First hard Cheese

[tiptoetippers]

Hi All,
Newbie to the forum and just wanted to share my very limited experience to date.
I've always been interested in trying my hand at making cheese and it was my good fortune that my good lady wife brought me a starter kit including press for christmas. I made some fresh soft for new year that went down a treat and before the new year i made a simple hard cheese which has been aging since. I wasn't holding out much hope given that since i made this one I've really become interested in home cheese making and been gaining as much knowledge and information since, particularly from the forum which highlighted all the errors i made, so i was expecting to find something unedable when i opened it up, however cut it today and it is fantastic, little bit like a edam texture and taste wise but with a little bit more of a tang i'm really happy with it as a first effort and the wife loves it too.

Trying out some camembert this weekend so fingers crossed

Tippers

[JeffHamm]

Congratulations and welcome to the board! 

- Jeff

[zenith1]

Tippers-welcome to the forum and the fabulous world of cheese making!

[MrsKK]

What fantastic good luck all the way around!  Welcome to the cheese maker's world!

What kind of milk are you using?  With your location, I imagine you milking your own cow.

[Boofer]

With your location, I imagine you milking your own cow.

Please pardon my denseness. Where/what is "CI"? Gotta love the internet & Google. Several years ago I lived in Oxnard near the Channel Islands. Not quite as picturesque as Jersey.

Welcome to the forum and kudos on your hard cheese success.

Good on you for having a helpful and understanding wife too. 

-Boofer-

[ellenspn]

Hehehe, I have spun Santa Cruz Island wool.  Very rare breed from the Channel Islands in California.  Stuff is like shirring elastic!

[MrsKK]

Well, I assumed that "Jersey, CI" refers to the English Channel...

From Wikipedia:  Channel Islands

"This article is about the British Crown dependencies. For the islands off Southern California, see Channel Islands of California. For the French Channel Islands, see Chausey."

[Boofer]

Well, I assumed that "Jersey, CI" refers to the English Channel...

From Wikipedia:  Channel Islands

"This article is about the British Crown dependencies. For the islands off Southern California, see Channel Islands of California. For the French Channel Islands, see Chausey."

Yeah, I think we're all on the same page now. My link was on the lined-out portion. Small world...after all. 

-Boofer-

[tiptoetippers]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your posts.

Just for clarity i am from Jersey in the British channel islands. It is 9 x 5 miles with a population of approx 100,000. Main industry is off shore finance. We have our own government, laws, currency, and tax system.

It's the place that New Jersey was originally named after and the birthplace of the famous Jersey Cow breed. Until last year they were the only cow breed on the island and the local stock heritage/breeding/gene pool is strictly controlled to keep it pure. Great milk for making a lot of cheeses with whole milk being 6% fat. Haven't got my own cow but use local farm brought pasteurised non homogenised.

Tippers

[MrsKK]

Thanks for the details, Tipper.

My cow is 3/4 Jersey, 1/4 Holstein.  She gives lots of fantastic milk and has produced really nice calves for us.  She also raises extra calves (fosters) for us every lactation, so she really supports the homestead and keeps me afloat in my hobby!

[Cloversmilker]

Welcome!

 I milk a lovely little Jersey cow.  Someday I'd like to visit Jersey.