I am trying to make a blue similar to the Hebridean produced by the eminent Mull creamery on the West coast of Scotland. This is one of the 'bluest' blues I know with very intense flavour and a creamy slightly crumbly texture . There is blue mould every few millimetres. I want to know how they do it. It certainly isn't done by puncture, neither is it full of holes. Could it be injected or put in at the salting /premolding stage? Has anyone any ideas? I will use their cheese in the process instead of p rocqueforti.
I really do not know and dont know enough about cheesemaking to venture an intelligent guess. BUT I have made a vegan B lea cheese.. with that "cheese" to let it age until it was covered in blue, then I took it and crumbled it up and repacked it loosely.. The result was really blue.. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT.. quite delicious. :-)
I really appreciate your reply but knowing the very traditional methods adopted by the Mull Creamery I think your suggestion is very unlikely. I wish you luck in your cheese making!
Having just experienced this, I think I can give you a hint. I was using Jim Wallace's Stilton recipe (based on a 1917 farmhouse Stilton) where there is a *very* small amount of starter culture and you salt at a pH of 5.5 (IIRC). As I discovered, you want to have a *very* open curd because over time, the cheese slowly compacts, driving the air out under its own weight. Even though there was enough structure that I was actually worried I wouldn't be able to smooth over the rind (as you do with a Stilton), I got almost no veining because the cheese collapsed later cutting off the oxygen :-) The cheese was super creamy with lovely blue flavour -- unfortunately only a little bit of veining. I will try again, though!
Recipe here: https://cheesemaking.com/products/stilton-cheese-making-recipe BTW, if you are reading, Jim, awesome recipe. Thanks!
I would still think they puncture. I can't always see the holes after it's aged awhile. Caveat: have only made one blue, but I loved it. NEC dolce gorgonzola, but turned out picante.
I made it today and probably used far to much of the blue - blended with water. We will see ! The curd is quite well separated so should retain some oxygen. I will probably puncture it as suggested.
I am new to cheese making, but my guess is that the curds were craggie and did not compress, thus giving space for the oxygen and mold to follow.
yes I think you are right - Rocquefort makers use a little propionic shermanii to creat some gas pockets in which the blue mould will grow
enjoy your adventure in cheese making !
I "think" stilton's are hooped at a very low ph around 4.8 to 5 ph thus the curd does not knit together very well , the slightly crumbly Leeds me to suspect low ph too . Maybe some one can suggest a culture to help with the creamy , buttery ???