Sailor talked about Lancashire as being a cheddar-like cheese that develops good flavor in 4-8 weeks, yet is creamy, so I had to try the recipe. The first wheel didn't look so good, as you can see from the next three photos:
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee217/MrsKK/Lancashire002.jpg)
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee217/MrsKK/Lancashire003.jpg)
And the top:
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee217/MrsKK/Lancashire005.jpg)
Based on some feedback, when I made my next Lancashire, I pressed the cheese right after milling the curd, rather than allowing it to set overnight, as the original recipe calls for. Here are the results:
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee217/MrsKK/Lancashire006.jpg)
While the first Lancashire I made didn't look very good, it had a mild cheddar flavor in only 4 weeks and has a very creamy texture, just as we like it at our house. I have larded the remaining 3/4's of it and can't wait to try it again in a few weeks.
I think I'm going to have to make this quite often!
That second wheel looks great! Much improved. I hope mine looks and tastes asas good.
Yep, I'm really pleased with it. I've got it in a 3 gallon pail in the coldest room in the house as a ripening container. I need to get to the store to try to find a container that will fit in my new mini-fridge. It has been maintaining between 52-56 degrees Fahrenheit with no external controls, so I'm hoping I don't have to add anything to it. GE model with no freezer, 4.1 cubic feet of fridge. Hubby made me buy a new one - sweet guy, huh?
Karen - I knew you were going to like my modified Lancashire.
Where did the recipe come from? Could I get a copy... A)
That's fantastic, Karen, thanks for continuing the experiment! Now I'm much more eager to open up my first one, but still have a couple of weeks to wait, at least. I didn't get to do another one yet, 'cause I fell on ice last Monday on the way to get milk, busted my tailbone, so no cheesemaking for me for a little while. *sigh*
I shall live vicariously through you all instead!
Sailor - Thanks so much - even my hubby likes it, which I'm really glad of because he's still buying 5 lb blocks of cheddar at Sam's Club because I hadn't made a cheese he really liked yet. This one fills the bill, so hopefully we won't ever buy SC cheese again.
Tobias, I will post the recipe in another thread. It came from 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes by Debra Amrein-Boyes, with some modifications suggested by Sailor.
George - I'm so sorry to hear about your tailbone. I can empathize with you, as I severely damaged mine about 25 years ago, went through numerous injections trying to get the pain under control and eventually had to change jobs because my job was sitting 8 hours a day. My doctors best advice? Take warm, relaxing baths with a glass or two of wine. I'd add in a cheese plate...
Karen - Just one caveat. When made this way the Lancashire is a creamy, moist cheese. BUT it is best eatten fairly young like a Colby or Havarti. I do not like it nearly as much after 90 days. In the Cheddar family this is my favorite cheese, especially since I can sell it young.
Thanks, Karen. I'm actually doing surprisingly well at this point - enough to already be fantasizing about maybe going ahead and making more cheese in a few more days (short makes, though, let's not be hasty!). I got lucky - I'm already under the care of a homeopath, so once I stopped screaming and moaning long enough to call her, she gave me another remedy and most of the pain was totally gone 24 hours later. Now I just have the pain from the actual break, eminently controllable (Advil is a wonderful thing, in this case). I did a REALLY good job on the poor thing - fall to the first step snapped off the tip, and the subsequent steps slid onto pushed the tip out of position. So now the joke is I'm all crooked, but all kindsa happy. ;) I DO have some cams that are just about ready to go on that cheese plate, though ...
Anyway, back to cheese -
Sailor, how does the Lancashire change, exactly, that makes you not like it after 90 days?
Thankee!!
~Mary
As Lancashire ages it becomes drier and firmer like a true cheddar. My customers (and I) really like the creaminess of a young Lancashire. Since the Lancashire is a higher pH moist make to begin with, it is not a good candidate for long aging.
Thanks for this discussion and the modified Lancashire recipe. I am inspired enough by what I've seen here, and the description including the word "creamy," to try it myself! It's on the list, right after Asiago...
Thanks, Sailor! I'm going to take that as a hint, also, of what'll happen to an overly-aged Havarti.
I really appreciate all of the feedback, Sailor, and info on how the ageing affects these cheeses.
I'm really liking the ripening container! I think I will make another Gouda today - that one is okay to age for longer, isn't it? The recipe I use (200 Easy...) says it can be aged up to several months.
Yes, Gouda is a good long-term agining cheese. HOWEVER, there are 5 year old Goudas on the market that I don't like either. The flavor is amazing, but they are just too dry for my taste.
There is one adjective that sells more cheese than any other - creamy.
I love the flavor of Italian Grana cheeses but I find that many of my wholesale buyers and chefs aren't very interested. Especially when aging for a year, I just can't compete with the flood of cheap products on the market. So, I have just started making a Creamy Romano. Full fat (4%) milk, double dose of Lipase, larger curd cut, and cooked at 112F instead of 117F. For the purist, this obviously won't be a true Romano, but I am hoping that this will be a good Italian flavored table cheese at 75-90 days.
Yes Sailor, I really like those kind Romano at table cheese ;)
Creamy, moist and still full of taste.
And you can use those with pasta until they get aged little bit more.
Hande
Yep, creamy is the goal here. I liked the young Gouda that we bought a couple of weeks ago (because I'd just made a Gouda, but had never eaten any), but DH wants more flavor. I'll have to try your method with a Romano, too.
Quote from: Sailor Con Queso on March 09, 2011, 05:48:29 PM
There is one adjective that sells more cheese than any other - creamy.
Wow, how do you know me so well? ;)
I suspect that one of the major things I've been aiming for with my cheddars is, in fact, Lancashire. Another 10 days or so and I'll find out. Hee! While people more purist than I may be shuddering in horror at this (not exactly "true" cheddars), my original goal was to try to duplicate the cheese I got from my favorite farmer in Quarryville PA. I think I finally got there, but now it might be even easier once I get to try the Lancashire and see how close it is.
(Aside - haven't made cheese in two weeks and it's made me absolutely nuts. So I just got back from picking up about 8 gallons milk. Cam's and a 4-gal garlic herb "cheddar" shall ensue. My sister promises to mock me mercilessly should I hurt my back or shoulder again just because I'm, ummmm, bored.)
Karen - That is the Catch-22. Flavor and young cheeses often do not go hand in hand.
My Stiltons (especially the Ginger) are by far my best selling cheeses. They're really good but what people react to most is the creamy, buttery texture. When people take their first bite they always shut their eyes and make a little noise. I call it the "mmm..... factor". That reaction is what I want for all of my cheeses.
Ta-daaaaa!!!
Oh yes, pressing right away seriously helped this cheese - if I haven't already been effusive enough in my thanks, Sailor, consider me effusive now.
I had to open up the first one and re-vac it (was accumulated whey/moisture inside), I stole a small piece from the side and wasn't particularly impressed with it. Of course it was only three weeks old at that point, so ...
So here's Lancashire #2 - MUCH nicer, at least so far.
British cheese and Mexican beer - interesting pairing. :o
Looking really good George. Give it 30 days and then try it. Lancashire is pretty good young. You can always put back for more aging to suit your taste.
I made 6 batches of 6 Lancashires (36 cheeses) this week. Each about 6 pounds. 12 regular, 12 with organic tomatoes, and 12 to be mesquite smoked.
The accumulated whey probably means that you didn't press with enough weight or long enough or both. It's also really important to let the cheese breathe and expel moisture before you wax or bag. My guess is that you bagged too early. When whey does accumulate like that, I would not re-bag immediately. Take it out and let it dry for a few days first.
Hey Sailor
Do you let the lancashire sit out for a couple days at room temp or does it go right into the cave after being pressed? Would you wax or bag it as soon as it looks dry enough?
Thanks
Mike
I let all of my hard cheeses dry for a couple of days before going into the cave. I know what many of the books say, but IMHO you should NOT wax or vac bag too early or you will trap moisture. I let mine breathe and age naturally for 3-4 weeks before bagging. In the case of Lancashire, if you anticipate using it early, you may never need to wax bag. Just keep the humidity reasonable so the rind doesn't dry out.
Sailor - since I couldn't eat the cheese yet, I had to drink the beer instead. ;)
I did actually bag that first one too early - it had been air-drying when I had that lovers' quarrel with the black ice, and by the time I could move again I was afraid it would dry too much if I left it, but couldn't move well enough to go shuffling up and down the stairs grabbing ripening containers and sech. On the good side, there wasn't MUCH accumulation in the bag, and I did let it dry again for a few more days before re-bagging it.
I probably shouldn't have dissed it, either - the piece that I stole and tasted WAS from the driest part, after all, age notwithstanding. My plans for both of them will be to cut them at roughly 4 weeks, respectively, try 'em, and re-vac pieces to try again at 6 and 8 weeks, and maybe keep a small piece for longer (12 weeks). I'm eager to see/taste the flavor curve you described, including (maybe) the 90-day mark. I like the maxim "you can always use it in cooking!"
I finally got some egg crate, too, and my neighbor cut it up for me, so I can rig up some extra "drying" containers much more easily now. I think I'll take your advice and not bother bagging this one at all (at least until I cut it the first time).
Thanks again!
(Mmmmmmmmm ... mesquite smoked!!!)
Oh, one more thing - how do you prep the tomatoes for adding to the cheese? I'm guessing they're dried, but if not ... ?
That Lancashire is looking good, George. Dos Equis is one of the few beers that I truly enjoy.
We tasted the second quarter of the lumpy Lanc I have pictured above late last week. The flavor is developing, but still a mild-medium cheddar type flavor. I need to make more of these cheeses so we've got a rolling stock of it.
I'm sorry, but "rolling stock" conjures up images of the cheese competitions in England where they litterally roll their cheeses down a hill.
Well, I hope you were amused by the little "movie" you got to see!
But then you'd have to drink Rolling Rock with it. :o
So, Karen, how old is that first one now? It was 4 weeks when you first opened, but I wasn't sure of the make date. Is it still as creamy as it was at 4 weeks?
Fantastic Cheese~would you be so kind as to post the recipe, please!?
The recipe was posted in it own thread
https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,6505.msg46408.html#msg46408 (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,6505.msg46408.html#msg46408)
I hope to make this one myself next week
Mike
Sailor... this is OT, but how long and at what temp do you cold-smoke the Lancashire cheese? And then what... bag to let the smoke flavor permeate?
Thanks.
As DJ Debbie has pointed out, there are many ways to COLD smoke. For example you can use a soldering iron and a handful of chips. There is almost no heat involved so I'm not sure what you are asking about temperature. I use a "Smoke Pistol". Here's a link on E-Bay
Smoke Pistol (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280467784690&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1156)
Ingenious little device that doesn't generate much heat. I put the Smoke Pistol in the bottom of a BBQ grill and then put six 8" wheels on the rack. Plug the SP in and let her smoke for an hour. Time depends on the level of smoke flavor and the kind of wood that you are using. The SP uses chip cartridges. I use either Hickory or Mesquite.
I feel it is important to smoke and vac bag them before a really hard rind develops. I feel I get better smoke penetration this way and have absolutely no mold problems.
Thanks, that's what I needed to know... the time, basically. The Q about temp was in reference to really low temps, which have given me the problem of a slight bitterness, possibly from smoke condensate.
The time is really relative to the size(s) of the cheese, the size of the enclosed smoking container, and the amount of smoke being produced. For example I use an old BBQ grill, but you could also use a sealed Rubbermaid container that wouldn't leak smoke.
Quote from: george on March 21, 2011, 08:36:42 AM
But then you'd have to drink Rolling Rock with it. :o
So, Karen, how old is that first one now? It was 4 weeks when you first opened, but I wasn't sure of the make date. Is it still as creamy as it was at 4 weeks?
That's really amusing George, because Rolling Rock is the only kind of beer we drink at our house.
Thanks again, Karen, for pointing out this link to me! I've got everything prepped to make this today. We're doing the semi-instant gratification cheeses, probably for the next following months, if not for the entire year. I don't regret making the parm (now that I think about it more), it WAS a learning experience...but, then, it will be quite a long time to find out if I dorked the making of, so we'll see. I really like the inside of your cut Lancashire, though..it DOES look creamy & we love creamy cheese in this house...apart from the tabled grana cheeses we're partial to.
So, I'm off to the kitchen!
I have sad news about my first parmesan...I had to throw it away. I had it wrapped in saran wrap and stuck it in the back of the spare refrigerator. I came across it the other day and it had gotten very wet. Half of it was black/grey/white and looking very soggy, so I didn't even want to mess with it. No regrets, though.
Good luck with the Lancashire, Steff!
That is so sad!! I would probably cry..maybe not, but I would be hard pressed not to. I have my parm in the fridge now, I've got the temp in there, consistently at 52-55F, the thing is, I have to check the humidity a couple of times a day (with warm water), replace the cup I have there for it to get to the target range...or it drops down to 75%. Luckily, I work about 3-5 mins drive from home & come home for lunch almost everyday, so I get to refill it. I'm going to have to get a mini fridge, though & have my hubby rig that for humidity & temp "cave" setting. I know there's a topic in here somewhere for it, if not, I know I can probably find it online! I'm going to post a pic of the parm tomorrow. It's really puny, though, cos I only made it out of a gallon of milk cos I was too chicken to do more.
Quote from: MrsKK on March 22, 2011, 03:25:12 AM
That's really amusing George, because Rolling Rock is the only kind of beer we drink at our house.
Well then you're all set!! 8)
I've got a GE mini fridge that stays 52-54 degrees with no external controller. It doesn't have a freezer compartment in it, which I think helps a lot. I've also occasionally noticed drops of water toward the back on the floor of it, so I think the humidity is staying high enough, too. When I bought my remote thermometer, I spaced out getting one with humidity readings. Oh, well. This fridge is working out really well for me and only cost $110 at Sam's Club.
Silly question - if I were to use all whole milk in a Lancashire instead of mostly whole and some partially skimmed, what would happen and why?
I use whole all the time. Makes a creamier, moister cheese that ripens a little quicker. Skim always makes a harder, drier cheese.
I also use whole milk for Lancashire. My cow right now is holding back a lot of the cream for the two foster calves she's nursing, so it's pretty short on the creamline anyway.
Cool, thanks! I need to try this again, and I very rarely manage to plan my milk supply around needing extra cream or skimmed. Have resolved that I'm going to do it properly this time - the last one I stubbornly insisted that there was no reason it shouldn't take JUST FINE to vacuum-sealing, and by the time I was done with it I'd sucked all the moisture out. That'll larn me.
Thanks again to both of you!
Vacuum sealing doesn't pull out moisture from the cheese. If it was dry, there are many other things to look at during your make - curd size, floc time, floc multiplier, time until curd cutting, cook temp, cook time, air drying, cave management, humidity, etc,
Sorry, I should have been more complete in that answer instead of just tossing the one-liner out there.
First, I didn't use a ripening box for it, I just air-dried for longer than usual (5 or 6 days maybe? - till it felt really dry), then vac bagged it. Lots of moisture in the bag a few days later. Opened it up again, air-dried again (still no container) for another day or two, vac'd it again, still a lot of moisture in the bag a few days later. My make notes seem to be okay in terms of everything else - that's why I'm blaming it all on my own stubbornness in terms of what I did AFTER it came out of the press, even though I knew better from both your advice and Karen's. 'Twas very foolish of me, and I'm determined never to make that mistake again. :-[
Young cheese doesn't do very well in vacuum bags. There's just still so much whey there that needs to be removed.
I really like using a ripening container, as it gives the cheese a lot of character that I wasn't finding in cheeses that were just air dryed, then waxed or larded.
Success! (I think)
The one I made last week seems much more like it should - perhaps the problem WAS in my previous makes and not the abuse I heaped on them afterward. Much less "solid" dry feeling to the wheel, so I'm hoping that this one, I got right. Going to make another today to keep it company - it's lonely in that big ole ripening container all by its lonesome. ;)
(I used MM100 on this one - was that a good idea?)
Karen, you've been tasting yours at 2-week intervals, yes? At which age did you like it best?
Thank you both so much for all the kind words and voluminous advice on this. Eventually, it seems, it DOES sink into my brain, so thanks for your patience, too. Cheeses to you both.
On Friday evening, I cut up the very last bit of the Lanc I made on January 28th - it was about 100 days old and it was really, really good. I shared it with the cheesemaking class, as we made a wheel of Lanc and they all enjoyed it, too.
This is one that was good all throughout it's life, with a mild cheddar-like flavor early on, developing more character all along. It all depends on what you are looking for in a cheese, but I wouldn't hesistate to cut into a Lancashire at any time from 4 weeks to the full 90 days and still be assured of a good cheese. It held onto the creamy texture all throughout, too.
I have to say that this is the first aged cheese I have made that I feel was a complete success.
I told you that you were going to like this one. ;)
I find that this is one of the most versatile cheeses that I make. I am making a Mesquite Smoked Lancashire on a regular basis that is really good.
Yes, you did, Sailor. It is just the cheese I've been looking for since I started cheesemaking. Just a couple of weeks until I wean the calves and get the cow used to the milker, then I'll have lots of milk for making more.
I'm going to alternate between Lancashire, Gouda, and Mozzarella to get stocked up before I have to dry the cow off. That will give me a plentiful stock of whey for feeding to the pigs, too.
The recipe Karen shared uses Buttermilk. If using Meso can you tell me which meso is best?