I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this cheese was to make, I used DeejayDebi's recipe I found here on the boards... The only thing I didn't find in her recipes was the amount of weight she used during pressing, so I used 5lbs while pressing under whey x15minutes (twice) then drained the whey and pressed at 10lbs x15minutes (twice) then 15lbs x1hour (twice) then 25lbs for 8hours....for all the pressing except the last 8hrs I kept my mold inside my milk pot in a sink of warm water (this is Sailor's method of "pressing in the Pot") and I got a beautiful tight knit on my curds! Really, though, I think if you use your preferred pressing method for a firm paste cheese it'll work fine...I am learning that it's ok to make things up as you go and still end up with wonderful cheeses! I can't wait to taste this cheese...it is going to be so good!
Debi's Ingredients:
7 gallons milk (I used 2 gallons, 1 gallon 2% and 1 gallon whole)
1/2 teasppon Mesophilic Aromatic Type B (I used Flora Danica)
1 cup chopped pistachios (I used 1/3 cup)
3/4 teaspoon Rennet
Salt
Procedure:
Heat milk to 86°F.
Add a few drops of diluted annatto (you are looking for off white)
Add a mesophilic culture ripen for 45 minutes.
Add rennet
Cut curd into 1/2 inch pieces and rest 5-10 minutes.
Now cut curd with a whisk into rice sized pieces.
Raise the temperature slowly to 95-96°F stirring gently.
Continue stirring for about 30-45 minutes to firm up curds.
Maintain 90°F and drain the whey down to the curd level but retain the whey.
Warm your cheese cloth in the whey and line your molds.
If you choose to add pistachios mix them with the curds a this point.
As you fill your molds with cheese, return them to the pot of whey.
Once all of the molds have been filled, flip them over, rewrap and stack them.
This will help them drain and get a smooth rind.
After 20-30 minutes flip the cheeses rewrap and press with a light weight.
I will flip and repress the cheese every hour until bedtime.
Leave cheeses in the mold and let sit over night.
Next morning remove from the molds and pat dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle kosher salt all over a plate big enough to hold the cheese.
Roll the cheese on the salt to get it on the sides and rub it on gently.
Flip the cheese to salt both sides and let it rest for 24 hours.
This will extract more whey and add salt to the cheese.
Repeat this step again twice more for 24 hours each time.
NOTE: you could just do a heavy brine solution and wet brine the cheeses.
Wash the cheeses with a mixture of salt and water to remove the loose salt.
Pour a sweet red wine into a container large enough to hold the cheeses.
Soak cheeses in the wine for 24 hours. Turn the cheeses every few hours.
This is where the name comes from.
Next dry the cheeses and wash them with cheese cloth and salt water brine.
Age at 52-58°F and 95-97% humidity in covered boxes for 45 to 60 days.
Turn the cheeses daily. If mold develops wash with cheesecloth and brine.
Salute’!
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Hopefully this is clearer. But to directly answer your question. Wash off the salt first in a salted water wash or whey from the process mixed with salt ( A teaspoons in a cup of whey or water will do) then dry the cheeses with paper towels.
No salt just wine. This will sit also for about 24 hours. It can sit for up to 2 or 3 days if you want. Wipe the wine off and air dry like normal and start to age. It pretty good as a mild snack or table cheese after a month but will develop a nice strong flavor after about 6 months.
If you dry salt it twice for 24 hours each you don't brine it. If you brine it do a heavy brine of about 2 pounds of salt to 1 gallon of whey or water.
Yes the chopped nuts are added just before hooping. Hope you like it.
