I, like many here, have a favorite type and favorite brand of cheese.
For me, it's Rembrandt's Gouda.
This is the type of cheese I would ultimately like to create.
I was thinking last night, as I often do, about what cultures would be required. So I did a bit of research and there seems to be some leeway.
Most standard gouda recipes call for cultures that contain:
(LL) Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
(LLC) Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
(LLD) Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis
Others add:
(LMC) Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris
So, I was wondering, can I call Rembrandt and ask? They probably would not divulge that information. So next I thought, "Can I somehow obtain a starter culture from the cheese itself?"
I mean, the enzymes are still technically alive, right?
Here is what I was thinking. Crush a sample of the actual cheese, combine that with some whole pasteurized milk, and then leaving it sit at room temp for about 12-18 hours.
I cannot think of a reason why that would not work.
Thoughts?