Queso Fresco (Cheese #7)

[rgreenberg2000]

I have the day off today, and wanted to make cheese.  I decided on a queso fresco, as I would really like to have a cheese that can go from make to eating in a much shorter period of time.  I followed this recipe (http://fiascofarm.com/dairy/quesofresco.htm), which I found linked in one of John (CH)’s posts from about 10 years ago.  Well, in truth, I MOSTLY followed the recipe, as I missed the step where I was supposed to mix the salt in with the curds……so, this cheese got a salt rub after pressing, and (fingers crossed), hopefully it will turn out to be seasoned properly!

Here’s the recipe and process:



Everything went pretty much according to plan.  The only step that took longer was heating to 99F after cutting, as my setup with the sous vide controller just tends to need a bit more time to raise the temp (I set it to about 10F higher than target, but will try 15F next time.)  I still had more curds than I could fit in my mold, so I’ll dial back to 1.5g next time.

Shattered curds (happens every time…..):



After first press (10 min):



After 2nd press (1 hour):



After final press (naked - 6 hours -- needed a little trimming around the edges):



After the final press, I salted the top and sides, and let it sit on a drying mat for about 2 hours.  Then I flipped it and salted the remaining side.  I’ll let this air dry for a day, then into the cave for ~4 days of aging before giving it a try.

This was a fun and easy cheese to make.  Assuming that it turns out well, I can see making this regularly to have some homemade cheese to enjoy while waiting for some of the ones that are aging.

Thanks for looking!

Rich

[Susan38]

Rich,

It looks great!  I guess you have a few days to go before trying it?

On a related note, I think I remember in a NEC queso fresco recipe that it says this is a fresh cheese and should be eaten right away.  I'm wondering why...is it the higher moisture content or ?? that prevents it from aging well?  (I'm talking about aging for a month or longer, not 4 days....)

Thanks for the picture showing the shattered curds...I have heard this happens with P&H milk but I had never actually seen it before.  ( I get a tiny bit with the Jersey milk I use but I think that has more to do with my lack of curd cutting skills rather than the type of milk.)

Anyway, let us know how it tastes, I bet it will be great!

Susan

Susan

[rgreenberg2000]

Susan-

The aged version of this cheese is Queso Anejo.  I have never found a recipe for Queso Anejo, so I don't know if there are differences in the ingredients or process.  I would imagine that you would want to press with higher weight to remove residual moisture if you planned to age it.  Many of the recipes I have seen for Queso Fresco use a cheese basket and light weights, so the cheese is much higher in moisture, and likely doesn't last as long.  The recipe that I linked above uses a decent amount of weight (for a soft/semi-firm) cheese, and may have driven off enough moisture to make mine ageable.  I may try that on a future make, but want to see how this one is in the short term since my goal for this cheese was to have something I could eat more quickly, rather than waiting months for it to age.

If you look at the ingredients, it doesn't really differ much from many other cheeses.  I think that you might adjust the process to cook/stir more moisture out of the curds, and then press more like a gouda, or similar semi-firm cheese.

I have it in the cave now at about 75%, and will give it a try in a few days.  I'll definitely report back!

R

[Susan38]

Rich...well how did the taste test go?

On a related note, I just found a hunk of queso fresco in my freezer...I had put it in a few months ago to see if/how it would change when frozen.  Tasted this morning.  When fresh, it was definitely a slicing cheese (good with crackers, etc.).  Upon freezing/thawing, it was definitely *not* a slicing cheese...crumbly like what I have purchased at stores, but still same great salty flavor.  I think it would be good for cooking (in scrambled eggs, casseroles, burritos, etc.) but not for slicing!

Just an fyi on a small cheese experiment I did.

Hope yours turned out well.  Susan

[awakephd]

I would imagine that you would want to press with higher weight to remove residual moisture if you planned to age it.

As I understand it, pressing plays little role in the moisture content of the cheese. Much more important is the length of curd formation, size at which curds are cut, cooking, and acid development. Or at least, that's what I've read ...

[rgreenberg2000]

Susan-

Thanks for checking in.....I forgot to update!  This one was not a success.  Bland, crumbly, and not appetizing.  Pretty sure the pH got away from me, so I'll have to keep a closer eye and get it into the press sooner next time, or reduce the amount of culture to start.

I've been pretty busy with lots of family stuff, but will give this one a try again.

R

[Susan38]

Rich--Ah, well, a lot of my soft and fresh cheeses have been disappointing, as well.  A few thoughts on your feedback:

1.  Some queso fresco I have purchased is kind of dry and crumbly too...I don't know what texture the classic version is "supposed" to be, but I did kind of like the moister slicing version I produced a couple of times.

2.  I'm really starting to wonder about the milk you use, if it is heat processed just enough to be interfering with your curd formation (i.e. "shattering").  I'm thinking the smaller shattered curds might be leading you to the dry, crumbly results?

3.  All fresh cheeses I have made tend to be too bland for my taste preferences, especially using the MA/MM series.  I have looked to flavor producers like flora danica and aroma b to help add more flavors.  Also the queso fresco recipe I use calls for quite a bit of salt mixed in with the curds, and the resulting cheese tastes salty.  Adds more flavor.  Maybe only salting the surface of the pressed cheese is not enough to add to flavor? (Although the lipase should have added at least some.)

All in all, I'm thinking you can still use your cheese in some casserole recipes or similar, so I don't think your make was a total loss.  (BTW, my dog and chickens have been very happy with my  failures in the past so in their opinion no makes are a total loss  ). 

And very understanding about the busy-ness of this season!  I had to process milk the other day before it went bad, so made a quick cheese without the time to do so; so instead of having fun it was a bit stressful.  Also trying to get a new cheese cave set up but it's slower going than I had hoped.  Looking forward, as I'm sure you are, to more free time to do more cheesy things soon!  --Susan

[rgreenberg2000]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Susan!  I bookedmarked them so I can look again when I attempt another queso fresco.

Rich