my Gruyere

[SueVT]

took photos from this weekend's cheesemaking (and a finished Gruyere), on the blog:

[mtncheesemaker]

Very nice!
Pam

[Alex]

Looks good Sue, I've made Gruyere only once and it turned out too dry. After I'll "overcome the trauma" , I'll give it another try.

How long did you age it?

[SueVT]

I age it for at least five months. 
Any less than that, and it doesn't have enough flavor.  You can let it go much longer though..

[Alex]

I aged mine for 8 months in a not enough humid environment. I still have half of it, 13 months "old" being a very good grating cheese.

[Sailor Con Queso]

I agree. 5 months is my minimum. One of the "tricks" to Gruyere is to add a pinch of Propionic shermanii like a true Swiss. Adds a few eyes and gives it a better flavor.

[Alex]

I'll do that next time.

[SueVT]

Me too!
Sue

[DeejayDebi]

Very nice looking texture Sue. Great looking cheese!

[Amatolman]

SueVT:

Would you mind sharing the recipe you used?

[Cornelius]

That's a beautiful cheese!

I also love amazingly consistent interior you have and the thin rind after 5 months of aging. Do you mind sharing how you age it (humidity/temp) and how you treat the rind (wash/wipe/culture)?

Thanks!

[Brie]

Looks wonderful, Sue--I've also had the same problem as others with too thick of a rind--did you vac pac?

[SueVT]

Hi,

I try to keep the humidity up by aging the cheese in plastic boxes, in a fridge dedicated to the purpose...