SC - Jelly Bean and other flavours

[Susan Fox-Davis]

My friend who owns cows and goats and sheep is not allowed to sell or give 
away unprocessed milk for human consumption ~ but we ALL have puppies!
olwen


>From: Ron and Laurene Wells <tinyzoo at aracnet.com>
>Reply-To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
>To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
>CC: betpulib at ptdprolog.net
>Subject: SC - making cheese
>Date: Wed, 09 Aug 2000 10:46:36 -0700
>
>Hello,
>    Sorry for picking up a thread that has probably died out by now!  I'm
>posting this publicly and sending a copy in private to the person who
>posted this message also (though I kind of wonder if this is a quote and
>not a direct post, as there are two different names signed at the
>bottom!!!).  How do you find milk that has not been processed?  The Oregon
>(I thought it was National???) Dairy Asociation has made it illegal to sell
>milk to individuals for human consumption.  And I don't know anyone with a
>cow.  Do you just call up the local dairies until you find one who will
>sell you some raw milk?  That seems kind of awkward to me.
>-Laurene
>
>At 01:33 PM 7/27/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>>Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 00:01:15 -0400
>>From: "Bethany Public Library" <betpulib at ptdprolog.net>
>>Subject: RE: SC - My anti modern cheese thing was: toys for tot feast
>>
>>I'm sure I don't know why making cheese is a big scary thing to most 
>>SCAdian
>>cooks.
>>
>>Making your own cheese is easy, relatively effortless, cheaper than
>>storebought, immensely more flavorful, and is impressive as hell when
>>presented pressed into shape and strewn with whole fresh herbs or a decent
>>sauce at the feast table.
>>
>>The farmer cheeses referred to in this thread are different in different
>>areas of the country. In some places it's near cottage cheese, in others
>>it's hard and semi-aged. I think what we all SEEM to mean is
>>what I know as farmer cheese:  Crumbly or creamy, pressed (or 
>>semi-pressed)
>>white curds or bricks, that are sold fresh. In other words, green cheese.
>>Green cheese is nothing more than fresh pressed (sometimes unpressed) 
>>curds.
>>It isn't actually green (the color). It's green (unripe). Thus the
>>moon-is-made-of-green-cheese story. It looks like a cake of pressed, 
>>uncured
>>cheese, complete with pits and craters.
>>
>>I've done this sort of thing easily for feasts, and so can you. Curds and
>>whey, Green Cheese, farmer cheese, etc., they all start out the same way.
>>Any cheese but cream and ricotta-styles are made up of Whole Milk and 
>>salt,
>>with a smidgen of rennet to make it curdle. Personally I amp up the cream
>>(and thus milkfat and flavor)content by a pint per gallon.  You get rich
>>veins of high-milkfat running through your curds. Also personally, I use
>>unprocessed milk (that's a discussion for another time---but I pay half 
>>the
>>price of store-bought and the flavor is much better). Another personal
>>foible: I add some buttermilk, sour cream or yoghurt for flavor and to 
>>speed
>>along the process of curdling. The active cultures make for a better
>>finished product if aging the cheese, as well.
>>
>>Here's what you do: Dissolve the rennet tablets in water according to
>>package directions. I use 2 Junket rennet tablets in 1/4 cup warm water 
>>per
>>each gallon of Whole milk plus additives (1/4 cup buttermilk, pint of 
>>heavy
>>cream). If the rennet is weak or old you will have to use more. You will
>>also have to use more if the milk is very new or if the cheese gods aren't
>>blessing your kitchen that day. Don't go overboard, however, because too
>>much rennet when not needed will make a rubbery curd.
>>
>>Rennet is easily obtained from any cheese-supply source, in tablet or 
>>liquid
>>form, but you can also buy it at grocery stores. It's what's used to make
>>the dessert called Junket, which is nothing more than an elemental form of
>>cheese.
>>
>>While dissolving the tablets (which can take up to 20 minutes), gently 
>>warm
>>the milk to blood temperature. Add your cream and cultured
>>buttermilk/yoghurt/sourcream if so inclined. When the
>>tablets are dissolved in the water, pour this gently into the milk, stir 
>>to
>>mix well, and then do not stir again. If you are a culture user, the 
>>culture
>>would be added about now, for cultured hard cheese. Not necessary for the
>>soft fresh cheeses.  Hold it all at blood-temperature (I end up turning 
>>the
>>heat off and on to do this, or wrapping the Pot in towels. Be patient.
>>Sometimes it's a long long wait to get a curd. The curd can look two ways
>>when set: obviously a separation of curd and whey, OR, it may be 
>>softer-set.
>>
>>If you are looking at the pot, it's been an hour, and it doesn't look set,
>>don't be dismayed. Sometimes the pot will LOOK like it's not set even when
>>it has. Jiggle it, and see how the surface reacts (is it solid or 
>>liquid?).
>>If this doesn't help, stick in a spoon and see if it's solid. Don't be
>>afraid to add more rennet at this time if needed. If somewhat set, heat 
>>the
>>pot a few degrees higher (not a lot!), and this will help set the curd. 
>>The
>>curd should never be really hard at this stage. Slightly solidified is 
>>more
>>like it.
>>
>>Once you know the curd has set, run a big spoon through the mass a couple 
>>of
>>times. You want something workable but also want to keep the curds as 
>>whole
>>as possible. You do not want a puree!
>>Line a colander with cheesecloth, linen, or a clean smooth-weave cloth. 
>>Put
>>it in the sink or elevate over a large bowl. Pour the mass slowly into the
>>colander. It will drain like crazy. The curd will slowly become firmer as 
>>it
>>drains.
>>
>>At this point I tie the ends of the cloth together knap-sack style, and 
>>let
>>the mass dangle from the faucet and continue to drip. When the dripping
>>slows way down, you can either use the cheese as is (mixed with 1 tsp.. or
>>more per gallon of milk used, of salt).
>>
>>If you want to press it into a cheese shape, this is easily done. I use 
>>soup
>>cans or larger cans for lack of professional equipment. Cut off the tops 
>>and
>>bottoms of the cans, and clean them very well. Use one of the circles you
>>cut from the cans. Throw the other away.
>>
>>Place the can on the top of a screen or a fine cakerack. Line the can with
>>another piece of scalded wet linen, cheesecloth or whathaveyou. Smooth it 
>>to
>>the sides to minimize wrinkles, and let the ends hang out over the can. 
>>Put
>>about 1 cup the curds into this improvised cheese mold---for a soup can
>>sized mold (sometimes called a vate in period)---and sprinkle in salt (use 
>>1
>>tbsp. salt per gallon of milk used--note that this is different fromt he 1
>>tsp. for curds---some of the salt is drained away in pressed cheese).
>>Overlap the hanging ends of cloth, and place the circle cut from the can 
>>on
>>top (this is a follower).  Any one pound of weight you can put on top of
>>this will do: Another can, clean stones, etc. Let it press until the
>>dripping is mostly finished. If you desire harder green cheese or want to
>>you cure the cheese, you can add more weight at this time, but for most
>>purposes this will be enough weight.  Unmold carefully, transfer to a 
>>plate
>>if serving as is. If curing your cheese, choose "cakes" of cheese that are
>>relatively smooth on the surface and have no deep cracks.  Allow to stay 
>>on
>>a non-reactive surface in a cool atmosphere, turning occasionally each 
>>day,
>>until a rind has formed (your cake rack, lined with cheesecloth, linen 
>>etc.
>>would be good). You may rub the surface with salt or vinegar to keep it 
>>from
>>molding. This will take from 1-2 days to a week. At this point you may 
>>seal
>>the surface with cheesewax (usually red) or beeswax.
>>
>>Aged cheese should be stored in a cool dry place, and turned every so 
>>often
>>to ensure even moisture distribution. Sample whenever you wish, but I'd 
>>wait
>>several months at the least. When testing cheese, patience is a virtue.
>>
>>Viola, cheese. There are various recipes for cheese out there in period.
>>It's quite rewarding to attempt to make them. Someone should ask 
>>Adamantius
>>about his slip-coat cheese sometime. It would be a very rewarding 
>>discussion
>>for all of us <hint>.
>>
>>Cheers
>>
>>Aoife
>>
>>Jana penned:
>>OOH  soft herby cheeses to spread on bread.  Fresh hot out of the oven, 
>>(Ok
>>so I'll wait 10 maybe 15 minutes before slicing the bread).  This sounds
>>like heaven to me.  I await recipes with knife in hand.
>>
>>Jana
>
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