Caraway Seeds - Using In Cheese Making

[Cheese Head]

I've only used Cumin Seeds in one of my very early cheese makings and I want add Caraway seeds when making a Havarti today. As mini research, I've searched this forum and while several members have used Caraway seeds, there is little detail on Amount or Method except:

AMOUNT

• Reg in this Gouda used 1 Tablespoon of caraway seeds per 2 Canadian (UK) gallons milk (0.21 fluid ounces seeds per US gallon, 1.6 ml seeds per liter milk) and noted that it may have been too much. (Picture doesn't look too much to me.
• Reg's amount is half what I used when making Cumin Seed Gouda.

METHOD

• Reg in this Gouda boiled seeds for 15 minutes then drained the liquid from the seed, added the cooled liquid to the milk at the same time as his meso starter, then added the seeds in the curd stage (presumably after curds cooked).
• Reg's method is same as I used when making Cumin Seed Gouda.

Any recommendations on using Caraway Seeds appreciated, otherwise I'm going to do the same as above . . .

[hplace]

I have used caraway seeds in gouda at the rate of 1 Tablespoon seeds per 2 gallons. I boiled the seeds for 15 minutes in 1 cup water (add more water if it boils off). Cool and strain off the water. Add the caraway water just before adding rennet. After cooking, drain the whey and gently mix in the seeds just prior to pressing.

The caraway gouda I have made has turned out very well with great flavor.

[Cheese Head]

Thanks hplace, good idea on adding the caraway water just before renneting, just in case it interferes with the start culture getting going, I was thinking same on way back from store. I'm going to go for 1.5 tablespoons per 2 US gallons as I used higher 2 for cumin seeds in my gouda last year and wasn't I thought too many.

[zenith1]

I think you are right on there John. I used 2 tbls of Caraway seeds per 2 gallons(US) of milk and it worked well.

[Cheese Head]

Yesterday I measured 3 tablespoons/1.5 fluid ounces Caraway Seeds that I weighed at 20.5 grams/0.72 ounces (at least for the seeds I had) before using in a 4 US gallon/15.2 liter batch of whole cow's milk Havarti (were I screwed up and forgot to add the caraway seed boiling water to the milk before renneting ).

Therefore, for those in metric or those that prefere to work by weight rather than volume of seeds:

• 0.5 Tablespoon/US gallon = 0.25 fluid ounces/US gallon = 1.95 ml/liter = 0.12 ounces weight/US gallon = 0.90 gram/liter.
• 0.75 Tablespoon/US gallon = 0.375 fluid ounces/US gallon = 2.93 ml/liter = 0.18 ounces weight/US gallon = 1.35 gram/liter.
• 1 Tablespoon/US gallon = 0.50 fluid ounces/US gallon = 3.91 ml/liter = 0.24 ounces weight/US gallon = 1.80 gram/liter.
• 1.5 Tablespoon/US gallon = 0.75 fluid ounces/US gallon = 5.86 ml/liter = 0.36 ounces weight/US gallon = 2.70 gram/liter.
• 2 Tablespoon/US gallon = 1.0 fluid ounces/US gallon = 7.81 ml/liter = 0.48 ounces weight/US gallon = 3.60 gram/liter.

Yesterday I used 0.75 Tablespoon/US gallon when making a Caraway Seed flavoured Havarti, it' a matter of personal taste, but next time I think I'll go a bit higher like zenith1 to 1 tablespoon per 1 US gallon rate.

PS: I didn't know, but Wikipedia says Caraway Seeds are misnamed as they are actually dried fruit, albeit mini-fruit .

[susanne]

caraway and cumin is very similar in strength but cumin has a slightly bitter taste.
i always choose caraway over cumin.

[Cheese Head]

Yesterday, cut my 53 day old Caraway flavoured Havarti open. Picture re-posted here, below.

Seeds are not hard, but also not very soft, don't know how to make softer.

Taste is wonderful strong Caraway, but overpowers the cheese, even with forgetting to add the boiled Caraway water before renneting. Next time I think I will go 1/3 less Caraway at 0.5 Tablespoons per 1 US gallon of whole milk (see table above).

[DeejayDebi]

Looks great John. Other than to strong how was the cheese?

[goatherdess]

Funny, I was just thinking of making a caraway seed cheese tonight, and here is this post. Is it really necessary to boil the seeds first rather than just putting them in dry? What's the difference?

[DeejayDebi]

What if you crack them? Maybe a mortar and pestal or rolling pin? They'd absorb moiture better and maybe soften up?

[goatherdess]

Ok, if the point is to make them softer, then how about just soaking them in a little water or whey until they are as soft as you want them?

[Cheese Head]

Debi, the cheese is great, I wrote a little more in that thread about it.

Frankly, after 53 days inside the cheese I expected the seeds to be softer, but to be fair, my Havarti was on the dry side.

Like Debi says you could crack them in a mortar, but cheeses I've bought with Caraway seeds have whole seeds and they are softer, so there must be a way to do it. Maybe like goatherdess says, let them soak or boil them longer than the 15 minutes I did to soften them up a little.

[DeejayDebi]

Maybe you have to soak them overnight like beans?

[linuxboy]

I soak them overnight starting with very hot water when I make caraway bread. Makes them easier to chew. Never tried it in a cheese, but I think it would have a similar outcome.