SC - yellow cheese

[Philip & Susan Troy]

LadyAletha at aol.com wrote:
> 
> >and that the ubiquitous cheddar worked well, though the orange stuff
> >was a bit agregious (the yellow food coloring being added fairly recently
> >to duplicate the effects of the cow eating a lot of real grass)
> 
> acually, an aquaintence of mine with an interest in historical cheeses will
> wax quite eloquent about how dying cheese yellow/orange is in fact
> period--15th cen, I think he can document it to.  The color indicates a
> higher cream content...so of course, people started faking it to make their
> cheese look "richer."  I'll ask him to send me the documetation if anyone
> would like, though it may take a bit.
> 
> Alethea

In theory, yes, it does indicate a higher cream content, but it also
depends largely on what the cow has been eating. Consider the snow-white
butter made outside Rome, for example, or the fact that a many
full-cream cheeses are white. Some quite lean ones are yellow.

In my own experience with making cheese, primarily the Digby slipcote
cheese, it becomes more yellow as it ages. I guess as it dries out
somewhat, the butterfat content overall does become higher.

Another consideration: I believe Gervase Markham, in The English
Hus-wife, provides us with a rather odd rennet/starter recipe, which
contains egg yolks and saffron, to name a couple of the less orthodox
ingredients. I assume this stuff would be pretty yellowish.
 
Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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