Cheshire success

[Lancer99]

I tried an experiment: four-gallon makes each of Cheddar, Cheshire, and Lancashire, all cloth-bound; then I could compare and contrast and find out which I preferred.

Perhaps I've developed some "cheese intuition" (or maybe it just smelled funny!), but after six months there seemed to be something off with the Lancashire. Indeed, as I discovered after cutting it open:



Completely horrible and a spectacular failure, and it went straight into the bin.

I realize that Cheshire can be eaten young, after just a few weeks, but that wasn't part of the experiment. It was with some trepidation that after two more months, I cut into the Cheshire:



. . . and should have sharpened my cleaver first!





The paste was dryer and crumblier (and oranger, maybe I used a heavy hand with the annatto!) than I expected:





But, you ask, how did it taste?

I gotta say, darn good. Somewhat different from a Cheddar, maybe a bit sweeter?, but with a nice complexity of flavor.



So, very happy with this. I had resorted to buying some rubber supermarket cheddar, but now I have four pounds of much better.

I don't know how well this will melt, but I'm gonna make a toasted cheese sandwich and find out!

-L

[MacGruff]

Too bad about the Lancashire, but that Cheshire is beautiful! AC4U!!!

How about that Cheddar you mentioned in the beginning as your third cheese? How did that come out?

[Lancer99]

Thanks!

Since I wasn't able to compare all three, I'm going to leave the cheddar for another four months (for a total of a year), if I have the patience.

"Sir, you try my patience!"

"Don't mind if I do. You must try mine sometime."




-L

[Boofer]

Completely horrible and a spectacular failure, and it went straight into the bin.

Seems like a classic failure.

-Boofer-

[mikekchar]

I'm slightly worried that my Cotija style cheese is going to end up like that.  Appears to have a nice intact rind (alpine style... kind of), but a while ago it was producing a lot of blue smells.  No blue mold in sight...  Hmmm...