I am new to bandaging with muslin/lard. Many of the recipes state that after bandaging the cheese should be put back in the press for a time. When I try to do this the mold removes my carefully applied muslin. It isn't big enough to cope with the bandage. Is further pressing important or can I just leave it? Is there any recommended way of getting the cheese back in the mold without pulling off the muslin?
Hi,
I'm no expert, and am just about to bandage my first cheddar, but the recipes I've seen do not require re-pressing after bandaging. For example, Mary Karlin's book doesn't say anything about doing that. I'm planning not to re-press after bandaging.
Best,
Matt
PS: I love Scotland - can't wait to visit again someday soon. When the customs lady at Edinburgh airport found out that I was going to be staying in Dundee, she said "Well, sir, might I suggest that you spend as much time in EDINBURGH as possible." Typical!
I am also no expert but it seems to me that the pressing after bandaging is to get the bandage to become one with the cheese so to speak. Pressing would seal the coating.
Dundee is not much loved by Scots but is in a constant rivalry with Aberdeen 65 miles north! The V&A gallery on the dockside is its jewel in the crown!
My latest lard /muslin covered cheese went back in the press and has adhered well on the sides but stubbornly refuses to do so on the top and bottom. It sticks to the silicone platform underneath which makes a big blister in the muslin when I lift it to turn it.
Think I might try coconut oil next time as its less messy and has a more pleasant smell!
The end results justify the process as the cheeses have a quite different consistency - like pieces cut from a huge wheel in a cheese shop.
I wonder if cheddar should be aged in lower humidity ( say 70%) in order to get that drier consistency I so value?
Commercial cheddar is bandaged after pressing is complete - no need to return to the press.
The cheese will lose moisture over time as it ages. You want to moderate that moisture loss so a humidity level of about 80% is good for cheddar. If too dry the rind will suffer or the cheese will crack or dry excessively and not develop properly.
Textural changes also occur as the proteins break down - that is a process that really cannot be sped up.
The few I bandaged I have repressed, I did two layers then put plyban(disposable cheese cloth) on the outside to help with the getting out of the mold. Dont know if it's a must to repress, but that's what I did. https://youtu.be/LwQNsF-azqA
If the link works, this guy represses after bandaging, it's also an interesting and funny video.
I have used bandaging without repressing with good results. I use lard and butter muslin. Check out my Bandaging cheddar post https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13778.0.html (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13778.0.html)