Olive Oil - Using As Rind Protection

[Boofer]

Good, good, good....

A little dab'll do me my cheese. 

-Boofer-

[DeejayDebi]

  And help your wallet too!

[Boofer]

Thanks for your tips, Debi.

-Boofer-

[DeejayDebi]

Your most welcome Boofer!

[Lennie]

Grapeseed oil is high in polyunsaturates and will go rancid easier.  Olive is mostly monounsaturated, canola is close to olive.  Those are less likely to go rancid.  Saturated fats like tallow or lard are the most resistant to rancidity.

[DeejayDebi]

Ah so that would account for the odd after taste. Canola? Hmm cheaper than olive oil too. Never tried it before but I will. Thanks Lennie!

[memkuk]

When making Gouda or Alpine, I always used to run into mold forming problems, even when using wax. Now I experimented with dried red hot chili peppers (abundantly available here in Thailand). I put them in the blender and mix in olive oil. The wheel is then brushed all over with this mixture. Did this only one time. After a month I brushed off the red chili that was still on the rind. By then the rind formed nicely with a blend of reddish color mixed into the yellow.
So far I have not had a speck of mold growing on it. The cheese, as seen in the picture, is now 2 months old. Doing my best to wait a bit longer and see if and how it might affect the taste.

[DeejayDebi]

Nice looking cheese and the photo is very nice also.

[Boofer]

Very elegant presentation.

So you're proposing the use of chili peppers (in an olive oil rind) to help retard mold? Is there any other evidence out there that may support the idea?

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

Back in January I resealed my wheel in a vacuum bag after a disappointing attempt at using olive oil as a rind sealer. Over the course of time from then until now, the manchego outgassed and made the vacuum bag very loose around the wheel.

Today I removed the wheel (no mold or contamination apparent) from the loose vacuum bag, re-rubbed it with EVOO, and placed it back in a mini-cave in the cave. There are some pretty good-sized cracks in the top and bottom surfaces and I'm hoping the olive oil will help seal those and harden off the rind. The vacuum bag had some moisture inside it and the rind hasn't had an opportunity to harden. Hopefully this new course of action will improve the cheese.

This has convinced me of the shortcomings of vacuum-bagging cheese.

This cheese is coming up to its 4th month in captivity. I'd like to crack it open on D-Day (6 months).

-Boofer-

[DeejayDebi]

Still had moisture in the bag huh? I don't get it ...

[Zoey]

I'm answering this really old thread in the hope that Eric in Thailand would still be reading.

I'd really love to know how the red chili affected the taste of this cheese?

I can easily believe that the chili would greatly reduce the unwanted microflora,  but am wondering whether or not it will be a completely different cheese done this way?

Of course it wouldn't be bad to have a chili flavored cheese, but still, I would like to know whether it is only the rind or the whole cheese that takes the chili flavor when done this way? Eric, or others, any comments?

I will try this anyway, since I really want to find a way to make long-ripened, natural rind cheeses, and so far I have only managed to keep the rind decently clean for around 2 months (after that it seems that the mold is simply getting better and better hold of the cheese and keeping it clean becomes increasingly difficult).

I wonder if this could be a way to go with parmesan and other really long ripened, natural rind cheeses.

[Boofer]

Boy, Zoey, you really are reaching back in the closet.... 

Good question. I guess it never got answered. I'd like to know too.

As far as your continuing rind problems go, how high is your humidity? Right now I'm developing eyes in a Jarlsberg and the rind is fairly dry after short of a week. I rubbed it with EVOO yesterday just to be sure its still pliable. As I look at the temp & RH, it now sits at 69F/82%. It's in a Rubbermaid minicave with the door shut. So far so good.

I think if my humidity was higher and/or the rind was moist I would have more problems. I have had to be vigilant and use a toothpick dipped in vinegar & salt to eradicate any errant nasties that seek to take hold. A few small white fluffies have tried to get in, but a swipe of the V & S gets them too. After I've wiped with the V & S, I ensure that the rind is dried.

So...looking for the answer to the chili cheese. 

-Boofer-

[zenith1]

I would be interested in the outcome of that chili rubbed cheese also. Yesterday I made a Wenslydale with Anaheim and Fresno chilies. After it dries a few days I am going to develop the rind by rubbing with an Ancho chili powder/ EVOO/salt rub. I like the smoky quality of the Ancho Chili Powder and am hoping that it will enhance the spiciness of the peppers. We'll see...