Last night was cheese night!!! I have to admit I was nervous to try out my little dairy children...The Cheddars were all 3 months old and the Camembert was made in November.
All seemed normal, except my Cam turned into a creamy gooey mess!
Although it was a DELICIOUS mess!! I need to find some room in the budget to get some cheese making books soon. I've been following online recipes and it's hard for me to figure out the reasons the cheeses turn out like they do. Like, why did my first two Cams turn out perfectly and these Cams are so soft and runny? The mysteries of cheese making!!! :)
Let's hear the bad news first. The Newcastle infused Cheddar? Not so good! Maybe the beer didn't mix well with the bacterial culture...who knows, but it had hardly any flavour with an odd after taste. But my head is high...it's the only one that didn't turn out!
The regular Cheddar was nice! All of the Cheddars had a great texture. This one was very tangy - Alex loved it but it was slightly too tangy for me. Again, I have to research how to make it a little more mild. Tweaking here and there and more experimentation is needed!
MY favourite! The red wine infused Cheddar. It turned out nice and mild and look at that marbled effect! Oddly enough, this is the only of the three that grew a hard rind too. More mysteries!!
I made some bread to go with the cheese. Check out my lonely little slab of paté!!
Conclusion: I WILL make more Cheddars for sure. Now that I know they have good to improvable flavours, there is no stopping me! I will also make more Camemberts. I want to try some new cheeses in 2018 as well. I will keep making some of the cream cheese, the Boursins, Ricotta and Mozzarellas (traditional and Bocconcini style).
I still have the Dry Jack in the cheese cave as well as the experimental Baby Swiss...we'll try both of those in the spring!
I do have to acquire better equipment though. Better shaped cheese molds and maybe some newer bacterial cultures. My Rainy Day Cheese Making blog should be more active in 2018, so keep an eye out!
Thanks for all of your support this year on my cheese making my friends, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster!
Enjoy your evening and Happy New Year to everyone! :)
Oh I am sure that was a DELICIOUS gooey messsss!!!! I-am-sure!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat red wine cheddar, have never seen that before! Sounds delightful. that bread and pate look yummmm tooooo.
You do realize how "painful" this post is, for me, don't you? >,-) No, you don't! :-) I can not eat gluten, and very little lactose. Really! I'm not just on some yuppie fancy eating kick! I had all kinds of gut issues, for years. !!!! A few years ago, I quit gluten and.... All my gut issues disappeared!!!!! Yes, life without gluten is not fun. But life without gut pain and spending hours on the John, is wonnnnnderful!
And yes, there are a lot of gluten free products now. But, for me, real bread, will never be able to be G/F substituted.
I can have some lactose, if I take a "Lactaid"-like product. But I have to still be careful, to not overdo. I did over-do at Christmas dinner and...... -sigh- So I have been being careful, since. 'Cause I want to enjoy the Warm Artichoke Dip with Sour Cream (among other things) that I'm making for tonight. :-)
Have a lovely New Year's Eve!
I bet there is a Facebook group for cheese makers. I learned a lot from a Facebook group when I started making my own kombucha. There were books but I found the group had answers to my specific questions.
ReplyDeleteLove it! How amazing is it that you can make that cheese to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteYou live in a cheese shop, it looks wonderful. Happy new year.
ReplyDeleteYour cheeses look amazing, I am sure you have learned a lot too. Thanks for sharing, and Happy New Year Rain!
ReplyDeleteYum! I love cheeses, and I wish I had some of these right now. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a successful run to me! You've accomplished so much in a relatively short period of time. It's certainly a challenging learning curve. And I look forward to you sharing more of this adventure. It's a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to all of you!
Hi Rain, it’s so good to read your blog again.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of a more delicious hobby and I never knew it was even possible,, I thank you for introducing me to cheese making! So cool to have made your own cheese, amazing,, and it looks wonderful as well, I can't wait to see what you come up with next and I can't wait till the swiss is ready in spring,, thats exciting!!
ReplyDeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteYesterday I took advantage of the extremely cold weather to smoke some cheese in my little electric smoker. I've been wanting to try it for forever, but you have to cold smoke cheese (temps no higher than 90f, preferably under 80f), which either requires special equipment or really cold temps. Turned out pretty good too!
Rain, you have really piqued my interest in cheeses. Now I know why some are so expensive. I went to my online used book dealer and wow!!!!!! Cheesemaking books are pricey! Even a used one starts over $20! I concur with an earlier comment....check to see if there is a facebook group for cheese makers. I am in several for different cooking techniques.
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious Rain! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteRain, I love your cheesemaking adventures! Never a dull moment, eh? I thought the gooiness of the camembert was typical of long aging (???) I've never made it so I don't really know! I'm sure the more you make, the more you'll understand the nuances. Lots of cheese goodness to enjoy! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThese look amazing! Glad you had most success with your cheese endeavors.
ReplyDeleteYAY YAY YAY!!! I have been on pins waiting to hear and this is incredibly good news! Onwards and upwards!
ReplyDeletehappy new year! they sure look wonderful! i love following your cheese making!
ReplyDeleteWowzer! Those cheeses look fabulous! I wouldn't mind eating that Camembert with a spoon...yummo! It will be fun following your cheese adventures this year!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, you two! This post made me think of Monty Python's cheese shop sketch that features runny camembert!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Years to you and Alex.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat. Everything looks so delicious. You must be very proud !!!
Hope u will have tons of success in 2018 in your cheese making adventure 💜
Dairy children - that's wonderful! Ooooh... it all looks so delicious. I've never had Camembert, and didn't know it wasn't gooey, so I think it looks wonderful and imagine it tastes so, too. I look forward to seeing what you come up with in 2018, Rain. I'm sure it will be a feast for our eyes. :)
ReplyDeleteLooks great and what an adventure!!!
ReplyDeleteYour cheese making abilities leave me speechless. Seems you're getting so good at it in a relatively short time. I don't want to learn how to make cheese; I just want to eat yours.
ReplyDeleteDairy children...lol!
ReplyDeleteSo interesting to see how they all have turned out!
Hi Wisps of Words :) Gooey mess is right, but yes, it is a delicious flavour for a cheese and I'm SO SO sorry you can't have gluten and lactose! Oh the horror...seriously, I live on cheese and bread...I did a year going g/f, sugar-free and vegan to help heal a digestive disorder and I know how difficult it was. Nothing substituted my ingrained taste for flour in bread products...and the dairy free cheese plainly sucked. There are lactose-free cheeses out there and I did like those. If I still had the same pain, I would definitely change my eating habits though. I found out it's casein proteins in certain dairy products that I now avoid. I hope you had a nice New Year's Eve dinner! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Birdie :) I actually belong to a cheese forum, but I haven't been there in ages since we got the two extra dogs...I will have to go back there and ask for some advice!
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam :) It was great to taste them finally!!
ReplyDeleteLol Gill, it does look like a cheese shop doesn't it? :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine, I have learned a lot but I need to learn more! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Laurel-Rain :) I love your name :)) I love the cheeses, my fave was the red wine one. I've had some made with port before, I may try that next time!
ReplyDeleteHi Martha :) Thanks! I have learned a lot, and I know which cheeses I'm willing to take a chance on now...at least until I'm a rich lady ha ha. I need better equipment but I'll stick to what works until that magical day happens! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Terry! :) So happy to see you again! I hope all is well with you! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Laurie :) We are REALLY looking forward to the Swiss and the Dry Jack!! It's a bit of a challenge because I don't have a real humidity and temperature-controlled cheese cave. My "cheese cave" is a small bar fridge that Alex gave up for my hobby. It's hard to keep it at 10 C and 80% humidity! But I'm trying my best...more cheese to come in 2018!!
ReplyDeleteHi Ruth :) Happy New Year! :) Oh fun...I would love to try to smoke some Cheddar or Mozza! I'm glad it turned out for you! There is nothing better than eating your own food! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Marsha :) The cheesemaking books are crazy expensive...but I have also found that you have to be really selective. I've come across a few that have recipes...but forget to mention they are made for people who have cows or goats. I have to use store bought milk, which requires an additive...but sometimes it just doesn't work out anyway. It takes a lot of experimentation, which can get pricey. But I won't give up! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks TB :) Hope to see some of your cheeses this year too! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Leigh :) You are SO right...never a dull moment with the cheese children lol...I don't know about the Cam because I aged it the same as the first two! (??) It could be the fridge I use as a cheese cave...maybe it got too cold in there, or not humid enough...I was busy over the holidays and didn't cheese-sit as much as I should have. But it still tasted yummy so no worries! :) Hope you and Dan had a great start to the New Year!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Stefanie :) I'm so glad it was a success too! I was really nervous!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dianna :)) Onwards and upwards definitely! But those Cheddars are really a lot of work, so I want to try to make them milder. I have to find a new recipe to experiment with I think.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joyce :) I hope your part was fun and Winnie had a great time! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan :) I could have DRUNK that Cam right out of it's rind lol...actually I did pull out a spoon at one point!
ReplyDeleteHi Debra :) LOL...I just watched that sketch on You Tube lol...John Cleese is so young! Very funny, thanks for mentioning it!! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Nik :) Happy New Year to you and G too! :) I'm really proud of my Cheddars :) I hope I have more good cheese news to share in 2018!
ReplyDeleteHi Becki :) The Cam isn't supposed to really be that gooey! It's supposed to be creamy but not runny. I'll get it better next time :) I can't wait to try making more cheeses this year!
ReplyDeleteHi Mama Pea :)) Glad to see you! :) LOL...I think if I sent you some cheese, it would be half eaten at the border lol! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn :) I am so glad I tried this hobby! Now I'm looking forward to spring for the Swiss and Dry Jack! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, those cheeses look awesome and as long as it tastes good who cares if it's a gooey mess! LOL! I'm afraid to go over to your cheese blog as I have too many projects on the go now but someday I am going to do it! Meanwhile I will live vicariously through all your successes and you have so many! So happy they turned out and the red wine one does sound really tasty. Congratualtions and Happy New Year!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sam :)) Oh don't worry! I haven't updated the cheese blog for a few months. I copied this post over there, but the new cheeses haven't really started yet!
ReplyDeleteWow this variety of cheese looks so appealing dear Rain!
ReplyDeletei am so proud of you to do everything with so enthusiasm and perfection.
happy new year to you love birds dea!!!
sending you heartiest best wishes for your new year resolutions
Thanks Baili :) I'm looking forward to trying new cheeses again this year! I just need to find the time. It might have to wait though, until our friend picks up his dogs, they take up so much time!!
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