Cheddar Texturing

I've been really happy with the flavor of the Stirred-Curd cheddars so far... but the texture hasn't been quite right. It's been a bit crumbly and dry. Doing a little more research, it seems that the solution might be to use a little more rennet. (The vegetarian rennet I have says on the bottle it's "double-strength," so I had been using half what the recipe calls for...).

On Sunday I had some friends over and we made a batch of Stirred-Curd Cheddar, but used 3/4 tsp. of rennet instead of the previous 1/2 tsp. What a difference! The curds set significantly faster (about 45 minutes), and were ready for cutting after only 45 minutes. After that, everything seemed about the same--until taking the cheese out of the press. The curds knit together much more smoothly, as the outside of the cheese was much smoother and, well, "cheddar-like"... and the feel of the entire wheel of cheese is a little more rubbery* and feels like it has a bit more moisture to it.

I waxed the cheese this morning, and I'll report back in two months...

2 gal. Trader Joe's Organic Whole Milk.
1/4 tsp. Mesophilic Starter
7 drops Cheese Coloring, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
3/4 tsp. Vegetarian Rennet, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
2 tbs. Flake Cheese Salt

* in a good way.

Perfect Party Platter

Last Friday my friend Dana threw a little soirée, which ended up being a gathering of many of our friends. What better opportunity to share some cheese?

I put together a little cheese platter, with the Feta, Manchego, Horseradish Cheddar, and Jalapeno Cheddar. Dana also supplied some fig paste, which is a wonderful complement to the Manchego (Quince paste is also great). Overall: Great Success!

We've been enjoying the Manchego and Feta for a little while now, but this was the unveiling of the two cheddars. They had been aging for just over 2 months, and came out of the wax in excellent shape. Both had a faint trace of pink mold on the surface, which I simply scraped off.

The flavor was excellent--thankfully, we guessed right on the Horseradish and Jalapeno quantities. Spicy, flavorful, and intense. I still can't decide which I liked more.

The only other thing I still have to figure out is the texture... Both the cheddars were quite crumbly (almost like a Feta!), while the Feta is too soft and creamy. Darn it, I'll have to try again!

Horseradish Cheddar & Jalapeno Cheddar

Yesterday my friend Dana and I made a special batch of Stirred-Curd Cheddar. We split it up into a Horseradish Cheddar and a Jalepeno Cheddar. Basically, we followed the Ricki Carroll's Stirred-Curd recipe, and after the faux-cheddaring process (draining the whey, then holding the curds at 100 degrees, stirring every 5 minutes), we then divided the curds into equal parts, adding 2 tablespoons Horseradish puree to half, and 2 tablespoons finely chopped Jalapenos to the other half.

The plan was to press both at once (I only have one press, after all). However, we quickly realized that both of these are rather pungent, and that the flavors would likely combine inside the press (even if they're separated by some cheesecloth). We wanted to avoid making a Horseradish Cheddar that tasted like Jalapenos, and vice versa. Even we're not that adventurous!

The workaround was to press the Horseradish first, while continuing to hold the Jalapeno curds in the pot at 100 degrees. We pressed at 10 pounds for 10 minutes, then flipped, and again at 30 pounds for 10 minutes. We then switched, holding the shaped horseradish wheel at 100 degress, while we pressed the Jalapeno for the same amounts.

Next we stacked the two in the press (each dressed in their own cheesecloth), and pressed at 40 pounds for 2 hours. After that we flipped, redressed, and pressed at 50 pounds.

The cheeses are currently still in the press--they'll be ready to take out of the press tonight. Last night I took the cheeses out of the press. Looks like we either pressed the horseradish a bit harder than the jalapeno, or we just didn't divide the curds evenly--the horseradish wheel is quite a bit smaller than the jalapeno wheel. Other than that, they're looking--and smelling--incredible!

2 Gallons Trader Joe's Organic Whole Milk
1 Packet Direct Set Mesophilic Starter
1/2 tsp Double-Strength Vegetarian Rennet
2 tbs Gold's Prepared Horse Radish (Ingredients: Horseradish, Vinegar, Salt, Flavoring)
2 tbs Chopped Jalepenos (From a jar of Jalapeno Slices in Vinegar)
2 tbs Flake Cheese Salt

Stirred-Curd Cheddar

A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to try another Cheddar. This time I opted for Ricki Carroll's Stirred-Curd Cheddar recipe. It is still a bit of a cheddar shortcut, but a little more involved than the Farmhouse Beach House Cheddar, since you do need to "cook" the curds for about an hour (stirring every few minutes to keep them from sticking together). However, I think it differs from a traditional cheddar in that you keep the curds separate while cooking (cheddaring?) them, rather then draining them and them cutting the block of drained curds into strips.

This cheese also needs to be waxed before aging. I used my smaller press hoop to create a taller cheese--then cut it in half before waxing. This way I ended up with two one-pound wheels. I plan on aging one for two months, and the other a bit longer to see how it develops.

2 Gallons Trader Joe's Organic Whole Milk
1 Packet direct-set Mesophilic starter
1/2 tsp. Double-Strength Vegetarian Rennet
2 tbs Flake Salt