I have been experimenting a bit with this recipe - always using raw milk and MA4001 culture instead of the yoghurt. The results have been SO GREAT that I have put off learning to make more difficult cheeses. I have varied the temp (from 92F to 102F). 97F produces a REALLY good cheese with a texture we really like. Excellent eating as is, in grilled cheese and probably in pizza (havent tried that yet). I have also added dried garlic to the curds. Another batch I boiled some hot pepper flakes/seeds, added the liquid to the milk, then added the pepper seeds to the curds. Also soaked a batch in Amaretto liqueur - havent tried that one yet. One batch got contaminated with a rocqueforti spore and an amazing blue cheese resulted. I am curious the variations others have used with this recipe. Let´s share!
I added mustard seeds and lipase to one. Now that it's aged about six months, it's quite sharp and the mustard has gotten strong. It's great in salad, or melted over cauliflower. Also tried cumin seed in one, and caraway in another.
Dave in CT
I have tired a few different recipes for cheese and always come back to the Fankhauser one. I really like how easy it is. The first two cheeses I made were doing everything exactly as he said and right in the middle of all the times and temps he suggested. I aged both for a month. The cheeses were very good. The first one was very smooth and a little sharp. It was great on tuna sandwiches. The second one was crumblier and a bit sharper. It was great on salads. The next two that I made are hopefully going to be a really moist cheese and a really dry one. The first I cooked the curds at a lower temp for shorter time and the second was a higher temp at a longer time. I use the buttermilk starter and let it sit in the milk from 3 hours to 5 depending on when I get to it. I think I will try adding herbs next.
I havent been noting the cooking times, just been aiming for the firm scrabbled eggs stage. How would you describe the curds for the shorter and longer cooking times?
I would say that shorter times (15 min or less) is softer like scramble eggs with milk added, and that when I cook them longer (20 min or more) that they are really firm scrambled eggs, like when you leave them in the pan for too long. Although I like firm scramble eggs but I think most people would consider mine over cooked. Hope that makes sense.