Tomme #01 - The Start of the Heritage Project

[pliezar (Ian)]

I mentioned in a previous topic that I am exploring my cultural heritage by making some cheeses that are made where my "people" come from.  The first stop on this journey is France (Reader's Digest Condensed Version for now).  At the end of the 1600's beginning of the 1700's (I am confirming the exact date) two brothers (Marc and Andre Benoit) had an argument with there father in France and decided that they would take a land grant in New France (Quebec) in the area that would become Lennoxville.  So in honor of my ancestors I have made a French Tomme (200 Cheeses Thermo Version) and in honor of my parents I have soaked it in a wine that they use to make Merlot.  I have use at Stonehouse Creek Merlot.  There will be more detail at my blog, when I get the information from our family historian (My Mother)

Here are some pictures of it after the first soak in the Merlot.  It will get 2 more swims in the pool.  On a side note when I flipped it in the wine this morning I stood over the sink smelling the wine for a good 5 minutes....I love Merlot!

[CheeseSnipe]

looks awesome! Now the real question is, will you drink that sink full of wine now that you are done soaking cheese in it?

[pliezar (Ian)]

Well the container was in the sink, and now it is back in the fridge, I just put the ice cream pail I use in the sink so I don't spill. I like cheese and Merlot, but I don't know if I could knock back a glass of Mercheese, or would that be Cheeslot?

[pliezar (Ian)]

So the other day I took a look at the rind on the cheese and it had some white mould on it so I figured maybe I should check it out.  It had some wispy white hairs on it, maybe a 2mm by 2mm section, the rest was white and powdery.  I read some where that wispy hair like one is not the good stuff so I washed the rind down with a Brine with a little red wine vinegar in it.  Would that count as overkill?

I check on it this afternoon after I got home from work the igloo was at 58F and it had a really good smell to it.  It no longer had a strong wine smell, but a good earthy mushroom smell to it.

I am wondering am I in the right zone so to speak? 

Should I still wash the rind with more of the brine and if so how often do you think?

I am hoping to take this cheese out to the my father in law's cottage in July as a gift and I really would like to get it "right"

Cheers

[Tomer1]

Well since your not trying to grow anything on it (right?) I would say when ever you see something growing on which you dont want just wipe it down.

 

[pliezar (Ian)]

Thanks,

I guess I would have come to that conclusion if I had thought about it a bit instead of obsessing about every little detail. I think I need to relax about it.

Cheers

[pliezar (Ian)]

Well the time had come for us to try the Tomme, after the wine soak, and mold fighting I vacuum sealed it, but had to change the bag a few times due to liquid in the bag.   We(my son and I) decided it would be a nice gesture to give some of it as a gift.  I have to say that it was very mild in flavour and the paste is firm yet creamy. The wine was a disappointment, as I was hopping it would add to the flavour profile, there was just a hint of it if you eat the rind.  There were a few tiny holes, but I was not concerned.  I recently bought a Tomme de Savoir at a cheese shop and it had the small holes too.  I am not sure if I would do the wine soak again, but who knows.  Here is the only picture  I thought to take before cutting it up further and bagging it.

[Boofer]

Looks very tasty.

I did a Tomme de Merlot not too long ago. The wine had some salt added to it to act as a wine-brine soak. It helped to control any unanticipated growth on the rind. After some affinage, I cut it. The wine merely gave color to the rind but contributed no distinctive character to the cheese.

-Boofer-

[stoneyridge]

I love the idea of making 'Cheeses of my heritage' - I may need to try this as well.  Cheese looks wonderful.  I plan on trying a 'drunken goat cheese' this weekend, but haven't decided on what type of wine to use for the soak.  I'm thinking Pinot Noir.  Has anyone tried that?

D

[darius]

I started with the cheese my great-grandparents probably ate in Wales before they came to the USA... Caerphilly. I'm still working on it... a couple were outstanding, a couple were so-so, and a couple were edible but that's all I could say for them.

Great concept!

[pliezar (Ian)]

Looks very tasty.

I did a Tomme de Merlot not too long ago. The wine had some salt added to it to act as a wine-brine soak. It helped to control any unanticipated growth on the rind. After some affinage, I cut it. The wine merely gave color to the rind but contributed no distinctive character to the cheese.

-Boofer-

Thanks Boofer,

I did find that the Merlot gave a nice aroma to to the cheese.  I am glad to see that I am not the only one to, dare I say, show some disappointment in the whole wine soak.  I added both salt and CaCl2 to the wine for the soak.  I took some into work today and it was a hit, my co-workers liked the taste and the felt the wine added some flavour to it  when they tried it with the rind.

I love the idea of making 'Cheeses of my heritage' - I may need to try this as well. 

I say go for it, my problem is that I keep getting side tracked by other cheeses.  I still have to do a Dunlop and an Apenzeller to round out the project.  And I want to make a few Caerphilly for Christmas Gifts this year. 

And Darius I am going to take the plunge and make some additions to them too.  I and growing my own Jalapenos this year in the garden.  I am thinking a nice fusion of peppers and welsh cheese.