Simplest Pressed Cheese To Make?

[nuthinbotjoy]

The extent of my cheesemaking expertise is Fromage Blanc, if that gives you any clue. I attempted my first cheddar yesterday(yay!) and it went well. I comes out of the press at 10am.

I'll quit the small talk...my 14yr old daughter really wants to try a pressed cheese, but the cheddar intimidated her, any suggestions for a less involved pressed cheese? Thanks guys. ~ Jenn

[ArnaudForestier]

I'd personally suggest a tomme - because I tend to like them, I wanted to make them, and as Pav (linuxboy), Iratherfly and others have shown, it's a very forgiving cheese for beginners.  The "press" can really be nothing more sophisticated than a gallon water jug. 

I've got 3 going, these were my 1st 3 aged cheeses, and I can tell you I've learned so much with every one of them.  Anyway, my $0.02.

Paul

[iratherfly]

What part of the cheese does she find intimidating? What cheese does she actually like?

Pressed cheese does take time to learn to do right so try to give her only the best. Over-acidification, contamination, incorrect rinding, salting techniques and inaccurate temperatures often plague new cheesemakers and they won't know that what they did in the first 30 minutes made or destroyed their cheese until months later, when it gets opened.  Tomme is more forgiving and liberal and can be made very mild if you want to.

I suspect however that if Cheddar intimidates her, then she may have hard time with any home made cheese, let-alone one with a name she never heard before, not to mention home-grown mold. It's just a question of how does she cognitively recognize cheese and what is it about it that spooks her. Does she have any diagnosed fear of food? (excuse the very personal question; usually kids far younger consume supermarket cheddar regularly.  I have a good friend who has a diagnosed phobia of white foods. There is also a similar phobia for yellow foods, smells, bacteria in food, dairy etc.)

[morfeo]

You can try Gouda is an easy cheese and the flavor is not to strong, my 4 years old daughter and my 1 1/5 year old son love it

[Tomer1]

I'd go for gouda since its requires pressing under whey which offers a perfect kneat which is the most important thing in pressed cheeses.
Since I found it difficult to ladle all the curds out once they sink to the bottom I just drain the entire pot into a collander (keeping the whey-water mixture), return the whey to main pot heat it to required temp, put a perforated  mould into the pot and dump all the curds into it followed by the follower ,giving it a good squize to compact the curds and put a filled 2L water bottle on it.

[nuthinbotjoy]

I'd personally suggest a tomme - because I tend to like them,....

Thank you for the suggestion, I'll have her look that one over. That's a new one to me too.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Havarti. Washed curd cheese, so it's hard to over acidify. Moist, so it ripens quickly. Ready to eat much quicker than a Gouda.

[nuthinbotjoy]

What part of the cheese does she find intimidating? What cheese does she actually like?

Well, after thinking your questions over, I think I need to become more confident making cheese as it does stress me out a bit following all the directions, temps, times etc. I make it look hard and I need to relax and enjoy it more.

She loves really any cheese, no problem there! I am thinking I need to pull her along side me and make a few more cheddars, which I planned to make anyhow, and we can both learn together. She is fascinated by the cheese press itself. After two years of Chevre and Fromage, it intrigues everyone watching in the home!


I know she loves Feta, maybe I'll offer that one up, too. I love the fact she has taken an interest in it.

[nuthinbotjoy]

Havarti. Washed curd cheese, so it's hard to over acidify. Moist, so it ripens quickly. Ready to eat much quicker than a Gouda.

Boy, you guys are giving me so many good ideas! Thank you everyone, I am writing this all down. ~Jenn

[george]

I was going to say Havarti, too.  Although the Lancashire isn't a bad idea either, if you're into the cheddars anyway.  Much shorter make and press time than regular cheddar.

[KosherBaker]

Yet another option might be Queso Blanco. Technically speaking it is a pressed cheese. Very simple to make. Ready to eat in three days. And you can purchase the commercial version in the store and compare it to the one you two made. I happen to love this cheese along with the ones that are more difficult to make so I make it often as well.
Here's the recipe I've been using so far:
U. of Guelph