 For those of you who like Manchego, we've done you proud. This Saffron Infused Manchego cheese has been a real treat. We started the cheese over Thanksgiving with our St. Marcellins. The consistency, cream, and tang are really nice and the cheese pairs with just about anything. Unfortunately, our large Tomme is nearly gone. I look forward to continued batches of this fun, semi-firm cow's milk treat.
Tommy Reddicks www.cheesedesert.com
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 It's been six weeks now in the fridge for the final aging process. We have taste tested along the way and it is at a nice creaminess now. With 2 crocs remaining, we will enjoy these over the next week. Almost time for the next batch! This batch was started over Thanksgiving break.
Tommy Reddicks www.cheesedesert.com  We've molded a new Reblechon in an 8" Tomme Mold. Our previous Reb's have been 5", 1-pound rounds. This new grand daddy will be an 8" 1.5 pound round and will be a fun one to take through the aging process. This one will show us his true colors in the next six weeks. I'll keep you updated on his progress! 4th day in the cave today.
Tommy Reddicks www.cheesedesert.com After a small break in Cancun, we are getting ramped up for winter cheese production. We taste-tested our first St. Marcellin on Christmas Day. While young, it was very tasty. The cool little crocs have been softening for four weeks now. Six weeks is our target. They look and smell wonderful at four, so hopefully the results in early February will be worthy of the wait!
Tommy Reddicks www.cheesedesert.com We have taste-tested our Manchego for the past two weeks and it seems to have reached a point of perfection on day 50. It's fairly firm, has great tanginess, and leaves a perfect creamy-salty finish. We made this Manchego in an 8" Tomme mold. While we may eventually move to a more traditional Manchego mold, this size , shape, and taste is pretty nice!
We had to wash this cheese in a vinegar-salt solution 5 or 6 times during aging to control mold growth, but it showed no sign of vinegar in the flavor. So, to those who may doubt the vinegar treatment, here is yet another testament that this is a good mold-growth controller, and would likely better any olive oil or straight salt approach. Tommy Reddicks www.cheesedesert.com  Our latest batch of St. Marcellin has moved from the cave to the fridge in their new ceramic crock homes (pictured here). These beauties will spend the next few days softening up under plastic wrap before a Christmas tasting. These cheeses can age in the fridge for up to six weeks. For us though, Tuesday will be our first day of tasting. There is no sense in not enjoying the spoils of our work on Christmas Day!
Our Christmas Dinner Menu: Reblechon, Valencay, St. Marcellin, Herbed Chevre, Fromage Blanc, Chorizo, Salami, Fresh Fruit, Artisan Sourdough, Oil & Balsamic for dipping, and a couple select Christmas wines. Yum! Happy holidays everyone! Tommy Reddicks & Kelly Wensing www.cheesedesert.com  Pouring the pasteurized milk Perhaps we're bad hosts, but we had our friend Joyn (Manager of Bru Burger Bar downtown) over after dinner and what did we do? We made Chevre.
Joyn is a foodie and hopefully didn't mind the show. He hadn't seen our pasteurization process (and the wonderfully annoying, old-school sound our pasteurizer makes when it reaches temp). We made two Chevre logs and a Hungarian Paprika Pyramid. Tommy Reddicks www.cheesedesert.com  Can't wait to try the latest Reblechon. Went for a drier aging cycle after the washed rind process to allow for a more traditional texture. The rind has firmed up just enough to allow for wrapping in the fridge. It hasn't lost it's stink though. Good Foot!
Tommy Reddicks www.cheesedesert.com  My indicator for true stink in a cheese is The Foot Scale. It's my 10-point system (10 representing the ultimate in stink) for rating stinky cheese.
I tried the Stinking Bishop in London this fall, and it was a 9. I reserve a score of a 10 for cheeses that can rival scents like a Durian fruit. Today, however, I opened our cheese cave today and it gave me a true 10. Whew. Inside the cave (pictured here) we've got two batches of Valencay, 1 batch of Saint Marcellin, and a single round of Reblechon. That combination is truly aromatic! We may not be able to bottle this scent, but when bottled up, it has a life of it's own. Tommy Reddicks www.cheesedesert.com 
Our Saint Marcellin is done developing at room temp (48hrs). Our 4 little pucks are headed into the cave for 14 days with an ETA of Christmas Day!
They will be turned daily and the container wiped out daily until Christmas. Then they will go into their ceramic crocks- ready to stink up the dinner table and scare away the Christmas Goose! |
AuthorsKelly Wensing and Tommy Reddicks. Archives
June 2014
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