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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Hard Other => Topic started by: Tiarella on June 11, 2013, 02:40:43 AM

Title: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on June 11, 2013, 02:40:43 AM
Decided to make a chive Caerphilly.  2  1/2 gallons raw goat milk.  MA4002, LBC80, MVA for cultures.  used a cheddaring version of this cheese make.  The curds were SO delicious it was hard not not eat them all before they made it to the press even!  Floc and cut timing was on target with what I expected.  This one I dried fresh chives in a sauce pan but with the lid on they rather wilted and then hardened.  I added them at the cheddaring stage. 

I wanted to decorate this cheese experimenting with coconut oil and chives.  It still has another coat or two of coconut oil to come but this is what it looks like for now.  I vacuum sealed and froze the chives and some blossoms to make them limp and flat for ease of adhering them.  I did a circlet of individual chive florets on the top.  We'll see how it works.....life is an experiment!

Oh, right.  Forgot to tell you that I added Anatto AFTER curd cooking so the color is rather mottled.  Joseph likes the effect.  I'll add it earlier next time.
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on June 11, 2013, 11:13:24 AM
Not sure if I like how this turned out visually.  I may try a simple braid of chives as a midline belt.  I can either change this one or do it next time.........
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: meyerandray on June 11, 2013, 06:55:03 PM
An artist as usual.  I think it looks great, for easter time you could put more flowers on the top and it makes me think of an easter basket...
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: JeffHamm on June 11, 2013, 08:31:41 PM
I think it looks really good too.  A braided belt would also be nice, so I guess you have to make .... MORE CHEESE!

- Jeff
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on June 11, 2013, 11:09:44 PM
Thanks, Guys!  I like the idea of more flowers but first I'll need to see how these do, how they hold up.  I might try drying some flower petals for future makes.  I think dried petals might have a better chance at holding onto their color.  I wonder if rose petals would be nice.  My rose blossom season is about to start so I'll have lots of options.  Hmmmmm....
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Spellogue on June 12, 2013, 04:49:55 AM
I've used dried rose petals in spice blends in the past.  For the best flavor remove the white 'heel' of each petal as it can be bitter. This seems more important when using large domesticated flower petals.  I don't bother doing that with tiny wild rosé petals and the results have been good.

I quite like the look of the chive leaves around the sides.  I think running the blades vertically, perpendicular to the top and bottom would make a great presentation too.
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Boofer on June 12, 2013, 01:52:58 PM
A cheese nestled in the tall grass....

Yet another beautiful creation by the forum artiste.... 8)

A cheese to you for imaginative use of vegetation in a dairy setting. ;)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on June 12, 2013, 02:38:27 PM
I've used dried rose petals in spice blends in the past.  For the best flavor remove the white 'heel' of each petal as it can be bitter. This seems more important when using large domesticated flower petals.  I don't bother doing that with tiny wild rosé petals and the results have been good.

I quite like the look of the chive leaves around the sides.  I think running the blades vertically, perpendicular to the top and bottom would make a great presentation too.

I'm confused because the chive blades ARE vertical and perpendicular to the top and bottom.  Did you mean horizontally and parallel to the bottom?    I agree that it would look nice.  Or braided chives as a belt..... 

Thanks for the rose petal tips.  (almost a pun). I have mostly old fashioned roses so I'll experiment.   :D
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on June 12, 2013, 02:41:58 PM
A cheese nestled in the tall grass....

Yet another beautiful creation by the forum artiste.... 8)

A cheese to you for imaginative use of vegetation in a dairy setting. ;)

-Boofer-

Thank you, Boofer!  I guess that's what milk is too; an imaginative use of vegetation in a dairy setting, done by goats.   ;D
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Boofer on June 12, 2013, 10:05:19 PM
I guess that's what milk is too; an imaginative use of vegetation in a dairy setting, done by goats.   ;D
I'm not so sure about the goats' imagination at work here, but otherwise...well said, spot on.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Smurfmacaw on June 13, 2013, 05:49:43 PM
Wow, that looks really cool.  I'm impressed by your artistic flair.  My youngest is extremely artistic.....maybe I should have her decorate cheeses for me.  Have a cheese for a great looking cheese!
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on June 13, 2013, 06:43:12 PM
Wow, that looks really cool.  I'm impressed by your artistic flair.  My youngest is extremely artistic.....maybe I should have her decorate cheeses for me.  Have a cheese for a great looking cheese!

Thank you!  And I bet your daughter would love decorating cheese!  I want photos of it all of course!!!   ;D
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Spellogue on June 13, 2013, 08:53:01 PM


I'm confused because the chive blades ARE vertical and perpendicular to the top and bottom.  Did you mean horizontally and parallel to the bottom?    I agree that it would look nice.  Or braided chives as a belt..... 

To clarify I might have suggested running a solid band of chives around the sides of the cheese for another look, packed like sardines, especially if you want to concentrate more chive flavor.  I especially do like the way you have them on this cheese though.  Looks like grass growing in the springtime.

Thanks for the rose petal tips.  (almost a pun). I have mostly old fashioned roses so I'll experiment.   :D
[/quote]

I'll be excited to see and hear about a rose petal cheese if you decide to do it.
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on June 18, 2013, 11:18:03 AM

I'll be excited to see and hear about a rose petal cheese if you decide to do it.

Ugh.  Tried to make a blue that I'd planned to adorn with rose petals.  Wanted a gentle buttery yellow color.  Used double strength annatto so I halved the amount. Note to self: next time quarter the amount!  This thing looks like cheap orange cheddar.  We'll see how it goes.  I don't have a good set up for ripening blues anyway so it's going to have a LOT of challenges on it's way to becoming something.  I'll post photos if rose petals ever make it onto this cheese.   :o
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Boofer on June 18, 2013, 12:52:30 PM
This thing looks like cheap orange cheddar.
I can't seem to view the picture. :P

Sounds like a coloration problem (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10586.0.html) I had recently.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on June 18, 2013, 02:57:48 PM
This thing looks like cheap orange cheddar.
I can't seem to view the picture. :P

Sounds like a coloration problem ([url]http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10586.0.html[/url]) I had recently.

-Boofer-


Boofer,  I just didn't want to hurt anyone's eyes.  I'm being kind.  It's even worse as it dries.  Neon orange now.  This one might be a good one to simply plaster ALL OVER with leaves to cover it all up but since it's a blue I can't do that.  sigh. :-[
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on June 24, 2013, 11:47:11 PM
Update: Figured this a good time to update since I'm stuck at the barn waiting out a series of intense thunder storms.  I'd be down at the house lounging on the kitchen daybed and watching through the windows except that my livestock guardian dogs have gotten quite scared of violent storms so I stay with them when I can.  There's a lovely and lively cool wind rushing ceaselessly up the center aisle and it's a welcome relief after the humidity and heat we've had.  Goats are rustling in their bedding, the little hooves of babies sound like tap-dancing as they bounce around on their play platforms.  Not a horrible fate to be waiting here.  I could even be lounging on the barn daybed up in the "office" where I live during kidding and lambing seasons but the dogs don't do stairs.

Sooooo, the update at last.  That is, the update on the neon orange blue cheese at least since nothing visible  is happening with the chive Caerphilly.  So, I don't have a good aging place for blues so they've been neglected.  And first I should mention that after letting them "knit" over warm whey in a pot wrapped with towel they became so rubbery I was disgusted.  I chose to tear both wheels into little pieces and make one wheel out of them.  That actually knitted better than I expected and is now a lovely deep teal color which is infinitely better than the radioactive orange previously assaulting my eyes.  Yeah, I'll photograph it at some point.  I know there are plenty of crevices for blue to grow but haven't decided when to pierce.  The inner orange is still going to be a color insult no matter what.  Even of it ends tasting great I'll need to eat it in the dark.  8)
 Oh, and since I've no idea what type of blue this is I have no clue what to do when.  Another mystery make.   :o
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Boofer on June 25, 2013, 01:31:26 PM
Very lyrical. When you write, you paint a vivid picture of your world and entertain me no end.

I'm not over-analyzing your prose but a few lines leap off the screen:
Another mystery make
          the dogs don't do stairs
                      radioactive orange
                                  a lovely deep teal color
                                            need to eat it in the dark
                                                     little hooves of babies...tap-dancing
                                                                I was disgusted

I thank you, Kathrin.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on June 25, 2013, 02:36:30 PM
Very lyrical. When you write, you paint a vivid picture of your world and entertain me no end.


                                                                                                                                                   
I thank you, Kathrin.

-Boofer-

You are so welcome.  I enjoy sharing my experiences.  I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on June 25, 2013, 11:33:41 PM
Another night up at the barn.  Storms are on a couple of sides of us but none directly overhead but the dogs are still worried so I'm hanging out at the barn for a while.  my male dog is the most frightened and he is cowering in the (future) milk processing room which is insulated and feels safer.  His sister and I came out into the flowing breezes; me because it got hot in the milk processing room with two panting dogs and she because she takes her guard duty seriously.  She's about twenty feet from me scanning the edges of the woods although smell and sound play a bigger part of her predator detection.  She pays close attention to the alarm calls of chipmunks, squirrels and birds.  I'm not sure if they're on her payroll but it seems to work.
It's been hot and humid and I can't believe I used to hay in this weather when I was a single mom and farmer.  I remember being so sweaty and all the hay chaff sticking to me as I tossed the bales up onto the wagon and climbed up to stack every eight bales or so.  Did I mention I did this as a solo venture?  I remember my jeans sticking to me and making movement more difficult.  I remember picking up bales in the dark by the light of the tractor headlights.  After the three days of sitting on the tractor I'd be down to muscle and bones and sort of tranced out in exhaustion. 

I still work almost that hard but no haying any more since I sold my equipment when I moved off that land.

I DO have a cheese question......this neon rubbery and then crumbled blue cheese might need to be pierced but I'm not sure when.  Does it matter?  the outside is coated fairly well by the blue and there are lots of cavities.  I don't know if they connect with each other enough to allow the blue to work it's magic.  Any ideas and yes, I know I'm on the wrong thread on the wrong board and yes I'm either tired or lazy.  I'm also extremely hungry and will have to eat before I search stuff.  Oh joy, the male dog just dared to come out of the barn, paused near me and shook his head enough to festoon my iPad with slobber.   ???
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Boofer on June 26, 2013, 12:17:48 PM
I DO have a cheese question......this neon rubbery and then crumbled blue cheese might need to be pierced but I'm not sure when.  Does it matter?  the outside is coated fairly well by the blue and there are lots of cavities.  I don't know if they connect with each other enough to allow the blue to work it's magic.
I'd say...pierce away. Sounds like the time is perfect.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on July 06, 2013, 11:09:35 AM
Opened my Caerphilly Chived cheese last night when I was too tired to enjoy anything I guess.  I do think it tastes nicely like allium.  Reminds me of garlic cheddar I've bought in the past.  It's got an interesting color mottling from adding the annatto after curd cutting and stirring.  The taste of chive is fairly strong in a good way.  Texture is soft and pleasant like a young cheddar.  Salt level is good I think.  Here it is.  This cheese was made 6/8 so that makes it almost 4 weeks old.
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: JeffHamm on July 06, 2013, 09:49:07 PM
That's a nice looking result.  I like the mottled effect.  A cheese to you!

- Jeff
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Boofer on July 06, 2013, 10:38:55 PM
Kudos, Kathrin.

I can almost taste this as the alluring allium wafts my way on the evening breeze. 8)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on July 07, 2013, 12:59:13 AM
Thank you for the cheese, Jeff.  And thank you for the kudos, Boofer.  I vacuum bagged most of it.  Got frustrated because my vac sealer was choosing not to suction after the first couple.  Could find no problems with the sealing plates and no skanky stuff, or even non-skanky stuff, in the drip trays.  Mystery?  Or does one of you have advice?   ??? 

I'm sending some of this cheese with Joseph on his family vacation.  I get the best of both worlds....I can't go because I have to take care of 18 goats, 22 sheep, a flock of laying hens (and their gentleman rooster), 3 cats, 2 livestock guardian dogs and my own sanity.   >:D   BUT, I get to drive over to the vacation lake house and visit a couple of times.  Except, this time that may be difficult because I have two goats due to give birth within the next couple of days. 

I hope it'll be a good week for me with easy births (and not at exactly the same time), relaxed evenings reading on the daybed with the cats keeping me company, etc.   Raspberries and blueberries are ripening, the scented lilies are blooming; all-in-all a gracious and beautiful life.  Now if only I could find time to eat!   :-\
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: John@PC on July 07, 2013, 10:39:11 AM
Beautiful outcome, Tiarella!
Quote
I hope it'll be a good week for me with easy births (and not at exactly the same time), relaxed evenings reading on the daybed with the cats keeping me company, etc.   Raspberries and blueberries are ripening, the scented lilies are blooming; all-in-all a gracious and beautiful life.  Now if only I could find time to eat!   :-\
  You're verbal artistry of pastoral bliss inspired me to create a new signature (actually my first signature since I didn't have one):  Hopefully it shows up on this post.
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Smurfmacaw on July 09, 2013, 09:40:24 PM
How does the taste differ from one made with cow's milk?
Title: Re: Caerphilly Chived
Post by: Tiarella on July 10, 2013, 01:12:24 AM
How does the taste differ from one made with cow's milk?

I'm not sure since I've never tried a cow's milk version.  My goat milk tastes like rich cow's whole milk and doesn't have a goat flavor so I'm not sure it'd be much different.  I like this one.