Author Topic: Fresh cheese with a twist, ideas before consumption?  (Read 2519 times)

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Fresh cheese with a twist, ideas before consumption?
« on: December 08, 2017, 03:16:52 AM »
Ok, the new cheese has a New Cheese... Long story short I intended to make a fresh cheese for company tomorrow that was fast and tasty and didn't want to work that much at it after making two other batches this week. So I heated 6lts of 2 day old springtime skim home-pasteurized jersey cow milk to 88F, added 1 tsp diluted rennet powder, stirred and let sit for 15-20 mins until a very clean break was formed. cut into 1/2in cubes then again diagonally, let sit 5 mins then put in cheese cloth. No cheese moulds yet so when I had gotten most all the whey out, salted with 1 1/2tsp ground sea salt added 3 sprigs of parsley and 1 rosemary chopped fine mixed in, I twisted the cloth and weighted it (Probably about 10 lbs) for about 5 hours.
Was quite surprised with the results, it was beautiful and firm with a firm skin and nice consistency inside. Not crumbly, not soggy, not overly creamy but still nice. I would so love to age it I thought when I saw it. Soo.... Now I have questions and lots of them.
This cheese, which was made as a fresh cheese but now firm and compact, could it be aged and turn out? If I was to do it again, what should I do differently so as to age it? Select cultures are not avail where I live but I do have kefir grains and could isolate thermophillic cultures out if need be. Ideas?
 

Offline Al Lewis

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Re: Fresh cheese with a twist, ideas before consumption?
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2017, 04:24:54 PM »
Did you boil the parsley and rosemary before adding it?  Typically this is required for an aged cheese.  I even do it for my fresh cheeses.
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Re: Fresh cheese with a twist, ideas before consumption?
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2017, 04:48:18 PM »
No, I did not... Good detail. Washed in bleach water though.

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Re: Fresh cheese with a twist, ideas before consumption?
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2017, 08:21:07 PM »
Ok, update and new question...

First off, the cheese was marvelous for a quick, tasty, shred-able cheese to top things and look pretty. A bit squeaky, and melts ever so slightly. Best part was that it took about 2hrs from cow to table. Sits shredded in a bowl nicely, doesn't stick.

Question. I have looked extensively for the answer already but have not found it so I will ask the fair community of Cheeseforum.org to assist me. This cheese, Cheese #8 as I call it made me wonder: "Can a 'fresh' cheese melt with age?" I am beginning to understand the concept of casein proteins, acids, etc but as #8 is a fresh cheese and has an ability to melt, could this be enhanced (and melt more in the future) by aging it?

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Offline awakephd

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Re: Fresh cheese with a twist, ideas before consumption?
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2017, 12:00:13 AM »
pH has an effect on meltability - if the pH is too high it won't melt. Since you had no culture in this cheese, it shouldn't acidify, so the pH will remain relatively high. Add some culture and you'll get a pH drop; then stop it at the target pH with salt and cold.
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