My first Farmhouse Blue

[Shazah]

I wasn't originally going to post a pic of my first attempt at a Farmhouse Blue as so many things are not right about it but after tasting it for the first time today, I'm really pleased with the result (even if it doesn't look as it's supposed to.)

I made this back on the 12th March'12 but realised very quickly that my mold was too large and I wouldn't get the depth I was expecting.  Like any cheese enthusiast, I soldiered on and put it in it's own polybox to mature.  I wasn't reading so much on here at the time so didn't know that I could brush away alot of the blue that was forming on the outside.  I skewered it at the time of making but not again before I vacuum packed it after about 5 weeks.  I wasn't sure if I should be draining out the moisture in the bag, but I did so, dried it off and re-sealed.  I did this once a week for three weeks before the moisture stopped leaching out.

The end result is a slightly crumbly but smooth paste with a very intense blue flavour, but no blue veining on the inside at all.  It was lovely at room temperature, on crackers with a sweet fig paste but I think it will be even better added to a creamy pumpkin soup or a creamy sauce for a pasta dish.

I'm pleased I finally plucked up the courage to taste it today and not put it off any longer.

[JeffHamm]

Congrats!  A cheese to you.  My attempt at a blue was a complete failure.  Glad to see such a wonderful success.

- Jeff

[hoeklijn]

Good to hear that it tastes good! About the veins, did you mix the PR through the milk? PR needs air to develop, that's why the rind went blue and why blue cheeses are pierced. Have you pierced the cheese? You can use a sterilized knitting needle for it, just go carefully through the cheese in all directions. Normally it is done when the rind is showing the first blue and it can be repeated after a week, depending on the amount of blue veins you want.
With e.g. Cambozola the PC is mixed through the milk, but when the moulds are filled half, the PR powder is sprinkled over the curds and then the rest of the curds are put on top. When the PC starts to appear on the rind, the cheeses are pierced. This way the rind stays white...

[Shazah]

Thanks Jeff

I'm going to try another one next weekend so hopefully that one may look the part.

Thanks hoeklijn

I will try your suggestion of putting the PR in the middle of the curds.  I have read a few threads on here where some have suggested that if you put the PR in with the milk, which is what I did, alot gets washed away with the whey.

I did pierce this one at the time of making but not at any other time during it's maturing, so will take your advice about leaving it at first and then repeating again.

Thanks guys.