Author Topic: My Humbolt Fog, and a thanks to everyone  (Read 3228 times)

Myrrh

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My Humbolt Fog, and a thanks to everyone
« on: September 10, 2010, 04:35:33 AM »
Hi Everyone,
I've been a bit of a silent lurker on this forum, but have learned ever so much from everyone's posts. I've been trying my hand at some mold ripened lactic cheeses based on the fabulous instructions I found here, and finally had the courage to try making the Humbolt Fog type cheese that I have been dreaming about. This cheese was made from 4 gallons of store bought milk, and aged for about 3 weeks. The taste is pretty similar to a standard Humbolt fog, but since I don't live in Humbolt county, I'll call it "Tule Fog," for the type of fog we get in this part of California.

ConnieG

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Re: My Humbolt Fog, and a thanks to everyone
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2010, 07:20:15 AM »
Ohhh that looks great!   Makes me want to try that recipe!

Mondequay

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Re: My Humbolt Fog, and a thanks to everyone
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2010, 11:30:15 AM »
Nice job, Myrrh! When it warmed up, did you get the liquidey layer just under the rind?
Christine

Myrrh

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Re: My Humbolt Fog, and a thanks to everyone
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2010, 01:54:43 PM »
There was a tiny bit, but not much. I am finding that to get that gooey layer I need to put the cheese in the fridge (not just my cave) for a while. And then the taste gets a bit stronger then I like. Part of what I like so much about Humbolt Fog is that it has a pretty mild flavor for a mold ripened cheese. I will try experimenting with it a bit more, but since the flavor was pretty on target I can't say I mind too much.

BigCheese

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Re: My Humbolt Fog, and a thanks to everyone
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2010, 01:30:51 AM »
Looks very very nice! Cheese to you.

Offline WhiteSageFarms

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Re: My Humbolt Fog, and a thanks to everyone
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2010, 09:18:13 PM »
Hi Myrrh,

Which recipe did you use for your Humbolt Fog? I've never tasted it, but it looks intriguing.
I want to make some.

I like the sound of Tule Fog, it sounds appealing!

~ Laurie
 

Hi Everyone,
I've been a bit of a silent lurker on this forum, but have learned ever so much from everyone's posts. I've been trying my hand at some mold ripened lactic cheeses based on the fabulous instructions I found here, and finally had the courage to try making the Humbolt Fog type cheese that I have been dreaming about. This cheese was made from 4 gallons of store bought milk, and aged for about 3 weeks. The taste is pretty similar to a standard Humbolt fog, but since I don't live in Humbolt county, I'll call it "Tule Fog," for the type of fog we get in this part of California.
White Sage Farms
www.whitesagefarms.com

Myrrh

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Re: My Humbolt Fog, and a thanks to everyone
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2010, 10:38:16 PM »
Hi Laurie,
Sorry it took me so long to respond. Once school starts everything else goes by the wayside. ::)
I used Alex's recipe posted here:
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1988.0.html

I used 4 gallons of milk split between to pots, and drained into two fabulous and inexpensive baskets I got at the local Chinese dollar store. I incorporated some salt into the cheese after hanging, and sprinkled more on the top during the original drying time. I drained in the baskets for about 3 days until the two halves stopped dripping, and then spread ash on the top of one half. I'd been having a problem with adding too much ash, so I added much less and spread it around with clean fingers. I dropped one half cheese on top of the other and sprinkled salt on the accessible side. I fliped the combined halves in the basket every day for another day or two sprinkling salt on the accessible side each time. When it seemed to be drying and holding together well I took it out of the baskets and let it dry on table top continuing to sprinkle with salt. Once the top was dryish to the touch I spread it with ash, flipped, and repeated. I let the whole cheese stay at room temperature until I saw the ash was more damp then wet and I was getting a smattering of mold growth. I then moved it to my cheese fridge where it aged for about 3 weeks until cut.

In the end I did get the softening at the edges, and I was quite pleased with the final product. I took half the round to school and was surprised to find that a group of mostly twenty somethings devoured it within the hour.

Offline WhiteSageFarms

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Re: My Humbolt Fog, and a thanks to everyone
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2010, 06:39:59 AM »
Thanks for all the info! I want to try making some soon. Do you have photos of the baskets from the dollar store? There are dollar stores all over the place here, so I'd like to see if I can find the same or similar to what you bought there. I'm going to save your tips and bookmark Alex's recipe so I can go back and give it a try. I made a big mess the first time I tried using the ash... I bought it in capsules from the health food section at Fred Meyer... I'm going to spend an hour emptying them into a salt shaker with tiny holes  ;)

Thanks again!
Laurie

Hi Laurie,
Sorry it took me so long to respond. Once school starts everything else goes by the wayside. ::)
I used Alex's recipe posted here:
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1988.0.html

I used 4 gallons of milk split between to pots, and drained into two fabulous and inexpensive baskets I got at the local Chinese dollar store... In the end I did get the softening at the edges, and I was quite pleased with the final product. I took half the round to school and was surprised to find that a group of mostly twenty somethings devoured it within the hour.
White Sage Farms
www.whitesagefarms.com

Tea

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Re: My Humbolt Fog, and a thanks to everyone
« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2010, 07:41:08 PM »
Myrrh, here is something you could try next time you apply ash.  I have been tired of getting ash everywhere, and over everything when I have been applying it.  Last time I applied, I decided to try applying it with a pastry brush.  Just touch the end of the brush into the ash, then gently wipe over the surface of the cheese.  I found that I didn't get the ash clouds forming, or get ash over every available surface.  Also I could get a nice thin layer of ash.

HTH's

ALso congrats on the cheese.  Tha's look wonderful, and is one that I have been wanting to try.  Might have to now.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: My Humbolt Fog, and a thanks to everyone
« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2010, 03:32:26 AM »
Those cam out very nice Myrrh. Good job!