[Sca-cooks] historic accuracy

[Stefan li Rous]

Eibhlin replied to Vitha with:

  <<< Ah, but right there's the difference.  You actually did discuss  
in your documentation what the proper breed would be in that time/ 
place, what the composition of the milk would have been compared to  
what you did use, and then you corrected your milk to make the  
correct ratio of milk fat to fluid milk.  Plus, you tested with raw  
Jersey which allows you to compare the seasonality/terroir of that  
grass fed cow's fluid milk to the bulk fluid milk sold in  
supermarkets.  There's a big difference both in flavor and how it  
responds to the cheesemaking process. >>>

Oooh. Would your documentation stand alone without the actual cheese  
and whatever else you submitted? This sounds like it could make a  
very good article. Not only on the making of these specific cheeses,  
but also to help folks, especially us 'city folks', understand how  
today's animals and food products differ from those of the Middle  
Ages.  And yes, I'd be interested in considering such an article for  
the Florilegium.

How did you compare the seasonality? Did you make the same type of  
cheese at different times of the year? I was wondering how you knew  
what the Jersey's ate, but I assume that if you were getting raw milk  
that you were closer to the source and weren't just buying it at the  
local grocery. What did you find out about how the seasonal  
differences in grass/other feed affected your milk/cheese?

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****