Stilton Cheese Making Food

STILTON CHEESE MAKING RECIPE

Steps:

• This cheese was produced with raw unpasteurized milk from a local farm. Even though I could have waited for the natural flora to do it's work, a starter to develop acid was added along with an inoculation of p.rouqforti for the blue. This improves the chances of getting the proper cultures and making a more consistant cheese. I suggest making this cheese with four gallons of milk or more. It is difficult to measure less culture. Larger recipes can be scaled up by increasing the ingredients proportionately. This is a cheese requiring some experience with cheese making and might be a challenge to inexperienced cheese makers. I have included pH and TA% to follow the acid development if you have the tools available. Heat & Acidify Milk Rehydrate Penicillium Roquefort 2 hrs before heating milk. Heat milk to 86F and add either 1/8 tsp of MM100 culture or 1/2 pack of C21 culture ~1/16 tsp Penicillium Roqueforti. For a more open texture, you can also add 1/16 tsp MD 88 Culture. Let ripen for 30 minutes. Coagulate with Rennet Then add 2.25 ml of single strength calf rennet allow this to set for 1 hour to develop a good curd. Drain Curd After 1 hour check for a good curd and ladle curd to cloths in pan and let whey collect for 90 minutes, then drain pH=6.47 or TA% =.14 Let whey gather again for 30 min. pH=6.38 %TA=.16 then dump whey. Allow curd to drain in bags for 2-4 hrs until %TA=.18-.2 pH=6.14, tighten cloths every hour. When firm enough turn out curd and cut to 4" cubes turning every 15-30 minutes, until %TA=.4-.5 (5.5 pH) Break up & Salt Curd Break curds into walnut size or smaller pieces. Apply 2.5% Salt by weight of curd to the blocks and allow to absorb this over the next hour. The yield here is about 5.75lb. therefore 2.3oz. of salt should be used. Add this in two batches allowing it to penetrate. Rest for 1 hour but stir the curds to keep from matting every 10-15 min. Transfer Curd to Molds Loosly pack curds into the molds (Weight is just enough to compensate for a full size stilton, about 5 lbs) Turn several times in mold first hour then 2x@day for next few days. After 3-5 days @ 70F remove mold and wrap in cloth for the next 5 days. Then remove cloth and move to aging room 54-60F 85%RH Aging D+1 to D+4 turn in forms 2x@ day D+5 wrap in cloth bandage D+10 remove bandage. Weight loss since molding is about 30% punch holes @ 5 weeks (1/8" needle and about 1 hole every 1" throughout top and bottom) Ripe in 3-5 months Detailed Overview of Aging Day 3-4 notice the blue mold is just beginning to develop. Between weeks 3-5 the cheese is still quite moist and giving off some very strong aromas. At 5 weeks the mold community on the outside should dry off a bit. At 3 weeks the blue is beginning to dry out and a multitude of different colored molds are forming on the outside. and then I will make multiple holes with a sterile needle to allow an exchange of gasses and the inner bluing should begin. The final step is to put it into my aging chamber to finish out the 4 month process At 8 weeks the cheese has been pierced to allow the internal development of the blue molds and the ammonia has subsided to a wonderful strong blue cheese aroma. The exterior has now formed a very definite crinkle and many of the molds have dried down to a good crust. The real secret here is to keep the humidity at a point where the surface doesn't crack nor become slimy at the other extreme. The only problem I can see at this point is waiting the next month or 2 until it reaches its peak At 12 weeks the cheese is ready to cut. The crust is a coat of many colors and the blue has done it's job inside. Notice the holes left by the earlier piercing to let air in and gasses out The flavor at this point is medium strong and permeates the entire cheese, The texture is very smooth, creamy, and spreadable but cuts cleanly and easily without crumbling. I will now be tasting this cheese over the next 4-8 weeks and expecting the flavor to get stronger.

HOMEMADE STILTON CHEESE

Steps:

• Clean all surfaces and equipment before beginning. Set up a draining station by placing a clean colander lined with the cheesecloth in the sink.
• Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed stockpot and warm over medium heat to 86 degrees F, stirring gently. Remove from the heat.
• Add the cultures and mold to the milk. Allow them to hydrate for 2 minutes, then stir in, using an up-and-down motion.
• Add the calcium chloride solution and stir briefly. Add the rennet solution. Stir in for 20 seconds, then stop the motion of the milk but stirring the opposite direction for a moment. As you add the rennet, start a timer and watch for the flocculation point**. When reached, stop the timer. Multiply the number of minutes elapsed by 5.5. This is how long you need to wait before you cut the curd. Goal time is 90 minutes.
• At the timed moment, cut the curd into ½-inch pieces. Stir gently for 10 minutes, then let the curds settle to the bottom of the pot for another 10 minutes.
• Pour off the whey that has collected at the top of the pot, then gently pour the curds into the prepared colander. Cover the colander with additional cheesecloth or knot the corners of the cloth to form a pouch. Drain for 12 hours at room temperature.
• Afterward, open up the cheesecloth and move the drained curds to a bowl. With clean hands, break the curd into walnut-size chunks. Add half the salt to the curd chunks, toss to incorporate, then wait 2 minutes. Add the remaining salt and repeat the mixing process. The curds will taste very salty.
• After salting, fill your prepared cheese form with the curds, packing them in, using your fingertips to very gently press down on the cheese. Do not press too hard (or you will compact all the spaces where the blue mold is going to grow) but use enough pressure that the cheese starts to knit together slightly. An underpressed cheese will fall apart when flipped. Place the curd-filled form on a draining rack (such as a sushi mat).
• Keep the cheese in its form, at room temperature, for 8 to 10 hours more, flipping after 2 hours and again after 6 hours. Flipping is especially easy if you are using an open-bottomed form.
• Finally, remove the cheese from its form by gently pushing it out and onto an aging mat (such as a sushi mat). With a knife or spatula, gently smear the sides of the cheese-as though you were frosting a cake-to help fill in the gaps and to form a more closed rind. Move slowly; I know it's difficult to do because the cheese is crumbly. Move the cheese into a clean aging bin. Cover with the lid. Place the bin in a 65 degree F location for 2 to 3 days. This warmer period is important for acid development that activates the blue mold spores. Remove built-up moisture from the bin as needed.
• After 2 to 3 days, take the knitting needle and pierce the cheese a half dozen times horizontally. You can make more pierces vertically if you wish.
• Now move the bin and cheese to a cooler (50 to 55 degrees F) location. Keep the lid on the box but not locked down. Turn the cheese every 3 days. Begin to wipe the rind with your fingertips or a small piece of cheesecloth if excessive molds start to grow. Eventually, the rind will start to feel sticky and turn brown or pinkish in color.
• For extra veining, pierce the cheese again between days 10 and 14.
• Ripen the cheese for 6 to 8 weeks, flipping and maintaining the rind and moisture levels. Ripen the cheese for 3 to 5 weeks longer if aging in a refrigerator.
• Enjoy, or wrap the cheese in aluminum foil and keep in the fridge, uncut, for up to 1 month.

STILTON CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Combine beer, butter, and salt in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring until butter is melted. Reduce heat to moderate and add flour all at once, then cook, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan, about 30 seconds. Continue to cook, stirring and flattening batter against bottom of pan, until excess moisture is evaporated and a film forms on bottom of pan. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well with wooden spoon after each addition. (Batter will appear to separate initially but will become smooth once beaten.) Add cheese and stir until combined well.
• Spoon batter into pastry bag. Line a large baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper, then secure parchment by piping a dab of batter under each corner. Pipe approximately 3-inch lengths of batter 1 inch apart on baking sheet, making about 40 total.
• Bake until puffed, golden, and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

STILTON (BLUE CHEESE) STEAK SAUCE

Steps:

• Shave or crumble about 1- 1 1/2 CUPS of the Blue cheese into a small heavy sauce pan.
• Add about 1/4 cup Hellman's full fat mayonnaise. (This is the emumiant that keeps everything together).
• I add a LOT (a full teaspoon) of pepper, I grind it right into the pan. Fresh really makes a difference.
• Add salt to taste (I don't use any if I use the rind of the cheese as it is often hardened with salt).
• Warm the pan slowly while constantly stirring. It will melt, don't give up.
• If you heat it too fast, or don't still it will separate.
• The mayo will forgive some sins, but not many, so stir!
• This will make a THICK sauce.
• More mayo will thin it some.
• Milk can thin it if it is too strong.

STILTON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Set oven at 325 degrees F.
• Combine melted butter and crushed cookies in a bowl until mixed and press into the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan.
• Crumble Stilton into a bowl.
• Add cream cheese and sugar, then beat with an electric mixer until well blended.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time until smooth and creamy.
• Add vanilla.
• Stir in flour, sour cream and dry vermouth or lemon juice until well blended.
• Pour cheese mixture over crust.
• Bake in oven for 1 hour, or until firm.
• Turn off heat and let cake cool in oven for 1 hour.
• Cool on wire rack 1 hour and cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Loosen cake from spring-form side with a narrow knife and remove side when ready to serve.
• (This cheese cake freezes well).

POTTED STILTON

Steps:

• Put the stilton, 100g of the butter and sherry in a bowl. Season with a few grinds of black pepper, then mash together well with a fork until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a large, sterilised ramekin or ceramic pot.
• Melt the remaining butter in a small pan. Spoon over the cheese mixture, making sure it's completely sealed. Top with a few green peppercorns and chill for a minimum of 2 hrs, or for up to 2 months.