I discovered part way through that my mould isn't big enough for the recipe!! So handy Jerry made me a temporary one out of an old honey container, and we mocked up a press using a few clamps from the shed. So I'll have a big and a small cheddar!
I also made a few loaves of english muffin bread using some of the leftover whey. It will be interesting to see how it tastes.
Sunday afternoon we measured up the new mini-orchard area for the new fruit trees we bought.
In the fruit tree department we now have
- 3 peaches - Elberta, Red Haven (both yellow freestones) and Lena Kirsten (white freestone)
- 2 apples - Granny Smith and Pink Lady
- 2 plums - Mariposa and Satusma (both blood plums)
- 2 nectarines - a dwarf variety and a regular - Emily Kirsten (white clingstone)
- 2 pears - A Williams and a Nashi (Nijisseiki)
- 2 apricots - can't rememebr the one from last year, but bought a Newcastle early today
- 2 cherries (Stella)
- 2 redcurrants
- 2 blackcurrants
- 1 gooseberry
- assorted berries
4 comments:
How Fantastic!! I didn't realise you were a cheesemaker as well! Where do you source your milk? did you do a course, or are you simply following instructions from somewhere?
I'm only a baby cheesemaker! So far only made Chevre, goats feta and this cheddar (along with ricotta and labna).
I have to buy commercial milk (until I eventually get some goaty friends!) but I splashed out and bought organic non-homogenised milk for the cheddar.
I did do a course a few years ago (just a 1/2 day) but for this one I followed the excellent directions in Rikki Carroll's cheese book. I picked this one as it's ready to eat after only 4 weeks so I can see how it tastes. I'm hoping it will be nice with the pickled veg I did earlier in the year.
If it's OK I think I will try some longer maturing cheeses like parmesan or maybe monterey jack or gouda. And maybe even a proper cheddar....
Margo, I finally found you. What a great blog, and I am extremely impressed with the makeshift cheesepress and clamps. Simply fantastic.
Keep up the great work and your blog is going straight to the pool room (blog roll).
Gav
Thanks Gav - you know if it wasn't for you there wouldn't be a hard cheese section, so right back out you with the great blog comment :)
I'll pass on your clamp comments to Jerry - he was pretty impressed with his own ingenuity LOL
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