This is my first post after stalking the forum for almost 2 months and 15 cheese makes...
My gran's ashes are sprinkled between two English counties (Staffordshire and Derbyshire) at a wonderful spot known as Dovedale by the River Dove. I remember the place well as a visiting 15-year-old, and have been back numerous times. One time I drove from Malvern past it as a major snow storm threatened and the last time I travelled from Lincolnshire via train to Newcastle-under-Lyme and saw a covering of white snow across the midlands... My fantasy trilogy (I'm a writer by day) is based on the nearby town of Ilam near Dovedale... and I go there whenever I get the opportunity. So I'm please with my Dovedale Cheese... a hard Staffordshire (but blue / brine dipped) and it is doing well. It's got another three weeks to age before it hits the 2 month minimum, but it needs a brush and a vinegar-brine wash. Before and after photos...
The make was as per the Staffordshire, (Jeff Hamm's make) (local Australian Barossa Valley non-homogenized jersey milk with MM100) with the exception of the adding of blue PC to the make, and punctured holes, and I brined it rather than rubbing salt over it. So it might be a tiny bit unique? It's got a few more weeks to go, but it smells blue-divine. I may well cut a quarter...but can I wax a hard blue? Not sure...
Fresh from the mould at 1.9KG
A cheese to you for a wonderful looking Blue Staffordshire. It looks to be coming along very nicely. The blue mould needs air to grow properly, so don't wax it. I would just cut into it and see how it is. If it needs more time, make another! :) I would think it will be about right though.
- Jeff
What is "blue PC"?
Blue PC ... my bad, it's not blue penicillin, I should have said I used a dash (1/8th tsp) Penicillin roqueforti started in a 1/2 cup of warmed milk. I used 10L jersey (*3.3g protein and 4.8 g of fat / 100 ml) and 100ml jersey cream. Reading the recipe again, I see it says age 2-4 weeks, so I suppose at 6 weeks of age it is ready to be consumed.
Welcome to the forum, David. There are plenty of Aussies here as you may have noticed but its nice to see a fellow Croweater.
The Dovedale looks great and worthy of another cheese. I'll look forward to hearing how it turns out.
Thanks Andrew... any day now I'll open it up :)
Insert evil laugh >:D another and yet another soon .... the world !! Oh sorry getting carried away again. Welcome to the forum and look forward to see so more of your cheese - and your book BTW :). My Mum and Dad live in Malvern - I've never seen it in person -but, would love to one day roam those hills..
-- Mal
Mal, Malvern is a beautiful place, I hope you go there one day. As to the book... it's sitting with publishers at the moment so I might now how it goes in about a month.
Here is the cheese, cut today. It tasted creamy and with a good knit. A light overtone of mild blue, so I was impressed.
Oh yeah !!! Well done - looks great. If the Dollar wasn't so much in the toilet I would love to see the 'Old Country' once more. It's very expensive at the moment..
-- Mal
Nice looking cheese and sounds good too. Well done.