Way back in the Stone Ages when I ordered my first bunch of cultures, I'd been thinking that I also wanted to make Swiss in addition to lots of other things. Then I realized that I didn't really like it enough to bother, so all that PS just sat in the freezer being very very sad and lonely, watching all its little friends getting taken out and used, but never being invited to the party itself.
But a little while back there were quite a number of people posting about how they can't stand any sort of store-bought Swiss, but really liked what they made themselves. So I said to myself "hmmmmmmmmm ...." Handily, during all those discussions Sailor's original "My Baby Is Swelling" thread was referenced, so I went back and read it again. The whole thing. Then went back to the beginning, took the original recipe, and started adding notes to it from comments on every page. Back to talking to myself, I mumble "Huh. Now THIS looks like it's going to work!"
(Have attached a copy of this doc in addition to the pics.)
Well, y'all were right. It was FANTASTIC. Two things I will do differently:
1) I over-washed it. Because I ALWAYS overwash my washed curd cheeses. I LIKE them that way. But not so much with this. It actually turned out almost TOO creamy for me - which is seriously saying something. So next time we stick with the recipe wash amounts and don't go so nuts with it.
2) Never ever again will I either a) make a Baby Swiss on a hot day; or b) take it out for its warm period and then forget that it's sitting there alone on a shelf in the kitchen when it's been well into the 90's for days and the poor thing is literally melting in its bag because I forgot it was there. Ay yi yi. So that's why you shall see a nice little flat disc in the pics. DID get eyes, but they also got flattened when the poor thing melted.
Other than that, I am very very pleased with this, and Baby Swiss is now on my list of "make sure you make some regularly so you always have some on hand" cheeses. Thank you Sailor and LB, yet again, you are still my absolute most fantabulous HEROES!!! You share so much of your knowledge here and help us all, and I'm very very grateful.
