What makes cream rise fast instead of slow?
Jun 29, 2023 5:58:15 GMT -5
simplynaturalfarm, susaq, and 1 more like this
Post by Lannie on Jun 29, 2023 5:58:15 GMT -5
I wish we were ALL neighbors, and we could just get together and make cheese sometimes. That would be such a good time!
I got my pH strips, finally, but I don't think I need them now for the cheddars and colbys I've been making. I seem to have figured those out, and they're coming out very nice. I'll definitely use them for the mozzarella. I think. Part of the fun of making mozzarella is taking a tiny bit off and floating it in the hot brine to see if it gets melty. Whether it does or not, I get to eat it! LOL!
But just out of curiosity, for those of you who use, or have used, pH paper or meters on hard cheeses, is there a pH rule of thumb? Like for a cheddar-type cheese, is there an optimal pH for a good, solid cheese (not all full of holes) that melts nicely? The recipes I have all say to let the curd cook for x-number of minutes or whatever, but I'm sure there's a pH number they're trying to arrive at, am I right? If I knew what it was, it would make it a lot easier for me.
I got my pH strips, finally, but I don't think I need them now for the cheddars and colbys I've been making. I seem to have figured those out, and they're coming out very nice. I'll definitely use them for the mozzarella. I think. Part of the fun of making mozzarella is taking a tiny bit off and floating it in the hot brine to see if it gets melty. Whether it does or not, I get to eat it! LOL!
But just out of curiosity, for those of you who use, or have used, pH paper or meters on hard cheeses, is there a pH rule of thumb? Like for a cheddar-type cheese, is there an optimal pH for a good, solid cheese (not all full of holes) that melts nicely? The recipes I have all say to let the curd cook for x-number of minutes or whatever, but I'm sure there's a pH number they're trying to arrive at, am I right? If I knew what it was, it would make it a lot easier for me.
I've been using the "Farmhouse Cheddar" recipe from Ricki Carrol's book (hey, it's the only book I have!), and it's been making a lovely, solid cheese. Then I started making some of the Colby recipe from the same book, with the same results. The "Stress-Free" cheese from Homestead2, which was my old standard, gave me a cheese with tiny holes in it, so sometimes, when I tried to slice it thinly, the slice would crumble apart. I think it was the heat of the curds when it went in the press, not sure, but it never knitted 100% together. It's a fine recipe, I just should have taken the time to cool the curds some before pressing. The recipes from the book have a much lower temp when the curds get pressed (they feel cold instead of warm) and there are never any tiny holes in them when I cut into them. The ones I've opened so far, anyway. I have 8 in my fridge that I haven't opened yet, and #9 will be going in there this afternoon. I'm trying to build up a stash for my hay guy. He should be pleased. Last time he brought hay, I had no milk and no cheese, and he looked like this: But next time, he'll look like this:
I haven't been keeping count, but Rich and I eat a LOT of cheese, and I still managed to get 9 ahead, so I wonder how many cheeses I've made since Molly calved? It seems like I'm making a hard cheese on average every other day. Sometimes, two or three days in a row, but then I take a break and make "chicken cheese" for the critters. I'm making SOME kind of cheese every day, though. I'm starting to get tired.