Separation Anxiety

After three weeks of heating, stirring, coagulating, breaking, foreworking, molding, pressing and brining, I can now leave my seven home-made cheeses in peace.

The timing is no accident. My goal was to have arrived at the point where my hatchlings were mature enough to take care of themselves before I abandoned them for two weeks while on my much-anticipated holiday with DMR (details to come). Fortuitously, if not miraculously, I achieved my goal with two whole days to spare.

Here is where we are in the grand scheme of things.

Wensleydale. Not much to report. After waxing, the cheese went straight into my cave where it will slumber until it's ready for consumption at the beginning of July.

Cheddar. Same situation, longer time frame. Waxed and caved, my bionic bad boy will probably not be good to go until September.

Camembert. After two weeks in the cave, my four bebes were completely covered in their white velvet anoraks. I wrapped them each in ripening paper and placed them in the bottom crisper drawer of the family fridge, where the lower temperature of 45 deg F has been slowing down the bugs' activity. A Do Not Disturb sign has been placed strategically to warn off intruders. The cheese should be ready in two weeks or so - we will sample the first as soon as I return from my adventure.

Swiss. Easily the most exciting of my projects in the last week or so. After a week of sitting in the basement, during which time it developed a lovely rind, I moved the cheese and its mini-cave into the dining room to warm it up to a toasty 70 deg F and encourage the bugs to blow their bubbles.

Anticipating momentous changes in the cheese's profile, I measured it carefully and took before and after photos to chart its progress. They grow up so fast, you know!

The cheese two weeks ago. Note its straight sides
and diameter of 4 and 3/8 inches.

Taken the same day as the above pic.
Its circumference was 14 and 1/4 inches

The same cheese eight days later.
My, how it had ballooned!
Its circumference had decreased to 14 inches,
but its height increased to three and one-half inches.
A stunning transformation!

The cheese at this point was extremely plump and firm to the touch. Although its rind appeared to be providing sufficient structural integrity such that an explosion was not imminent, I nonetheless feared it might start to split if subjected to too much additional pressure. My Kleine had a delicious milky-sweet aroma that led me to believe it was time for a move into the cave to join my Wensleydale and cheddar for a much-deserved gathering of strength. There it will lie until August (possibly longer), when I will take a core sample and decide whether it is ready for consumption.

It is now time to bid my babies a fond adieu. Sir has promised to check in on them from time to time over the next fortnight in order to flip them every so often, check their mats for dampness, and ensure they don't develop abandonment issues.

I know they're in good hands.