I love English style cheeses--maybe the main reason I wanted to start making my own chesse.
Here is my first Red Leicester (Ricki Carroll). I am hoping to age it for 6 months and open it a Christmas time to serve with a sage Derby I made recently too. (red and green on the plate).
Seeing the posts here regarding the amount of annatto, I am hoping for a good red color so I used 3/8 t. for 2 gallons of milk. Looks pretty good already. Hope it darkens over the next 6 months. I vac-packed it (first time) for the long aging. I'll update in December.
Another great looking cheese. Felicidades!
Looks great! I make a lot of Leicester but I've only made one red one. Mine is a little redder than yours but pictures can be deceiving. I used 1 tsp for 3.5 gallons. I don't see a redness change over 2 months but the splotchy-ness is blending in. Mine is vac'ed.
AC4U
Good looking cheese. You might need somewhat more annatto to get the really deep color I've seen on Red Leicester, although it should darken as it ages. It shouldn't affect taste though.
A lovely looking cheese.
Have one from me.
Nice design on the cheese. How does those marks hold up to flipping and pressing
Great looking cheese.
Hi all, thanks for the "cheeses", I'm a new user.
I am using the Mad Millie press so the design is natrually from that. The marks stay after brining and aging, and waxing if I do that.
I will try even more annatto next time. I was afraid to use too much. Good to know it won't effect the taste.
Nice cheese Thwaps.
I use annatto for cheddar (sometimes), colby, and lately for rat trap #5. The most orange I go with any of them, is 1/4 tsp per gallon. So in a 4 gallon batch I've used 1 tsp of annatto. That is pretty orange-y.