Author Topic: Asiago aging alternative?  (Read 1822 times)

supreme744

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Asiago aging alternative?
« on: June 05, 2010, 07:21:09 AM »
OOPs....wrong forum...but close.  Will move.

Fourth Cheese attempt...the first three went fine and now I'm at a crossroads with a Asiago batch that is still in the press.  Going into the summer months, I realized I do not really have the space to age (ripening container) Asiago in my very small retrofitted refrigerator during the hot summer months.  I should have made this cheese in the early fall so I could age it outside of the fridge in a ripening container within cooler part of my house. 

I'm still a novice at this thing, so here goes the question.  Following a saturated 18% brine and air drying for several days, what would be the end result if I were to wax, or vacuum seal the cheese for a 6 plus month aging period in my 50-55 degree fridge,  My intent is to have a shaveable, or grateable Asiago.  I know it's not right aesthetically and that I will not obtain the full flavor of the Asiago variety, but I have to do something to age this cheese in a manner I can presently accommodate.  Not much info on this site for Asiago, but I suppose I would be in the same dilemma if I were speaking of aging a Parmesan or Romano in wax or wrap.   Any comments, or alternatives.   

« Last Edit: June 05, 2010, 02:59:31 PM by supreme744 »

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Asiago aging alternative?
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2010, 05:54:53 PM »
If you have a cool basement that will help. You can seal the cheese in wax, bandage or vacuum seal after sufficently air drying and age it in the coolest place in your house or in the warmest spot in your regular fridge until you have space in your cave. Keep in mind in the fridge it will take about 3 times as long to reach the same level of aging.

MrsKK

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Re: Asiago aging alternative?
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2010, 02:44:20 PM »
my cheese "cave" is a cabinet in my basement.  As our basement is a walk-out, by the middle of May the cabinet temp is about 60 degrees, so too warm to keep the cheeses there.  I then move them to the warmest spot in one of my spare fridges, as Debi suggested, and there it stays until the fall when temps drop enough again.  It does take them longer to age, but is the only solution I have to my dilemma.