Hot Pepper Cheddar

[jlewis92]

I made a 4 gal batch of hot pepper cheddar.  4 jalapenos + 2 habernero + 1 tablespoon of crushed red flakes to give a little more color. Boiled peppers for 15 minutes. added the water to the milk prior to ripening and the peppers to the milled curds after salting.

This was first cheese with the new press.

Should I age this normally? Are there any limits to aging due to the peppers? Will it be better younger and start to lose pepper flavor over time? Even though it was boiled, I imagine there are still oils from the peppers. Will they become rancid at some point?

[Tomer1]

Are you vacuum sealing or waxing? 

"Will it be better younger and start to lose pepper flavor over time?"
Without enough aging you wont get a cheddar texture and smoothness and will be fairly acidic.

[Ptucker]

Hi JLewis,

I have made several pepper cheddars and pepper jacks, I have aged mine anywhere from 6 months to 1 year without issues. In a 4 lb cheese the amount of peppers/pepper liquid you used I would not worry about it losing the pepper flavor, you should end up with a pretty spicy cheese. If you want to kick up the spice, when you boil the peppers include the seeds and membranes. If you do not want the seeds in your cheese, cook them first, then strain and re-use the liquid to cook the peppers. Nice looking cheese with a nice press. Let us know how it turns out in the long run.

[Caseus]

That is a beautiful cheese, JLewis.   I bet it will be plenty spicy.  I hope you keep us posted when it matures. 

My next cheese will be a pepper jack.  Yours inspires me.

[jlewis92]

Tomer,

I use the cream coating and then vac or wax. I waxed two and vac sealed one so far. I plan to age this one 6 months, but I will do another hot pepper cheddar very soon for 12 months aging. I was thinking to vac this one because I don't have clear wax and I like being able to see all the flecks of color.

Do you have a preference between vac or wax?

[DeejayDebi]

I find pickled peppers will last longer in a cheese than the fresh one will. If you cut them small emough the latic acid will pickle them to some degree but not enough for a seriously long term aging.