I've been making this one since Thursday and must say this is the strangest cheese that I have made.
Recipe came from 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes (p. 245). "It is often referred to as the French Cheddar because, of all the French cheeses, it is the only one made using a process that is similar to the one used to make cheddar."
OK.... sort of.
This is a really easy and quick cheese to make ...sort of. Heat milk to 86, add Meso, ripen 15 minutes, add rennet, set for 1 hour, cut to pea sized curds, set for 5 minutes, and drain in a cloth lined colander. NOTE - this is an uncooked cheese and because of the high moisture content, this makes a HUGE mass of curds, even after draining.
Now the fun begins. Let the curds form a spongy mass, then cut into slabs. These do NOT get cooked, stacked or "cheddared". Press at light pressure for 12 hours. (I had to use an 8" hoop because there were so many curds). Flip, redress and press lightly for ANOTHER 12 hours. NOW, you break the pressed wheel into 1 inch cubes and salt like a cheddar. I can tell you, after 24 hours, the curds definitely had developed a sharp acidic taste. After salting, it goes back into the hoop and presses under HEAVY pressure for 36 to 48 hours. Flip 3 or 4 times during the first 24 hours. After a total of 3 days in the press, the cheese lost about 75% of it's original volume. It is about 1/3 shorter than my traditional Cheddars.
Very odd, but I somehow suspect this is going to be a great tasting cheese.
