I have a specific flavor that shows up in some of my cheeses and I refer to it as dirt. Some cheeses don't ever get this flavor, like the Swiss and the Gruyere, but other cheeses sometimes have it. I have cheddar now, that has this dirt flavor to it.
I have made wonderful cheddar, and I have made this dirt flavored one as well.
Do you think that the dirt flavor will age out of it? I tasted it at 2 months old and it was good, but not ready. Now it's about 5 months old and the dirt flavor has appeared.
It seems to me that any cheese that I make with mesophilic culture may or may not come up with this dirt flavor. I'm always waiting to see if the cheese will come out good or not, but I have no idea how I get the dirt flavor.
Put it back in the cave and wait another 4-5 months!!
Hmm ... any mold on the rind? The only times I have gotten what I would call a dirt flavor seem to be the result of some mold.
I believe they refer to it as earthy :o
Quote from: H-K-J on April 22, 2015, 02:19:23 PM
I believe they refer to it as earthy :o
Hee hee hee...that made me chuckle.
Some of my earlier cheese efforts were really crappy. ;)
-Boofer-
P. candidum or Geo are described as "earthy" or "mushroomy" - are you getting any white ?
No mold to speak of, I waxed them when they were about a month old. I'm leaving them in the cave in case it improves with age.
Hmmm, I know when I've waxed cheeses and cut them open later I get a strange sort of "fruity" flavour, which I think is due to fermentation. It will fade if the cheese is left out to air for a few days. I wouldn't call it dirt though, so we're probably talking a different thing specifically but it may be something connected with waxing and cutting off access to oxygen while it ages. Have you left some out to breath for a few days (in your cave, etc) to see if that helps?