Healing curds

[IllinoisCheeseHead]

Hi

I have seen recipes out there that call for gently stirring soon after curd cut and some that will say to let the curds heal for up to 20 minutes before touching it.

I made a Gouda today and followed both inoculation and clean break guidelines (inoculation was clearly at 10 minutes).  I cut the curd first in one inch squares (only vertical cuts) and let the curds heal for 4 minutes.  Then I used a curd cutter that cuts vertical and horizontal in 1/2 inch blocks and let them heal for another 4 minutes.  When I began stirring, I could see that the curds where for the most part holding their shape but to move the ladle the collision would break some curds up due to the weight if the curds.

My question is two fold.  How longs should I allow the curds to heal and do I also stir up and down?.  My final product looked really good and it yield 2.2 pounds of cheese for 2 gallons of raw jersey milk so I don't think I lost too much.

Not being that experienced are the curds supposed to be completely uniformed?.  Some of my curds were corn size like (about 20%) while most were about 3/8 of an inch to 1/2 inch.

Thanks

[Stinky]

If you're not using great quality milk, anticipate shattering.

[IllinoisCheeseHead]

I think the issue is not the milk but me.  I made Mozzarella last week and used Hyvee Whole Milk - Non homogenized - Non Ultra pasteurized.  This weekend I used Raw Milk from Jersey Cows.  The place where I bought the milk also makes cheese and when I got there they were stirring curds and theirs looked fairly even (although they use professional cutters.

What I don't know is what is the rule of thumb?.  Do you cut and let it heal longer than 4 minutes?.  I saw one recipe for Gouda that called for healing of 30 minutes (in this forum).  Perhaps I am being too aggressive when I stir.  I just don't know what my issue is.  I am getting the right yields but would like to see more consistency with the curds.  Although I have watched tens of videos and many people have curds that look like mine.  Is there supposed to be no shattering?

[FRANCOIS]

Curd size should be as uniform as possible. Otherwise moisture loss is inconsistent during pressing and ripening. On a home scale I see no reason to heal less than 10 minutes. Always start stirring very gently to minimize shatter. Once the curd has toughened then you can be more vigorous.

[IllinoisCheeseHead]

So I think if I can heal for 10 minutes the curds will be VERY uniform because all the shattering happened during the first stirring.  I was tempted to wait longer than 4 minutes this time but was not sure.  I thought perhaps they would stick together again if I waited more than 4 minutes.

I am making two more Goudas next weekend and will try to wait 10 minutes after the initial cut.

Thanks

[Stinky]

Also instead of actual stirring, a lot of people prefer to jiggle the pot for a while, as it gives the curds more time to heal while still keeping it moving.

[IllinoisCheeseHead]

I really like the jiggle idea.  Will try it next time.

But do I have to jiggle too?.  Or just the pot? 

[awakephd]

ICH,

As Stinky has said, jiggling the pot is one way to start the stirring while doing minimal damage. Unfortunately, I usually have the pot so full that jiggling is a bit risky.

I have found that one thing that helps is to work my way down as I am doing the initial stirring -- I dip the cheese ladle in just an inch or two and very gently move the curds around at that level; then go down another inch or two and do the same; and so on. Before that I tried to stir gently with the ladle all the way at the bottom, and I think that tried to move too much weight of curds.

Personally, I would think healing the curds for 30 minutes might be counterproductive -- they may well meld back together. I generally use a range of 5 to 10 minutes for healing ... but keep in mind that I have only been doing this for a year and a half, so I am very much still learning!

[Stinky]

Yes. If you leave curds alone they will likely fuse back together after a while. I wouldn't worry too much about even curd size. My curds are never equal but I've made wonderful cheeses. The big thing is to break up any huge bits.

I mean, the traditional Swiss way is cutting vertically and then scooping up from the bottom and cutting the columns as they come up. You're not going to get even size with that, especially considering shattering. Or stirring with a whisk? I laugh.

[FRANCOIS]

Swiss (and most continentals) require small curds. Hence the wisk. They are still uniform though.

[qdog1955]

I suggest using a long handled silicon spatula with as rounded edges as you can find----the stainless utensils usually have thin edges that have a tendency to cut up the curd as you stir----I think you will find these work exceptionally well-----I make my own.

Qdog

[Stinky]

Swiss (and most continentals) require small curds. Hence the wisk. They are still uniform though.

Meaning they don't have huge chunks of curd. But you're still going to get quite a large bit of variation, speaking relatively.

[FRANCOIS]

No not really. You should always attempt to get curd as uniform as possible. Otherwise moisture loss becomes too variable during pressing and maturation. I guess it depends on what your definition of variable is.

[Kern]

I saw a photo once of Peter Dixon with his hands and forearms stirring the curds after about a five minute rest.  I cleaned up really well and tried it.  It works and is very, very gentle when you go in up to your wrists and with semi-open fingers merely lift the curd.  I do this for the first few minutes of heating and then switch over to a plastic spoon with dull edges. 

[Stinky]

No not really. You should always attempt to get curd as uniform as possible. Otherwise moisture loss becomes too variable during pressing and maturation. I guess it depends on what your definition of variable is.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't try, I'm just saying it's not worth stressing out too much over it and moreover that as far as I know it's impossible to get curd of similar size with a whisk.