Cheesemaking Workshops

[minnie]

Just having a look over at Cheeselinks and saw their schedule for workshops, and thought some may be close.
http://www.cheeselinks.com.au/workshopschedule.html

As well their site has online shopping now, which is great. They've been around the longest of all the 'Australian Cheese Product Selling Sites' and for those that want cheesemaking kits they've got some good ones that they make up themselves, unlike the other ones ordered from overseas... they'll go sky high soon with the dollar spiraling down.

Vicki

[Shadowgirlau]

Great minds think alike. I too have recently been over on the Cheeselinks site looking to see what was new and what had been happening over there.

Quite a lot since the last visit by me.

Kathleen

[deejay]

I am planning to go to the workshops at Margaret river in March. If anyone would like to have a ride and can meet me enroute would be happy to oblige. The dates are March 21 and 22. So far I have not made up my mind which I will go to but will need within a few days so if interested let me know.
My route Starts at Muchea GreatNorthern Highway and will go south to Margeret River.

dj

[Mojojo]

Right thats it, I now know what my work movements will be, so can commit to doing one or both of these days in Margaret river. I think definitely Camembert, and maybe Feta as well.
Ringing on Monday to book - if I am not too late already.

[Shadowgirlau]

I am very tempted to do a refresher, very tempted.
Shall be interested to see if you get a booking now Jo

Kathleen

[Mojojo]

I'm in for both days! Only one spot left now for the Camembert one, I think a couple more for Feta.

Other half is dying of jealousy.

[minnie]

Hi Jo,

Sounds great, let us know how it goes.

Vicki

[Mojojo]

Now, where to stay on the Saturday night. Hmmm.

[Mojojo]

All went well! It was alot of fun, and the process alot simpler than I had anticipated. Favourite part is the little cut and then lift of the curd to watch it split, its like magic.

I've still got some of the draining/brining/etc to do, so no tasting results yet, but the workshops were very well run, and definitely worthwhile.
Bought the starters etc, and we do plan to keep making cheese - particularly the camembert - to be sure.
The other half was able to come after all as his roster changed (for the better!) and he was equally excited about the prospect of making cheese, which is a good result! In fact, he wants to start next weekend, and is trying to figure out just how many camemberts he will be able to turn out a month.

Will let you know when we get to the tasting camembert stage how it goes! They are now looking very fat and tall and a little bulgy - after all the turning only came down to just over half the hoop height - and are tucked up in tubs the car fridge (has nice higher temp range if you set it on the 'warmest' cool setting) waiting to grow furry coats. The car fridge, I discovered, also has a warm setting, and the lowest warming setting was perfect for the thermophilic starters - so the mascarpone and yoghurt got 'cooked' in that! Brilliant!
Sadly, my mascarpone now resides in the fridge at the Margaret River High School, as I left it behind.

The good news is, that Challenge Dairy (under the Capel Crest milk label) are about to release a pasteurised, but not homogenised milk (Cream on top!) perfect for cheesemaking, so will be down to the IGA and another local shop to see if they will consider stocking it. Will scan in the info page about it and email, if you were interested Kathleen, in trying IGA down your way.
We used this milk in the workshops, previously it came from the lecturer's own dairy. (their milk all goes to end up in those bottles anyway)

[minnie]

Hi Jo,

I'm so pleased you enjoyed the course. I know I was the same, found it not as difficult as was in my mind... so the course for me put it all together and gave a great base. That's why I always say to people do the course it just gives you a good start.

Still hunt around for raw milk, honestly un-pastuerised milk really made the camembert sooooo much better, we couldn't believe the difference. Then you see why the french like their cheese with raw milk.

Good tip on the milk from IGA, I'm sure lots of people will find that very handy.

You didn't say what cheeses did you make?

Great that your DH was able to go, I wish could have done the same... you both remember difference bits of the process I think.

Vicki

[Mojojo]

Yes, raw milk woud be great if I could get it. I think i will look into that more when we get out of the city in a year or so. It surely would make a different product. I saw about a month back, that they are now adding stuff back into pasteurised milk to replace what has been killed in the pasteurising process. (Can't remember what it was, but was flabbergasted at the idea)

We made Camembert, Quark, Ricotta and mascarpone the first day. (With DH)
and Traditional Feta, gourmet feta and Greek Yoghurt the second day. (Just me - he does not like feta)

Now the quark did not set particularly well so most of that ended up in the sink last night. The yoghurt did not set either, but I did had some nice yoghurt flavoured milk on my muesli this morning. Am not dead yet so hopefully it is ok.
The camemberts however just look lovely and I have to stop myself from peeking at them every 10 minutes.

Definitely handy with two people there, we already noticed that we remember different things. Richard is very meticulous and good at following instructions exactly, whereas I tend to go by feel and make it up as I go along. So the cheesemaking I think will be better done by him, or at least with him supervising me!

Oh and I got to meet DJ too, as she was there for the feta day!

[minnie]

Hi Jo,

The quark we made and I did several times at home, worked perfect every time... I'll do a step by step when we get into it once the weather is kinder for us to make cheese. What I found so easy was the use of the fish tank heater to keep the temp and doing over night. If you put the quark into moulds it then becomes chabecou which was great cut into cubes and marinated like the feta in oil etc.

How great to meet DJ.

Phil (my DH) is like your Richard, so he works out all the times etc while I do what I'm told

Looking forward to hearing how you go...

On the adding back to milk, good grief we are a weird mob to have populating this planet aren't we! I just shake my head almost daily at things such as this... eg. eggs - eggs are good for you, eggs are bad for you, eggs cause cancer, eggs make you fat, eggs are good for you, eggs are a meal in themselves... now to wait for eggs are bad for you again.

Vicki

[Hausenview]

On the adding back to milk, good grief we are a weird mob to have populating this planet aren't we! I just shake my head almost daily at things such as this... eg. eggs - eggs are good for you, eggs are bad for you, eggs cause cancer, eggs make you fat, eggs are good for you, eggs are a meal in themselves... now to wait for eggs are bad for you again.

So very true Vicki, I don't know how people are suppose to keep up with what is good and bad for them when it changes so frequently.

[Mojojo]

Yep, I roll my eyes alot at things, and think, "I must be getting old"
Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I am sounding more and more like my Nanna (not a bad thing either) as the years go by, and I'm only 30-something!

The quark was just a bit wet - I think because it was bouncing around in the car and did not have the nice temp control it would like - I am thinking I might have another go on the weekend myself.
Same with the yoghurt.
Step by steps will be helpful though

The fish tank heater is a great idea, i think I saw that in step by steps... for camembert?
Might have to invest in one.
We have now mastered the art of getting the little car cooler/warmer to the right temperatures but that currently has the camembert chilling at 13 degrees so can't use it to warm stuff at the moment.

[minnie]

Hi Jo,

We did the quark on the course with the fish heater.

On the Friday when we arrived, we heated the milk, poured it into buckets with lids (cheap sort from Crazy's) added the starter and rennet and sat it in a plastic container with water at 25 degrees and the fish heater set to that and then went home.

Next morning, whisked it into the whey with a whisk, poured it into fine calico bags, tied and hung them until Sunday lunchtime. Then out into containers to take home. You can give a good squeeze while in the bag as well to see how it's going.

Has worked perfect everytime and has to be the easiest thing ever, just warm weather and flies bother me for the hanging bit... so waiting for cooler weather.

I hang from a beam exposed (been renovating for years... another story) over the breakfast bar with a big container underneath to catch the drained whey and empty it as required.

Hope it works for you over the weekend.

I'm with you on the eyes rolling and I'm past my thirty something and look back at when food did have taste... even lollies don't have flavour in our highly processed world anymore.

Oh I digress but have to say I had Chinese at in-laws on Sunday night, we felt like we needed to detox for 2 days afterwards... FIL got sweet and sour chicken and it was ORANGE as, with no onion or capsicum etc and I'm not sure that it was chicken... it looked poisonous. Then the garlic prawns DH noticed they were cut into the shape of prawns and they were quite transparent, so goodness knows what they were too... honestly I don't think I've ever had chinese so poisonous looking. And the place was full of people buying it! And had to eat some as inlaws 'don't get it or us at all' and it's easier. It was AWFUL!

Vicki

[Mojojo]

My goodness, that chinese sounds hideous! Clear 'prawns' ?
I know that scallops are sometimes not really scallops - but circles punched out of sting ray wings. (buy with roe on to be sure they are real!)

Jo

[minnie]

Well Jo,

I didn't know about sscallops, honesty in food seems to have flown out of the world.

And it sure was hideous, I felt poisoned for days. Next time, I'll say 'can we have fish and chips instead' the fish shop close by has beautiful fresh fish... can't go too wrong with that.

Vicki

[Shadowgirlau]

Sounds like you had a wonderful weekend cheesemaking Jo. Was seriously considering going however hubby had to go into hospital on the Monday to have a hip replacement so I decided I wouldn't be able to fit it all in and would likely be pressed for time to get him ready etc.

Very interesting about the milk in IGA (going into) however at our IGA down here we don't get the Capel Milk so unlikely to see it. Eventually we will have our own milking cow which means I will just have to hang tight.

Cheers
Kathleen

[Mojojo]

A shame you could not come, supporting hubby with the hip replacement is definitely more important though. Another time, no doubt. Ros is planning more workshops later in the year - in particular a blue, and halloumi/mozz I think.

Apparently IGA's are (or are supposed to be) open to sourcing local stuff - our local doesn't stock any capel milk either at the moment but does have Bannister downs (Northcliffe) in the soft packs, and I am going to ask them about the Capel stuff... if no response I'll try the others (3 IGAs within a 2 minute drive!)and another shop just over the way who really do specialise in local, unusual and gourmet products and see if they will, although I am sure they will price it a little high. As I am going to be city bound for another year at least, and not likely to have a cow for another 3 - ie after I stop working and move to the property - am keen to keep making cheese in the meantime though.

Cam n Bert (yes, we named them ) are both growing nice snowy white coats now, and nearly ready to get wrapped up and put in the fridge. Its very exciting, I find the whole process to be just magical.

[minnie]

Hi Jo,

Yumm Haloumi, I've had a thing for haloumi the last couple of months, just love it... and have to get a good recipe to make it, the way I'm enjoying it.

Fantastic news on Cam n Bert look forward to when you taste them in a few weeks, I'm sure you'll see the difference.

Vicki