Parmesan.

So, I started the batch of Parmesan last night that I had meant to start last weekend. And really, it should be done on a weekend…

The heating, holding, curding and molding were all fine. It was really just the time-scale of trying to get it all done on a Wednesday night that was difficult. I finally got my curd into the mold around 9:45, pressed it, pulled it from the mold, redressed it, repressed it, pulled it from the mold, redressed it, repressed it, pulled it from the mold, redressed it in new butter muslin, and repressed it until later today, when it comes out and has a little brine bath, for another 12 hours. SO, tomorrow morning, I will pull the parm out of the brine and send it down to the cheesery to age for the next 10 months. Good times. I did take pictures this time, of most steps in the process. If ever I do anything with them, I shall post that here.

It’s rapidly approaching Valentine’s Day, which is the unofficial “Hey-My-Cheddar-Is-Ready” day, as it started aging on 1/1/08. I will most likely let it continue aging for at least another month, as I am a fan of sharp cheddar….and I am afraid that it might suck. I mean, I am only human and I do make mistakes. Who’s to say that my first batch of cheese ever had SOMEthing go wrong? So, let’s say I am cautiously optimistic.

Well, so far so good.  The Parm is looking good – floating in its brine until this evening when I remove it, and it begins the long, boring aging period.  Granted, it’s only boring to non-cheesemakers…I find it riveting, going down to the cheesery daily to flip over the cheese for the first few weeks, then only once a week…but I’ll still visit.  Okay, I’m lying, it’s not riveting.  BUT, since it ages best in higher humidity, I rigged up a pretty sweet humidifier-on-a-timer system.  Okay, that’s boring too.  So, yeah…I’m boring.  I’ll deal with it

~ by mholl on January 24, 2008.