Raw Milk Tomme question

[MrsKK]

First of all, I've never eaten any Tomme cheese, so I'm not sure what it should taste like, texture qualities, etc.  And how in the world do you pronounce it?

Anyway, I made a batch in November, as I was looking to try a different cheese make. The recipe came from "200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes" by Debra Amrein Boyes and it says to age it in a ripening container.  I've been battling mold on it, so took it out of the container last week in the hopes of slowing the problem down.

Now I notice that one edge of the cheese is very moist and mushy.  It doesn't seem to extend into the wheel very far and I had hoped that it would just resolve on its own with being in the slightly dryer atmosphere of the main cave, but doesn't appear to be going away.

Should I just cut or scrape it off and continue to age the cheese in the cave as I've been doing?

TIA!

[Gürkan Yeniçeri]

Hi MrsKK, form your explanation, sounds like a bacterial infection is working on that edge. I suggest to cut it out and wash it with heavy brine or may be vinegar.

Can you taste that piece you are going to cut, is it bad, salty, amonia smell?

[MrsKK]

No desire to taste it - I will just scrape or cut it off and wash it with vinegar as you suggest.  I kind of thought that would be the way to go, but wanted to check here first as I've never had this happen before.

[Boofer]

First of all, I've never eaten any Tomme cheese, so I'm not sure what it should taste like, texture qualities, etc.  And how in the world do you pronounce it?

I've eaten several varieties and made a few wheels. It is a semi-hard cheese with varied rind characteristics. You make it your own following any number of guidelines.

Here's how you pronounce it, Karen: Tomme

I've followed linuxboy's guidance:

• linuxboy's Tomme recipe thread
• linuxboy's site Tomme recipe

-Boofer-

[MrsKK]

Thanks for the pronounciation link, Boofer. 

Linux's methods are rather different than the one in 200 Easy Homemade Cheeses by Debra Amrein-Boyes.  Here's how I made this cheese.

So, culturing/acidification of the milk is dependent upon the natural flora in the milk, there's no heating of the curd, and this one has a cheddaring-like step.

Well, I'm sure the results will be interesting nonetheless.

[Boofer]

Wow, very interesting make. I'll be curious to see how this cheese turns out for you.

If I may, I see a few differences from linuxboy's technique:

• first of all, no added cultures...just the inherent cultures in natural raw milk
• lower ripening temp
• no curd wash
• no cooking...rather raising the acidity with the curds in the colander
• no rind washing or treatment

I don't know of any similar makes on this forum. A few of us have tried making Tommes with varying degrees of success. Yours is very intriguing.

Pictures?

I'm sure that more than a few here besides me would be curious about the progress and eventual outcome of your raw milk Tomme.

-Boofer-

[linuxboy]

That tomme variation is done more often in the high Basque areas, and going into France. More like the Pyrenees approach, as a variant of the really old-timey Roman traditions. It produces a great cheese, but is different than the typical Savoie region tommes and modern Italian derivatives, or even Spanish ones, which tend to be done more like the style I posted in that tomme thread.

[jizo63]

Sorry , what are " modern Italian derivatives" for France tomme?
Mau

[DeejayDebi]

Hmmm this is the second disolving cheese post in a few weeks. Wonder what's going on. Never saw or heard of it before now it's becoming a common thing. (Do I sound like a conspiracy theorists yet?)

[Caseus]

It's the chemtrails.   

[DeejayDebi]

lol maybe

[jizo63]

Sorry, my english ...
Mau