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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Hard Other => Topic started by: scubagirlwonder on May 09, 2010, 05:32:43 PM
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Ok, so it's not drunk yet, but it is certainly nutty! :o
Here are pics of my first attempt at Debi's Crosta Rossa Pistachi, freshly molded and salted. After 48 hours I'll start it's soak in red wine, but it sure is pretty now! This cheese was also an experiment with a new milk and my curds were SO much better, no more shattered curds! (THANKS Linuxboy!)
I am so glad this cheese has only a 30 day affinage (though I am going to try to save part to age longer) because I can't wait to taste it! The pistachios were fire roasted so they have a lovely wood smoke/char kind of smell to them! (Think campfire rather than liquid smoke kind of smell.....yum)
~Cheers
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Oooh that looks good! I think I'm gonna need the recipe for that one!
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Yes -- please share the recipe! It looks great -- I'd love to make some next weekend!
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I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this cheese was to make, I used DeejayDebi's recipe I found here on the boards... The only thing I didn't find in her recipes was the amount of weight she used during pressing, so I used 5lbs while pressing under whey x15minutes (twice) then drained the whey and pressed at 10lbs x15minutes (twice) then 15lbs x1hour (twice) then 25lbs for 8hours....for all the pressing except the last 8hrs I kept my mold inside my milk pot in a sink of warm water (this is Sailor's method of "pressing in the Pot") and I got a beautiful tight knit on my curds! Really, though, I think if you use your preferred pressing method for a firm paste cheese it'll work fine...I am learning that it's ok to make things up as you go and still end up with wonderful cheeses! I can't wait to taste this cheese...it is going to be so good!
Debi's Ingredients:
7 gallons milk (I used 2 gallons, 1 gallon 2% and 1 gallon whole)
1/2 teasppon Mesophilic Aromatic Type B (I used Flora Danica)
1 cup chopped pistachios (I used 1/3 cup)
3/4 teaspoon Rennet
Salt
Procedure:
Heat milk to 86°F.
Add a few drops of diluted annatto (you are looking for off white)
Add a mesophilic culture ripen for 45 minutes.
Add rennet
Cut curd into 1/2 inch pieces and rest 5-10 minutes.
Now cut curd with a whisk into rice sized pieces.
Raise the temperature slowly to 95-96°F stirring gently.
Continue stirring for about 30-45 minutes to firm up curds.
Maintain 90°F and drain the whey down to the curd level but retain the whey.
Warm your cheese cloth in the whey and line your molds.
If you choose to add pistachios mix them with the curds a this point.
As you fill your molds with cheese, return them to the pot of whey.
Once all of the molds have been filled, flip them over, rewrap and stack them.
This will help them drain and get a smooth rind.
After 20-30 minutes flip the cheeses rewrap and press with a light weight.
I will flip and repress the cheese every hour until bedtime.
Leave cheeses in the mold and let sit over night.
Next morning remove from the molds and pat dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle kosher salt all over a plate big enough to hold the cheese.
Roll the cheese on the salt to get it on the sides and rub it on gently.
Flip the cheese to salt both sides and let it rest for 24 hours.
This will extract more whey and add salt to the cheese.
Repeat this step again twice more for 24 hours each time.
NOTE: you could just do a heavy brine solution and wet brine the cheeses.
Wash the cheeses with a mixture of salt and water to remove the loose salt.
Pour a sweet red wine into a container large enough to hold the cheeses.
Soak cheeses in the wine for 24 hours. Turn the cheeses every few hours.
This is where the name comes from.
Next dry the cheeses and wash them with cheese cloth and salt water brine.
Age at 52-58°F and 95-97% humidity in covered boxes for 45 to 60 days.
Turn the cheeses daily. If mold develops wash with cheesecloth and brine.
Salute’!
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Hopefully this is clearer. But to directly answer your question. Wash off the salt first in a salted water wash or whey from the process mixed with salt ( A teaspoons in a cup of whey or water will do) then dry the cheeses with paper towels.
No salt just wine. This will sit also for about 24 hours. It can sit for up to 2 or 3 days if you want. Wipe the wine off and air dry like normal and start to age. It pretty good as a mild snack or table cheese after a month but will develop a nice strong flavor after about 6 months.
If you dry salt it twice for 24 hours each you don't brine it. If you brine it do a heavy brine of about 2 pounds of salt to 1 gallon of whey or water.
Yes the chopped nuts are added just before hooping. Hope you like it.
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This is one of mt favorite cheeses I love pistashios! Next batch I will smoke first for a hint of smokey flavor. As for weight I am thinking I used about 8 lbs for a 4 pound wheel. How much does a #10 can of tomatoes weigh? I am out rigt now
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Doesn't a 10lb can of tomatoes weigh 10lbs? :o
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Debi, IIRC, it's 6.5 lbs net weight, plus the weight of the can itself, so probably about 7 lbs?
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So my Drunk & Nutty has had it's wine soak! I was surprised at how much the pistachios absorbed the wine, they are so dark! I can't wait to taste this cheese, it just smells so yummy; nutty, and cheesy and winey.....yum!
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This is really tempting me for this weekend. Really tempting...........
Beautiful cheese!!!
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The color came out great! I lost a good bit of color washing after the fact.
Scubagirl it's a number 10 can (#10) not a 10 pound can (10#) - easily confused. I think Linixboy is about right there somewhere around 7 pounds of weight. Doesn't require a lot of weight as the whey is still quite warm so the curds meld easily. I just press over night and flip a several times before bedtime.
One of my friends just made this with macadamia nuts. They are quite a bit oiler I am curious what the end result will be. It think they were also salted so that might change the flavor a good bit too.
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The color came out great! I lost a good bit of color washing after the fact.
Scubagirl it's a number 10 can (#10) not a 10 pound can (10#) - easily confused. I think Linixboy is about right there somewhere around 7 pounds of weight. Doesn't require a lot of weight as the whey is still quite warm so the curds meld easily. I just press over night and flip a several times before bedtime.
DOH! Blonde moment (even though I'm a redhead!) I totally read that as 10# instead of #10.....oops! And, Yes, I am thrilled with the color! I think I will use the same type of wine to wash when the time comes...I'll just use half a cup at a time and toss it when I'm done....
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Okay-enough of looking at this recipe--I'm going to make it this afternoon. Question, Scuba--your first pic looks as though there are bits of red in it--is there a secret ingredient? Did you add some chilies?
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No secret ingredient-the bits of red were just some of the skins from the pistachios....though you have a good idea....a little bit of red chile might be quite tasty.....mmmm, ideas for next time!! Have fun making this cheese! It smells so good right out of the hoops it makes you want to forgo aging and dive right in! The pistachios with the curds create a smell that is just nutty and earthy with a hint of sweetness....makes your mouth water!
~Cheers!
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Not sure why but pistashchios do have lot of colors for a nut. Makes a nice dip too if you heat it and add some milk or cream.
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I made a Crosta Rossa cheese using DeejayDebi's recipe this week (looks really yummy!). I put it in a wine bath this morning. I read in another post that Debi vacuum packs it for aging. Is there any reason why I couldn't wax this cheese? I was thinking about letting it air dry for about a week, then waxing it so I can let it age for 2-3 months alongside several other waxed cheeses in my wine cooler. Thanks.
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Feel free to wax-away! Vacuum sealing is just for convenience sake and personal preference, if you prefer waxing, there is no reason not to wax this cheese! I was going to wax mine but decided that I like looking at the pretty purple color, so I vacuum sealed mine, like Deejay Debi! I can't wait to taste this cheese, it makes my mouth water everytime I visit it in the cave!
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Thanks for your input, scubagirl!
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scubagirl - what kind of wine did you end up using?
Any details on the "campfire roasting"?
-Boofer-
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HI Boofer!
I ended up using an Italian wine called Telero, as I was perusing the wine selection I liked the description of this wine. I can't remember the exact wording but it was describe as having undertones of black cherry and currant with hints of nut and a robust palate...just thought it sounded like a good match for cheese with nuts in it. As far as the pistachios go, I found some that claimed to be "fire roasted." When I opened the package they had this wonderful "campfire" kind of smell. I don't particularly like smoked anything (not a big fan of liquid smoke), these didn't have that typical fake smokey smell or flavor, but rather a real charred smell to them....difficult to describe except they smell like all the good parts of a campfire....Hope this helps!
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That's a lovely cheese and waxing is a personal thing. I just hate the mess and expence of waxing. Although it is reusable at some point I just like the ease of vac packing.
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I am planning to make this cheese this weekend and have a quick question: Do you cool the temp to 90 from 96? I have copied and pasted the lines:
"Raise the temperature slowly to 95-96°F stirring gently.
Continue stirring for about 30-45 minutes to firm up curds.
Maintain 90°F and drain the whey down to the curd level but retain the whey."
Or is this simply a typo as I suspect?
Thanks
kim
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Sorry Mr. Kim that was a typo. maintain 96 F degrees.