Blue Cheese Rescue

As you know, I am not shy in trying new cheese making recipes.  Blue cheese is no exception.

I have Stilton down to a tee, but as for other blues you could call me a baby curd nerd.  I have tried a few, but with little success.

So over the weekend, I tried another blue cheese recipe that I modified slightly to increase the yield.  I won’t post it yet, because all did not go according to plan.

It was all going fine and dandy until I took the blue (that I named Le Petit Bleu) out of the hoops early this morning.  This is what I came home to this afternoon.  It was in desperate need of a blue cheese rescue!

Instead of blue cheese, I had created blue pancakes!  So what to do?  Well I posted my disaster on my facebook page and someone came to the rescue with a brilliant suggestion.  Debra Allard from podcast episode 12 fame, suggested I mill the pancakes into thumbnail sized pieces, add 2.5% salt which I topped up with a teaspoon of salt.

Then using my tallest hoop, added the curds and will be turning, turning, turning, each hour until it forms a top and bottom.

I have turned it once since this photo was taken and the bottom has formed nicely.  Debra suggested that I keep it in the hoop turning often for the next 4 days until the blue mould starts to form, then put in my ripening box wrapped in foil into the cheese fridge at 10C.  She recommends unwrapping and piercing the holes at day 15 and 30.  The recipe said should be ripe in 90 days.

I have videoed the entire process, so have kept the footage aside for now in the hope it all works out.

I think I might just be able to rescue this blue cheese yet!

Addendum: If you are wondering why there haven’t been any podcasts of late, I lost my voice again and am slowly recovering!