New Adventures

I have been busy with so many other things I haven’t had time or felt like writing on this blog of mine. I am amazed by all these bloggers that manage to write on their blogs daily and do all the things they are writing about……where do they find the time? Do they get to sleep? Get to spent time on the sofa with their spouse, kids/……I don’t think I could keep up with that, nor do I want to.                                                                                                                                                                                               
I have too many things I like to do during the day and when I am done for the day, I just have no energy left for writing. I also think my evening is time to spent with my husband, family and friends not with the online community. So my blog, even I sometime think I should share more, it still will always be secondary to the life I am living, because living and enjoying life is more important as this blog.

I will try to share with you, but I won't try that hard. I'll keep finding more things to keep busy with and things I want to learn, try, do.......the list is getting longer. I've been always a hands on person, creative, crafty and resourceful. Why buy something you can make yourself? I like to tinker and make things, I like to grow things, make my own food, cakes, jams, pickles.....I enjoy eating good food, and if I can make it myself.....so much better.

So I just went on another journey.....the journey of cheese making. Last year I met this women outside of town, I call her "goat lady" who has goats, milking goats, cheese milk type of goats and she is getting me goat-milk. So I started making farm type fresh goat cheeses, chevre types or hand cheeses. Then I found a young farmer that sells Raw milk herd shares. So I signed up with him. And since 2 weeks ago there is only one kid left in the house, I have more milk, then we use for fresh use.......so I have been busy making cheese and learning about cheese making.......been hanging around the internet cheese sites all week.

These are the two cheeses I have made this week. The red one is a Spanish goat cheese called "Cabra al Vino" is soaked in red vine before aging. The other is a typical farmer cheese from Europe called "Tomme" and is very variable whatever mold, rind and taste you want to try....lot's of experiments possible. They are not done yet, just went into my cheese fridge cave for aging. Never made cheeses like that so it will be an adventure. Will I be able to keep the bad mold at bay and encourage the good growth.....we will see in 6-8 weeks. 

 

"Cabra al Vino"........that one could be a bit smoother on the outside. I trusted the instructions too much and so the curd got cut a bit late and was firmer then it should be. They didn't knit together as nicely. As long I can keep the bad mold invading the crevices and wander inside it should be fine. I'll keep you posted

"Tomme" ....this one so far just looks perfect. I learned on the cheese forum about the flocculation method, where you put a sterile, small container on top of the inoculated milk and give it a push from time to time and once the container won't move anymore on the milk, you then can calculate out how long it needs to set. I tried it and it worked like a charm. I decided to just wash it with a vine-salt water brine to develop a rind.

Tomorrow I'll make goat "Feta" cheese.......today I made a simple clabbered milk cheese, it's still draining. It will turn into a stinky German hand cheese when I am done with it. At least that's the plan. I still have more milk to process.....so excuse me, if you can.......I have more research to do