Hey Fast, that’s a nice looking cheese - congratulations on a terrific first make.
The crumbliness is very common in first cheeses.
It’s due to over acidification which is usually a combination of heavy handedness with the culture, and too short a stir/scald followed by pressing too heavy too fast.
All things that nervous newbies like we all are/were are prone to do when making cheese and trying to play it safe.
Doesn’t hurt the cheese at all except making for slightly more unwieldy sandwiches.
If I might make a suggestion - pretend you made just half the cheese you did, and call it finished when you consume that half then make another. Stick the remainder in a vax pack, bung it in the back of your cheese fridge and forget about it for six months.
Hey Inemi, if it’s a queso fresco you’re right. And tell you the truth, I’m no expert so it’s more a general recommendation for Blade for pressed cheeses.
I wish I had the discipline to do the same with mine.
Going by Blades recommendation of how it tastes to Todd, it doesn’t sound like a Queso Fresco. Part of the trouble is farmhouse means a different cheese to different recipe writers. I’ve seen ones which pretty much resemble a stirred curd cheddar but with a bit more moisture and those are my go to, and informed my understanding.
Thanks for pulling me up on that. I don’t want to be giving bad advice.
Hey Fast, that’s a nice looking cheese - congratulations on a terrific first make.
The crumbliness is very common in first cheeses.
It’s due to over acidification which is usually a combination of heavy handedness with the culture, and too short a stir/scald followed by pressing too heavy too fast.
All things that nervous newbies like we all are/were are prone to do when making cheese and trying to play it safe.
Doesn’t hurt the cheese at all except making for slightly more unwieldy sandwiches.
If I might make a suggestion - pretend you made just half the cheese you did, and call it finished when you consume that half then make another. Stick the remainder in a vax pack, bung it in the back of your cheese fridge and forget about it for six months.
You’ll be amazed at how it evolves.
Hi Smooth, I have to disagree.
I know farmhouse cheese as something similar to queso fresco. A cheese usually to moist for longer aging and meant to be eaten soon.
Hey Inemi, if it’s a queso fresco you’re right. And tell you the truth, I’m no expert so it’s more a general recommendation for Blade for pressed cheeses.
I wish I had the discipline to do the same with mine.
Going by Blades recommendation of how it tastes to Todd, it doesn’t sound like a Queso Fresco. Part of the trouble is farmhouse means a different cheese to different recipe writers. I’ve seen ones which pretty much resemble a stirred curd cheddar but with a bit more moisture and those are my go to, and informed my understanding.
Thanks for pulling me up on that. I don’t want to be giving bad advice.
Nice! How is it?
Great looking cheese, enjoy