The final Stage - Unwrapping my Cloth Bound Cheddar

[OzzieCheese]

This Cheddar has been quietly sitting in my cave for the last 9 months with various little colonies of different colours ranging from black to even a red spot.  The first three are just as is came out of the cave - this was my little Christmas present.

[OzzieCheese]

So the first layer -- this was the first close weave layer.  Peeling the layers is really a bit nerve wracking seeing the various colonies being revealed. As the layers came off so did the moulds.

[OzzieCheese]

I won't bore you with a complete blow by blow unveiling except to say that you have to have faith that the traditional ways are good.  As layer two came off, the colour of the cheese started showing through and the various colonies were evicted.
The next two are of the all the layers removed.  As you can see it is almost perfectly clear of moulds.


   

[H-K-J]

Nice
AC4U

[OzzieCheese]

The only thing to do now is remove the lard on the cheese.  I use a pairing knife and just carefully scrape the remaining lard and the last of the mould patches - not that there are many.

The taste: 
Sharp on the sides of the tongue as I expect from a good cheddar -Tick
Slightly crumbly but slices well - Tick
No bitterness - Tick
the cheese tastes was full without tartness and dissolved smoothly across the mouth. - Tick
and something I didn't expect - IT HAS CRUNCHIES !! BIG Tick.   Not the hard flaw crystals but the soft just slightly gritty one that just disintegrate with the slightest of touch. 

This is a success...

[scasnerkay]

That looks like perfection! Congratulations... crumblies and crunchies! A cheese for you!

[OzzieCheese]

Awww  thanks for the cheese - Merry Christmas

[Schnecken Slayer]

What to say?  Wow...

And well done!   

[Denise]

That is one beautiful cheese! A cheese to you.

[Danbo]

I'm drewling.... You deserve a cheese!

Happy New Year.

:-) Danbo

[OzzieCheese]

Thank you all for the kind words and Cheeses.  Peer acceptance is a wonderful by Product of an amazing activity.

-- Mal

[Vina]

beautiful! its always hard to believe all those colonies of diff molds are only on paper (cheese cloth) layers.
Perferct!
a cheese 4u

[Matthewcraig]

A fantastic looking cheese, a cheese for you!

[John@PC]

Dittos of all the other kudos with an extra cheese as well.  I've got about 60 yds of cheesecloth collecting dust so I need to put it to work.  Let's see, about half a sq. yard per cheese, so 60 x 2 = 120 cheeses I need to make  .   Maybe I should ship it over to you Ozzie - you probably make that many cheeses a month .

[OzzieCheese]

@ John, I wish !!  I would so love to stop what I'm doing and make cheese for a living but even the thought of it is expensive over here.  Thanks for the cheese !

-- Mal