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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Hard Cheddared (Normally Stacked & Milled) => Topic started by: saycheese on December 31, 2008, 05:57:40 PM
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Here is my second attempt at Monterey Jack Cheese. Hopefully it will taste better because of my new sanitized cheese cave and better sanitation during its making. We will see in about a month or so. Right now it's in a tupperware container on a cheese mat in the cave. Pictures are of the unwaxed cheese and after waxing.
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Saycheese, great looking California Cheese, congrats!
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I agree, that's a great looking cheese. Hopefully it will age well for you.
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That is a great looking cheese. I really have to check into dipping my cheese instead of brushing. I'm very envious when I see such a great looking wax job.
Good job!
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This was my first attempt at dipping the cheese. I melted the wax in a pie plate over a pan of boiling water and then moved it to my counter top to do the actual dipping. Keeping the wax over the hot water, I dipped the top twice, dipped the bottom twice and then rotated the cheese on its side, dipping into the wax as I went along. This technique was alot faster, easier and better looking than my attempts to wax a cheese using a bristle brush.
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Saycheese, how many cheese do you have aging right now? Do you let them age for long periods or eat them up as soon as possible?
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We try our best to wait until they have aged a bit.
Got three right now -- a cheddar of dubious quality since it was made early on -- but it's waxed and hanging out in the cheese cave. It needs another month -- Jan. 28th is its 'due' date. Then there is the new Monterey Jack, waxed, that needs a month to age also in the cheese cave-- so that will also be tasted in late January. Finally, the Lavender Ricotta Salata that we are letting sit in the cheese drawer (bottom drawer) of the regular fridge for a month before we try it. It seems the Ricotta Salata tastes less salty when it sits for awhile -- maybe the salt permeates the cheese and is distributed better so you don't get the real salt hit that you do with the younger ones?
Thank goodness for the Manchego that we can eat iafter it sits for 5 days-- we are plowing through that pretty quickly -- it's tasty on top of olive bread toasted in the toaster oven. Had it for lunch and dinner last night.
This is always the hard part for me -- waiting to see what comes up. I'm not a very good gardener because of it -- almost pull the plants up by the roots to see how they're doing!
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Yeah the waiting is the hard part.. that is for sure! However it is definitely worth the wait... you just need to find something to occupy your time...if only we could make an automated turner and checker so that you wouldn't be constantly reminded of your wait.
Do you have a recipe for that olive bread... sounds good!?
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Are you trying to bait me Chili into building an automatic riddler for cheese?
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FYI - the olive bread recipe has been moved to the Lounge board on this site.
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Sorry, I actually moved it to Other Artisan Crafts - Non-Milk Based (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/board,62.0.html) as a new topic, and, I also like olive bread!
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Cartierusm, the cheese riddler would be a great invention. Do they actually have such a thing. I know for Champagne they have several options. I'm thinking something like they used to have at the jewelry shops where you push the button and it rotates the goods around. Course the actual flip may get a little complicated. Maybe take some notes from the Crispy Cream doughnut shops. I'm sure you could come up with something! :)
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I could build it ten different ways, but part of the fun of cheese making is touching and inspecting the cheese during aging to make sure everythings going good. Plus all the equipment would be bulky and take up valuable cave space. A better alternative is to store the wheels on their sides and then they are on 2 wheels that move slowly or at a set time to specific location. Think about how your car goes on a treadmill for car smogging.
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We cut open the Monterey Jack today. It is a bit like queso fresco inside because we used whole milk to make the cheese, but it has much more flavor than a queso freso. It will be made into chicken enchiladas this week. Right now, the cheese is resting in the cheese drawer of the regular fridge.
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The enchilladas sound good, let us know when you make them if the cheese melted regular like and how it tasted? How long did you age this for?
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i have always dipped my cheese when waxing it and it always comes out nice and even. just heat it to about 80c - 90c or 175f -195f and put your cheese in the fridge the night before to get the cheese nice and cold and the wax will set very fast 8)
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We aged the Jack cheese for a month, next time I hope to be able to wait longer.