?

[Stinky]

Chevre is not a very strong cheese. The curds are way more fragile than they would be from a hard cheese. That's kind of the danger with using a weight.

[narnia]

Maybe a light weight...

[SOSEATTLE]

Doesn't hanging it longer cause it to continue fermenting?

Not really. I salt the curd as I am putting it in the bag or mold I am using to drain with. The salting slows down the fermentation. Also, I find the salt helps the curd to draing faster.


Susan

[lovinglife]

I also salt mine, I let mine get pretty dry and I can still form it into little balls or logs, one of my favorite combinations is dried cranberries cinnamon and a swirl of honey.  It goes good on a spinach salad if not too sweet and I love it with crackers if on the sweeter side.  Don't have to worry about those add ins getting soggy.  For savory I like horseradish mixed in with some crispy bacon, yum or fresh garlic diced and mixed, I don't keep them around long though, need to be eaten up which has never been a problem.  Sometimes I roll them in dried herbs and ferment in olive oil, always a big hit.

[narnia]

Soseattle and Loving life, this is very interesting! 

Are you saying that right after the curd has formed and you scoop it out of the pot, you add salt?  How do you mix it in?  Put in another pot and mix through the curds?  I was under the impression that one had to be very gentle with these curds and barely disturb them as they were being transferred into the bags to drain...

[SOSEATTLE]

I salt in layers. Scoop some of the curd into whatever I'm using to drain the curd, sprinkle with salt, then another layer of curd, sprinkle with salt, continue until done. I always sprinkle with salt over the top of the last layer.



Susan.

[lovinglife]

I scoop my curds into the cheese cloth and hang for the day, then open the cloth and mix in the salt, I just stir it in good and let it hang a little longer.  By now it is kind of crumbly and you can shape it or put in containers.  Sometimes I don't hang as long then mix it up good and add a little milk or cream and use as cottage cheese.  It really isn't cottage cheese but it tastes great.

[narnia]

I salt in layers. Scoop some of the curd into whatever I'm using to drain the curd, sprinkle with salt, then another layer of curd, sprinkle with salt, continue until done. I always sprinkle with salt over the top of the last layer.

Susan.

About how much salt do you use per gallon of milk?  What kind of salt?  We have Himalayan salt for all of our cooking and dining so I have been using it.  Is it OK to use?

[narnia]

I scoop my curds into the cheese cloth and hang for the day, then open the cloth and mix in the salt, I just stir it in good and let it hang a little longer.  By now it is kind of crumbly and you can shape it or put in containers.  Sometimes I don't hang as long then mix it up good and add a little milk or cream and use as cottage cheese.  It really isn't cottage cheese but it tastes great.

How long do you hang it initially? 12 hours?  24?  "Then let it hang a little longer"...how do you know when to take it down?

Would it work if I put the curds into a cylindrical chevre mold for the second draining after salting?