Sunday 12 July 2009

Another busy weekend

It's been another busy weekend! In between the outdoor chores I finally got around to making my first hard cheese on Saturday. I decided to start with a farmhouse cheddar as Rikki Carroll suggests it as a good first cheese.

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
Should keep us going for a while :)

4 comments:

baringapark said...

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?

Margo said...

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....

Unknown said...

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

Margo said...

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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