Author Topic: Cracked another Stilton......Oh man!  (Read 2648 times)

Likesspace

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Cracked another Stilton......Oh man!
« on: March 10, 2009, 01:44:09 AM »
Hi guys...
Last night I cracked another one of my Stiltons. Unfortunately I did not take any pics of the event since I am so sore from my racquetball tournament that it was a major undertaking, simply to walk into the kitchen.
This is one that I pretty much figured would be a failure. It did have a rind that was somewhat brown and was extremely hard. Also, there was no "give" to the cheese when pressed with a thumb. In short I thought this one had dried out on me and would not be good for anything more than grating.
Well folks, all I can say is what a surprise I got!
This cheese is quite hard yet it's also got a very smooth mouth feel.
The texture is about like a softish parmesan or a firm cheddar.
Even though it is hard, the creaminess of the cheese really comes through and the flavor is out of this world!
This particular cheese is about 12 weeks old which I've decided is my new target for a Stilton. I might still crack a few of them at 8 weeks (since I also like the soft creamy texture of one that age) but this is no doubt the best example of this style of cheese that I've made to date.
Once I open one of the packages I put into the freezer I'll snap a pic or two. I figure if I wait another month or so, I'll be over this soreness and taking a picture won't seem like quite such an undertaking. :-)
Btw......I came home with a second place trophy in doubles and ummmm.....well lets just say I got my butt kicked in the singles competetion.
All in all I was pretty happy since I was forced to play in the A division in singles even though I'm only a B level player.
Also, I'm 46 years old and was playing a bunch of 25 - 30 year old kids. They probably didn't even notice any discomfort after the tournament, even though I was hobbling through the house like a 90 year old man.
Okay, I'm rambling.

Dave

Cheese Head

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Re: Cracked another Stilton......Oh man!
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2009, 01:49:56 AM »
Dave, congrats on the Stilton and the Raquetball!

As cookie monster says, "must have pictures".

Cheese Head

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Re: Cracked another Stilton......Oh man!
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2009, 02:17:29 AM »
PS: Dave, any problem with freezing blues, don't they get crumblier when thaw?

Also do you wrap and freeze in alum foil?

Thx, J.

Captain Caprine

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Re: Cracked another Stilton......Oh man!
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2009, 04:05:12 AM »
Dave,
Congrats on the cheese and the racquetball.  I'm 46 too and my knees gave out on racquetball about 7 years ago after the 3rd surgery.  I'm sore enough after an archery shoot yesterday.  Gettin' old sucks :P
CC

Likesspace

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Re: Cracked another Stilton......Oh man!
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2009, 12:20:49 AM »
John....
I probably never would have tried freezing my Stilton if not for the information I found on the Stilton making website that has been posted several times on this forum.
According to this site, there is no problem with freezing a Stilton for up to 3 months, (although I've not gone much over a month, simply because I eat too much).
When I freeze the cheese I do the following:
Double wrap in saran wrap (plastic film) and then double wrap in aluminum foil.
Last weekend I took a piece out of the freezer to take to the racquetball tournament and the cheese had not suffered one bit from being frozen. It still sliced very well and was just as creamy and smooth as the day I cut it open.
This particular cheese had been in the freezer for a little over a month and I was very impressed with how well it handled the freezer.

C.C.,
I'm with you on the getting old thing.
I'm just now starting to experience some problems with my left knee but it only bothers me during extended times of exercise. I've pretty much stopped running because of it but I just can't stop the racquetball addiction. I've certainly lost a step or two over the past 20 years, but I really do love the sport.
One of our oldest members (64) just recently had a knee replaced and expects to be back on the court within another month or so. The kicker is that he is by far the best player at our club and was the Illinois state champion back in the mid eighties.
When we play singles I'm very lucky to score four or five points on him in a 15 point game. My point is that experience is much more important than atheletic ability.

Dave