It was originally a Forme d'Ambert from 200 Easy Cheese Recipes. As with all the blues I've tried, I didn't ripen this one very well.
It got some lovely white mold on it along with the blue. Did I mention I forgot to pierce it after air drying (as per the recipe) and did it a few days after placing it in a ripening box? I thought I might be able to ripen this one in our concrete block tower adjacent to the house. It isn't insulated and Fall temps usually keep this tower in the 50s so I thought it would be good for blues. It was a warmer than normal October.
These cheeses (did I mention I couldn't get all the curds into my main cheese press and had to make two smaller ones as well?) have a nice, dry, rather nasty looking rind on them. Oh, they've been sitting in the ripening box in my kitchen uncovered for the last few days. They have a bit of an ammonia smell too.
So I decided to cut one of the little ones open. It has some blue development and the volunteer white mold has started to ripen it around the edges. Lovely! So I think I've got a sort of Cambazola, Tennessee-style.
Now the center paste is still firm and slightly bitter. I'm thinking if I wrap them and let them age a bit longer, they might start to taste good.
The question is:What do I wrap them in?Foil? Butcher paper? Parchment paper? I also have some fancy cheese wrapping paper for white mold ripened cheeses. But this cheese doesn't fit a category.
Thanks!
Kristin
