Last of my Christmas cheeses first time with this recipe, but I have made blue cheeses before. This also came from the New England Cheesemaking site, did a bit of research online to know what I was making and what I wanted it to look like. Not too sure if it looks like a Bleu d'Auvergne from the outside but the inside looks great and more importantly it tastes magnificent a beautiful creamy blue, sharp enough to know your eating a blue cheese but not too sharp as to make your eyes water (like some Stiltons I've had). I'll let you know what the the rest of the whanau (family) think after tomorrow.
Gorgeous! A cheese for you!
Oh I wish I had a Christmas Blue like that .. A Christmas Cheese for you as well.
Merry Christmas
All of your Christmas cheeses (3 of them?) look delightful. I'm still learning on blues trying to get the proper veining and texture so when you start giving lessons let me know ;).
That's a beauty! One more cheese in your basket... :-)
John, followed the recipe exactly but made sure I kept the pierced holes open by repiercing several times. I wiped the mould off the outside with 5% brine solution as soon as the blue showed, to stop it getting too thick but I think next time I'll use a stronger brine to try and get a different rind as I said I'm not too sure it looks like a Bleu d'Auvergne on the outside.
You can scrape the shmear from time to time... But I like it on, it seals the holes so you get less of a spicy hot flavor from the mold and also flavors the cheese with a bit of stinky aroma.
Just beautiful! I have blue envy :-\
Which recipe did you use?
AC4U
Fantastic looking blue a cheese for you !! By the way how long did you age it for?
Sorry for the delay in replying been on holiday, the cheese was made 11 Oct and the photo was taken 24 Dec, the recipe came from Jim Wallace at New England Cheesemaking.
http://www.cheesemaking.com/BlueAuvergne.html (http://www.cheesemaking.com/BlueAuvergne.html)
Your cheese looks great - found your post as I have two goat milk versions aging right now and wasn't sure if the rinds were going right. Wondering how you aged them as the recipe wasn't very specific on this part.
My first softened where the piercing was done and the surface became irregular (I never used brine or scraped it) so I foil wrapped and moved to 35 degrees.
The second I wrapped in foil and moved to a 35 degree refrigerator sooner (the pic shows where I tried it before I put the plug back). Taste was quite good, just young.
I've tried 6-7 blues and struggled with them being too dry, or softening to soon. It's my favorite cheese so would really like to master one.
Thank you!