I Finally Did it Crosta Rossa Pistacchi Cheese! - Update!

[DeejayDebi]

I only soak this once for 24 hours so I guess in some respects it's similar ...

[Bella]

Hi Debi
I have my first Crosta Rossa Pistacchi in the press as of an hour ago. It even smelt good at this stage - I can't wait for the end-result!!
B

[DeejayDebi]

I love it and like most cheeses it get better with age.

[Zoey]

Debi, you say:

Young I'd have to say it is something like a buttery havarti soft and pastey and mild flavored, but with a young parmesan flavor. When it is aged it is stronger and crumblier.

I'd love to eat both young and aged, so maybe I'll try this one. But when you say young or aged, how long time do you refer to? Is 60 days still young?

[Boofer]

Debi - I just found this thread and I love the look of your cheeses.

This is a question for you and anyone else adding nuts, seeds, spices, herbs, etc. to the curds:
How high is the risk for infection/spoilage from adding these things? I would always be concerned I'm introducing some outside influence into my pristeen cheese curds, just asking for trouble. Should that really be a concern of mine?  ???

-Boofer-

[Sailor Con Queso]

Most dry items are OK. Just handle as little as possible. Use a spoon, not your hands. The "good" bacteria will out compete the bad. Higher moisture items MIGHT be problematic. That give contaminants, especially spores, more of a place to hide and gain a foothold. However, many of us add dried fruit, etc which has some moisture.

I did a Blueberry Emmental about 45 days ago that I won't open until Thanksgiving. Have no idea how that's going to turn out, but it looks really cool.

[Boofer]

Sailor - I saw the thread on your blueberry emmental. That should be interesting. The closest I've seen to that is a blueberry or apricot Stilton. Thanks for the detail on added goodies.

-Boofer-

[DeejayDebi]

I have added nuts without problem. Everything used to chop, scoop etc. are sterilized and I would hope the nuts are clean too. I have used nuts in other cheeses without a problem.

I agree that you should try to use dried additions. Fresh veggies just don't work well. I don't know about the blueberries that I have never tried but I do have dehydrated ones I have decided what to try on yet.

[Bella]

Hi Debi
Since making the first of these cheeses, I have of course, told a heap of people about it. They all want a taste when it is ready to eat!!!!!  There have been so many, that I made a second one – it went into the wine 5 minutes ago. The first one looks fabulous.

I live in a rural area, and obtaining Italian wine is a bit difficult, and the best I could do in a 30km radius was Lambrusco, so I hope it goes well.
B

[DeejayDebi]

I soaked one years ago in this cheapo stuck called Yago Sangria - it's sweet but made a good taste for the cheese. If you like the wine it will be good.

I have not opened mine yet. I think I will open one at 6 month and one at a year. I do split batches. One goes to work for the guys and one goes to the family.

Hope you like it. It's one of my favorites I know the nuts will be good.

[Bella]

Hi Debi
I couldn't wait any longer, and so have cut my first Crosta Rossa Pistacchi. Wow!! What a cheese, and it's certainly one that will be a regular around here, that's for sure. It was a tad disconcerting in the last few weeks when the grey mould covered all that beautiful wine-coloured coating, but it made for a point of interest when taken back with vinegar for the rind was a lovely shade of black-grey and looked good against the colour of the paste.

Many thanks for passing this one on - it's really, really nice. But I don't know how you can manage to hang on for 6 months, let along 12!!! I have a second one in the wine fridge, but I doubt that it is going to be there very long!

I'll post some pics of the cheese at various stages
B

[Bella]

And here's the last photo of the final product
B

[DeejayDebi]

WOW that looks awsome! I don't usually lt the mold take hold but it will give it a great flavor. This is one of the cheeses my grandmother made that she brought here from the old country as she called it - Italy. Of course she didn't add the pistashios but the cheese is hers and apparently was her mothers too.

Glad you like it. I thin it is a pretty simple cheese with wonderfully complex flavors. The older it gets the more complex the flavor. Salute'!

[Boofer]

Bella - So how does it taste? Seems like if the mold took hold you would end up with a mustiness which might overpower the delicateness of the pistachios.

-Boofer-

[DeejayDebi]

I am very sensitive to mold it makes me sneeze and itch so I do my darnedest to keep it away. I can alway tell if any mold got on my cheeses no mater how well I wash them.