It is with regret that I report my efforts in making hard cheeses were not a success. And I had such high hopes, especially for the smelly Picking Cheese!
It was hard waiting the month before checking it, but I did. I had marked on my calendar when to check it. I waited and waited. And at last came the day. So you can imagine my disappointment when I examined it this week and found it had completely molded! Even the cloth I had wrapped it in and the inside of the pan I was using as a drain shelf was covered with mold. I had to throw out the cheese and wrap. The pan needed a through scrubbing and bleach. I’m sure the problem was because I didn’t store it in a cool enough place. It would have been best if I had an old refrigerator or maybe even if I had used a cooler and continually added ice. It may have been better if I had used a cheese mold and press.
The Cornish Cheese is ok. Certainly not great. Very crumbly and dry. It tastes only acceptable. I tried some plain and it was ok, but very bland. One day I added some to an omelet. I won’t do that again. I was able to eat it, but can’t say I enjoyed it. I am debating whether to keep it or throw it out.
On a brighter note, the fresh cheeses were great! I was able to use the lime cheese until a last week, when I noticed mold. The other fresh cheese (I didn’t label it so don’t know if it was the ricotta or the mozzarella) lasted quite a while too. And the Feta is still very tasty! I imagine with it being in brine, it will last indefinitely, just get more salty. Unless I use the Feta as the salt for a dish, it needs rinsed before eating. I shared the fresh cheeses with my daughter-in-law who loved them.
One interesting thing in my cheese making venture was what to do with the whey. Since I never want to waste anything, I froze it, thinking I would use it later in one of the ways I had seen online. Well I found a use for it this summer. Homemade gator aid! With all the hot weather my daughter and I had talked of the need for electrolytes. She mentioned she had seen recipes online. So I looked. What I ended up making was a combination of several recipes. My gator aid consists of baking soda, salt, sugar, lemon Koolaid, whey and water. I used amounts listed in the recipes, then adjusted to taste. The result was a refreshing, low cost yummy hot weather drink.
So to sum up my cheese making efforts, I’d say it was an adventure. Will I try it again? Definitely on the fresh cheeses. I will probably want to find other fresh cheese recipes to try also. As for hard cheese–well I know I’m not ready to invest in cheese making supplies. However, I would really like to try the Picking cheese again. I do love a challenge and t is just quirky enough that it intrigues me.
learning2leftovers 
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