Goat Milk Feta Taste Test

Hi Friends! 😊

Here is the video of our Feta cheese taste test. I was so hyped up to taste this cheese and it turned out to be saltier than the Dead Sea!!! We will still try to salvage it by rinsing it under cold water, but the next time I make Feta (and there will be a next time!) - I'll cut down the salt solution in the brine!!

So...I won't post a recipe for this until I have a success!!

- My little hound dog Jack is doing his best to get my attention throughout the video. -

Cheddar Taste Test (Two Cheddars Using Two Different Bacterial Cultures)

Hi Everyone :)

I recorded a taste test video for two of my Cheddars but the video just didn't turn out! I'll give you a quick summary in writing and add a video addendum below!

Yesterday I opened:

1. A Cheddar that I made in October 2019 that's been aging 3 months. For this cheese I used the culture MA4002 which is a mix between a mesophilic and a thermophilic culture. It's supposed to create a buttery texture and a milder taste.

2. A Cheddar that I made in July 2019 that's been aging 6 months. For this cheese I used the culture MA11 which is marketed as a "go to" mesophilic culture for hard cheeses.

A Cheddar that I opened a few months ago was made with MA11 and both Alex and I found it to be way too tangy for our liking. That's why I made another one with MA4002 to test if there would still be a tang.

Unfortunately the 6- month aged Cheddar (using MA11) was too tangy and yeasty. Sigh. The 3-month aged Cheddar (using MA4002) was also tangy but very edible and tasted like a Cheddar.

We recorded a follow up video after we paused for a bit to taste the cheeses again, here it is, but the conclusion is that I will never use MA11 again in my hard cheeses!

And just for fun, here is the pets' taste test video, they're so supportive! 😊

Colby and Camembert Taste Tests

Success!!! We opened the Colby and Camembert cheeses yesterday and they are both delicious!!

Please click the links for the recipes:

Colby

Firm Camembert

Fontina Taste Test

Hi Everyone :)

We tasted the two Fontina cheeses I made in September. Oh my gosh...both wheels were delicious! Each wheel was made with a different bacterial culture because I wanted to see, smell and taste the differences. I wasn't disappointed!! I will definitely be making this cheese again!

Raclette Taste Test

Hello Everyone,

Today we opened up the Raclette cheese and tried it. The taste was quite strong, but very good. But...the same issue, it didn't melt!

Farmhouse Cheddar Tasting and Making Camemberts

Hi Cheese-Lovers! :)

I opened the Farmhouse Cheddar that I made at the end of October. Farmhouse Cheddar is basically a short-aged Cheddar. It aged for just one month and it's supposed to be more moist and creamier than a regular Cheddar.

I didn't post a recipe because I wanted to see how it turned out first. There are good points and bad points.

Farmhouse Cheddar to the left - 3-month aged Cheddar to the Right

It looks right! It has the right texture! It smells awesome. We re-sealed half of the 3-month Cheddar that we opened in October - you can see how the 3-month Cheddar is very firm, no holes. This is because an aged Cheddar goes through what's called the Cheddaring process. A Farmhouse Cheddar doesn't. The Cheddaring process removes more whey from the curd to make a firmer cheese. So as you can see, both cheeses look right.

Despite good looks, once again, there is a little tang to it. And it didn't melt. I even tried a different bacterial culture this time so I'm guessing it's the milk or the acidity level during ripening.

No matter how much research I do, I CANNOT find any information about acidity of cheese during cheese making in LAYMAN's terms that talks about tang and melt. I don't have a chemistry degree!  None of the books I own on cheese making address this. Plus, I simply don't have the time or attention span right now to learn about all of the chemical/technical aspects of cheese making...but I'm going to try my darndest to figure all of this out so that I can have a nice mild Cheddar! I wrote to the owner of the cheese making store where I buy my supplies, I hope she can help me!

It's still good, don't get me wrong! We nearly finished it! :) But it's just a snacking cheese.

Another little experiment I'm doing is a new recipe for Camembert. I have a very good recipe for the authentic French gooey, runny strong flavoured Cam. The photo above is one of the Cams I made last Christmas. You can see how the cheese is firm on the outside and runny on the inside. The rind was beautifully developed as well - it was a great cheese! But this year I wanted to try one that was a little more mild and a lot more firm.

So I tried a new recipe for a firmer Cam. I made them two days ago and they are air drying. They are quite holey...and the white bloom has already started to show up in places! These will be ready to taste in mid-January so I'll let you guys now how they turn out!

Monterey Jack Taste Test!

Hi Friends :)

Today I did a taste test for my Monterey Jack cheese. Verdict? NOT a Monterey Jack! It was more like a tangy Cheddar with a Feta texture.

It's not a complete waste because it's still a good cheese, but I'm wondering what's up with the bacterial culture I'm using! More tests are needed!!

3-Month Cheddar Taste Test! (Video)

Hello Friends!

Today I tasted the Cheddar cheese I made in July, it was a success! :)

Jarlsberg Taste Test!!

Hi Everyone :)

Last night Alex and I opened up the Jarlsberg that I made at the beginning of August. It was a success!