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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Hard Cheddared (Normally Stacked & Milled) => Topic started by: Webmaster on February 20, 2009, 05:41:29 PM
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This recipe posted by member MrsKK in Introductions Board, copied and formatted here so that doesn't get lost:
Derby Cheese
This cheese, pronounced "Darby" originated in the country of Derbyshire, England. It is similar to cheddar but has higher moisture content and ages more quickly.
I made this cheese last winter and we enjoyed it but it wasn't spectacular. In fact, most of my cheese was good, but not spectacular. This year, I started using my clabber/buttermilk in place of mesophilic starter culture. This cheese went from mediocre to great. In fact, since I am terrible at letting cheese age, I tested it at two weeks and it was really good. I can't wait to see what it tastes like with a little age on it. Well, that's assuming I can actually get some age on wheel before eating it all!
GENERAL
- Preparation time: 4 Hours
- Pressing Time: 26 Hours
- Aging Time: 1-2 Months
- Makes 4 pounds
INGREDIENTS
- 4 gallons of whole milk
- 2 cubes or 1/4 c mesophilic starter culture (I use buttermilk/clabber)
- 1/2 tablet rennet, dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water
- 1/4 cup salt
DIRECTIONS
- Heat milk to 84 degrees F. Add starter culture, mixing well. Cover and let ripen 30 minutes.
- Add dissolved rennet, stirring well. cover and let sit 45 minutes.
- Cut the curd into 1/2" cubes.
- Heat slowly to 94 degrees, stirring the curds by hand. This should take 30 minutes.
- Let the curds settle for 30 minutes.
- Drain the whey and allow curds to sit in colander for 30 minutes.
- Cut into four slabs. Stack slabs on top of each other, reversing their order every 20 minutes for one hour.
- Tear slabs into pea sized pieces. Sprinkle 1/4 cup salt over curds. Mix well.
- Pack curds into a cheesecloth lined mold.
- Apply 10 pounds pressure for one hour. Flip and repack. Apply 10 pounds pressure for one hour. Flip and repack. Apply 50 pounds pressure for 24 hours.
- Air dry cheese on a mat for several days until dry to the touch. Turn twice a day.
- Wax cheese and age it for 1-2 months at 50-55 degrees turning it twice a week.
Webmaster's note: There is also a Derbyshire Cheese Making Recipe in this 1885 very old book posted here (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,606.0.html).
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John,
I'm very interested in making this recipe.
My question is concerning your "buttermilk/clabber" starter culture.
I've never tried this but it sounds as if you've had great results, at least on this cheese.
If it does work that much better, that's the method I would also like to use.
Could you please post how you make this starter? I would really appreciate it.
Dave
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Dave, thanks but it's not me, it's new forum member MrsKK (Karen)'s Recipe and notes, she posted it in her Introductions thread and so I copied it here as I was worried it wouldn't be seen/found there, except by chance.
MrsKK, you already have questions . . .
I suspect here starter is this one (http://cheeseforum.org/Recipes/Recipe_Mesophilic_Culture.htm).
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Any pics woule be apprecaited.
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Regarding pictures, I don't have any yet, as I have just started making this cheese. I will pm Tammy, who is also a new member and the one who really deserves the credit, as she posted this recipe on another forum. The notes about the recipe are hers, not mine.
The clabber that she refers to in the recipe is made from raw milk - I don't know how goat's milk would work, but with cow's milk, you allow it to set at room temperature until it is thick like yogurt. I make mine up in 2 gallon batches in plastic pails. Cover with a tea towel to keep dust, etc. out and yet allow the milk to breathe, which is very important. The live bacteria in the raw milk will multiply and convert the milk to a thick, tangy substance called clabber.
Pasteurized milk cannot be used to make this, as the heat process kills the beneficial bacteria.
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Hi All,
MrsK has done a good job explaining clabber but I just wanted to add that you can use cultured buttermilk from the grocery store in place of clabber for those who don't have access to raw milk. Cultured buttermilk can be used as a substitute for any recipe calling for mesophilic starter.
John's link would also work in this recipe.
I am kind of particular about not using plastic and I make all my clabber in stainless buckets or bowls.
I seem to have the "perfect" environment for making clabber at my house and have it set up for me within 24-48 hours. I have had others who have a more difficult time getting the clabber started. If anyone has trouble getting clabber started (if it has not set up within 3 days) let me know and I will try to help you out.
I am currently having trouble with my photobuckets account, but as soon as I can I will post the picture.
Tammy
Here you go:
[(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn119/tcuppminiatures/004-11.jpg)]
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Thanks for update Tammy & MrsKK.
Very nice picture, beautiful cheeses ;D.
FYI, I built a short FAQ on how to upload pictures/files (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,51.0.html) just in case you or anyone else wants rather than linking to an external service.
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Thanks Tammy and MrsKK.....
I appreciate the information.
I'll have to give the buttermilk/clabber method a go.
I've always used direct vat mesophilic starter but if the results are that much better it will be worth a try.
Also, welcome to the forum to both of you.
Lots of great information and lots of great people are found here.
Dave
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Nice looking cheese and interesting process. I might try this as I make wine and you can make wine the same way and make it ferment naturally. It's always a crap shoot.