Well, I dropped Benjamin off at the bus station early this morning, and thus began my week as cheese master. No cheese needed to be made today, so I spent my time catching up on all the little stuff before the craziness starts tomorrow. Lots of packaging still needed to be done, so that took up most of the morning.
Feta and quark always get pre-packaged when they're made, so I finished up both of those. We cut the hard cheeses to order at the market, but also sell them in the farm store in 1/4lb wedges, so those need to be done occasionally. It gives me good practise on estimating what sizes to cut, because of course it's fun to show off at market and be able to cut to exactly what the customers ask for.
Feta and quark always get pre-packaged when they're made, so I finished up both of those. We cut the hard cheeses to order at the market, but also sell them in the farm store in 1/4lb wedges, so those need to be done occasionally. It gives me good practise on estimating what sizes to cut, because of course it's fun to show off at market and be able to cut to exactly what the customers ask for.
Remember that camembert I made a couple weeks ago? Today it was also ready to be packaged. Once it's drained and salted, it goes on trays in the cheese room and then we flip them every day as the rind develops. Once they're completely covered in the lovely white fuzz that is Penicillium Candidum, they get wrapped in a special breathable cheese wrap and put in the cooler to finish aging. After about 6 weeks in the cooler, the proteins on the inside have broken down, leaving a soft, gooey center that is highly prized by many.
The sheep's milk camembert that Benjamin made Friday has now been transferred to the cave to undergo the same process. However, it should be noted that it was made in a different style, so the cheese already seems completely different and will have a much different end result. You can't tell from the pictures, but the curds have crumbly, almost chalky texture rather than the jelly-like wobble of the previous batches.