Monterey Jack - 1st try

This time I am trying my first aged cheese. My cheese press arrived in the mail just in time to use it for shaping and pressing this cheese too.

The process is very similar to the Feta I tried last. I used 1 gallon of 2% cows milk. To it I added calcium carbonate (because it was store bought and homogenized), Mesophilic starter and vegetable rennet in liquid form.

I used the sink method to bring it up to the required temperature which means I put the milk pot in a larger pot filled with hot water. This took forever and I got lots of exercise running back to the kitchen to add more hot water.

Eventually the curds formed and I used a long knife to cut it into cubes. I still don't quite understand the instuctions in my book to get perfect cubes. It is easy to do 90 degree cuts from the top, but to cut the "columns" into cubes the directions don't seem to work.
After the curds are cut, you let them sit for another 45 mintues and then you pour it all into a colander to separate the curds from the whey.
Next the curds are put into the cheese press lined with cheese cloth. The pressing requires three different levels of pressure.

First one pressure for 10 minutes, then you turn the cheese and press with more pressure for another 10 minutes, and finally your turn it again and let it sit for with more pressure for 12 hours.
The next step is to sit the unwrapped cheese on a cheese mat for several days. You turn it twice a day until the cheese feels completely dry. Finally you wax the cheese and place the waxed cheese in a 55 degree place (our spare fridge) for 4 weeks. It gets turned over weekly.
The waxing was an ordeal that I will describe in another posting later. Just know that it was not easy or easy to clean up afterward. Currently this cheese is aging. I will add to this post when the tasting happens in February!

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The taste test

Well, I served up this cheese on Monday of this week. I tasted it at home first and I liked the taste. It was somewhere between a Monterey Jack and a cheddar in consistency. Slightly crumbly and just faintly cream colored, rather than pure white.

My husband, who really only likes Cheddar, tasted it and said it tasted too creamy for him. I took it to work the next day and offered it to all my teammates. Everyone liked it and several came back for seconds which was a good sign. I am not sure why it didn't turn out as a pure Monterey Jack, but I think I will call it a "Leesburg Jack."

Believe it or not, I only have about half left and it's only been "open" for 3 days. I think it is just yummy. The Farmhouse Cheddar will be ready in less than a week, but my husband wants me to let it age a bit longer. It will be interesting to compare.

We are also expecting a huge blizzard this weekend so I have purchased a gallon of milk. I should have lots of time for trying my next cheese. Wonder which one I will try this time....