Creamy Caraway Leiden/Leyden: A first.

[Dulcelife]

Why caraway?  Because I could not find my Dill seeds when I needed them.
Creamy cheese has been in my cave all along.  Sliced into this Leiden today at 66 days and was pleased to find Silky goodness.

2 gal. Raw Jersey whole milk.
¼ tsp. MM100
½ tsp. Single strength veal rennet
Cooked caraway seed in juices.

Here is the make:
April 14, 2012
02:20pm:  Inoculate 86F milk and let hydrate 5 min.
02:27pm:  Add ½ tsp. rennet in ¼ cup cool water.  Let ripen 30 min.
02:32pm:  Temperature overshot to 90F.
03:00pm:  Check for clean break: no-go, give another 5 min.
03:05pm: Clean break, Start curd cut to ½ inch cubes
03:09pm:  Finish cutting curds.  Let heal 5 min.
03:14pm:  Stirred curds for 10 min.
03:24pm:  Let curds rest 5 min.
03:29pm:  Removed 6 cups whey and replaced with 140F water and stirred for 10 min.  Temperature went to 94F.
03:39pm:   Let rest for 5 min.
03:44pm:  Piled curds to one end of vat and drained 1/3rd of whey replacing with 120F water.  Took a while to get to 98F in last 5 min.  Stirred for 20 min. and overshot to 100F.
04:15pm:  Drained into warm colander added caraway  seed in cooking water and mixed by hand.  I could not find my cumin seeds at this late point so substituted.
04:30pm:  Molded in CC and pressed lightly for 30 min.
05:00pm:  Redressed and put back on press for 12 hours at moderate pressure
April 15, 2012
05:00am: Unmolded and placed in brine.
09:00am:  Flipped in brine.
12:00pm:  Out of brine and out to dry.
April 16, 2012
04:30pm:  Placed in ripening box: 54F at 85% rH.
March 23 2012
5:00pm:  Waxed.

June 19 2012
5:30pm: WOO HOO, Finally a cheese I let go a full 60 days before desecration.

Sliced into this cheese today to find the soft textured paste I have been yearning for in other better-known cheese.  The curd is very soft in a pretty unique way; very soft, buttery, like super soft cheddar; not firm at all, very silky, but still uniquely washed-curd-looking.  The paste dissolves into a smooth mass with minimal pressure from tongue on palate.  No chewing necessary.  No granulation or particulate matter in the paste.  Taste is very mild with good earthy undertones and milky goodness.  No bitterness, no sharpness.  One would think it is a soft cheese and not a semi-hard washed-curd variant.  The caraway flavor is very mild and compliments versus overpowering the buttery texture.  I hope I did not miss anything in my notes because this is a cheese I would like to duplicate again.

Yo Boofer:  Yah made me pull out the hardcore glass.  Enjoy.

[JeffHamm]

Mmmm, looks and sounds like a hit!  A cheese to you, and for getting out the big guns!

- Jeff

[Dulcelife]

Thanks for the cheese Jeff.  And, yes the big gun makes all the difference.  These were with flash.  I look forward to taking even better pictures in natural light from here on in.

I also have an update.  In discussing my desire for creaminess in my Third Gouda thread, George (MaryJ) had suggested:

"You could also try washing the curd a little more - remove/replace more of the whey during the wash.  I started doing that with all my washed curd ones - I honestly don't remember the technical reason for it - but it works.  Certainly it gives me my creaminess, creaminess, creaminess."

Well she is absolutely right!  Thank you MaryJ

Let me explain:  This make is suppose to be the one beginning on page 190 of "200 Easy..." and in reviewing the recipe and my make notes a few minutes ago, I noticed that although I adjusted the amounts of culture and rennet for a 2 gal make versus the 4 gal in the book, I neglected to adjust the initial wash instructions and replaced 6 cups of whey called for instead of an adjusted 3 cups for my size make.

This is why I overshot the target temperatures and its only natural to conclude that this is a great approach to creamy paste on these semi-hard sweet wash curd cheeses.

As usual, any and all experiences, opinions, comments welcome.

[Boofer]

Wow, beautifully pictured cheese! 

While I too have a Leiden to my credit, yours is indeed truer to the style as far as texture. For some reason mine developed a little...erp...gas...'scuse me. Or were we talking about caraway?

Nice job, Dulcelife. You're quite the curdsman craftsman.

-Boofer-

[Dulcelife]

Yes Boof man, I saw that bit of cheese craft.  But, it was a divine looking piece of cheese magic all the same and since it was edible, and useful then it was simply a new version.... lets just call it Leiden ala boof.  Hey, cheesedom is full of accidental cheeses cum classics.

[george]

I also have an update.  In discussing my desire for creaminess in my Third Gouda thread, George (MaryJ) had suggested:

"You could also try washing the curd a little more - remove/replace more of the whey during the wash.  I started doing that with all my washed curd ones - I honestly don't remember the technical reason for it - but it works.  Certainly it gives me my creaminess, creaminess, creaminess."

Well she is absolutely right!  Thank you MaryJ

YAY!  Now you don't even have to wait for a new cheese to see if it works for you!  (And plus I like not being the only one ... makes me think I'm not actually hallooskinatin' after all.)   

[Dulcelife]

Yes MaryJ,  that's the best part; I can go straight to tweaking this technique on my next make.

[Boofer]

(And plus I like not being the only one ... makes me think I'm not actually hallooskinatin' after all.)   

There's my early morning smile! 

Thanks, george.

-Boofer-

[BethGi]

Yum! One of my favorite cheeses...I can almost taste it. Perhaps it is next on the 'to do' list?

Nice job.

[Dulcelife]

Thanks!.

Yes indeed.  Just had another piece tonight at 84 days and it is very good.

Cheers,

Lou~