Bloomy rind with flowers or leaves as decoration??

[Mermaid]

Has anyone tried making a bloomy rind cheese and putting a leaf or flower on top of the cheese?
Where do the flowers come from?
Also, are you putting the flowers or leaves on after drying stage and before mold growth, or when you are wrapping the cheese?

Thanks !

[awakephd]

Generally the flowers come from plants.

:):):)

Always happy to help ... :)

[Mermaid]

Ha. ha. Very helpful :)

i meant if you were selling these commercially, do you order them dried or something? Or can we use fresh ones from our farm?

[SOSEATTLE]

Probably best to ask your state regulatory agency if doing this commercially. I have seen commercial cheeses with flowers, but don't know the requirements.


Susan

[olikli]

French Fougeru is a traditional brie type cheese that is covered with fern leaves.

[Mermaid]

Im just going to try it out on one or two small bloomies first, after mold growth and before wrapping. Mostly was looking for someone on the forum who had tried it before, or someone with a "safe"/approved flower petal distributor (haha sounds silly).
Thanks!

[Fritz]

Mini pansies and rose petals I've seen used ( more with chèvre products) ... best to grow them yourself, they have to be pesticide and chemical free of course... By doing that yourself, you will be guaranteed a clean product. Both pansies and mini roses are easily grown indoors and out.

[Bantams]

I've been wondering about that myself, particularly what should be done to fresh herbs that are added to fresh pasteurized cheeses.
There are quite a few goat cheese producers that dress up their chevre rounds with fresh flowers.  Maybe contact one of them? (Harley Farms is one)
I don't think fresh flowers (or other high-moisture leaves) would hold up on an aged cheese. 
For aged cheeses, I would definitely treat the leaves first - by drying, boiling, or "pickling" in alcohol/salt. 
I soak grape and chestnut leaves in a mix of brandy and salt before using.  I'm not commercial yet - this is home use - but I think this is an acceptable practice.

[Mermaid]

Yes I've seen it used many times in goat cheeses as well as fresh bloomies from cowgirl creamery. I am a commercial farmstead producer so I was looking for a place to order bulk flower petals that are "traceable" according to my state's regulations.
I do have some flowers growing here on the farm I may try, as well as some beach rose. :) wouldnt that be lovely.

Thanks for everyones responses