I really love pepper jack cheese but I am yet to turn out an example that I feel compares to the commercial varieties.
Every pepper jack cheese that I’ve bought is nice and smooth….nice and moist and nice and creamy.
On the other hand, all of my attempts at pepper jack have been rather dry and not a smooth texture. I won’t say that they are crumbly but they are nothing like the commercial varities I’ve tried.
One thing that I love about a home made swiss cheese is the texture.
If eaten relatively young (about a month to a month and a half) the cheese is smooth, moist and creamy.
What I’m thinking is making a swiss cheese WITHOUT the p. shermanii…..
My Thought is to follow the recipe for making a swiss but without adding the culture that MAKES it a swiss. I can then take the curd and layer it into the mold with the jalepenos.
My hope is that I will turn out the same cheese texture that is found in a swiss only with a nice jack flavor.
The reason that I feel this might work out is because I made a Toscano Pepato a few weeks ago (a thermophilic cheese, like a swiss) and it does have a jack flavor. The only problem is that this one also turned out with a much drier texture than I wanted to see.
I’ll probably give this a try sometime in the next couple of weeks, but I’d like to hear everyone’s opinion on this before hand.
Do you think the p. shermanii has anything to do with the swiss texture or do you think it is more the processing of the curd?
I’m hoping all the p. shermanii does is provide the swiss flavor and make the eyes. If this is the case then I might actually be on the right track to producing a pepperjack style of cheese that I’ve been looking for.
Sounds great what your doing, I thingk the shermanii is more to do with the look and a touch of flavour, its the main culture/ process that gives it the taste. Cant call your self Artisan if u dont experiment, might as well buy Kraft
I agree with your assessment of the home made Jack cheese. My last one tasted great, but was incredibly dry - more so than an extra sharp cheddar. I agree also with Neil - go for it. You’ll never know until you try. Besides, since you used up all your shermanii its a good to turn misfortune into opportunity. As an old boss of mine used to say, “We don’t have problems. We have opportunities!”
I would suggest that instead of layering the peppers with the curd in the mold, that you put them into the pot with the curd and blending them in just prior to going to the mold. It will result in a more uniform distribution. And a blend of red and green would look quite attractive.
Interesting. I made a Pepper Jack just the other day and I wouldn’t say that one will be dry. It’s just air drying and later today I will wax it. But the wheel is quite soft, after just coming off two dry Parmesans I was wondering if it was too wet.
Have you tried Ricki’s recipe?
Will post it if you think it would help?
Okay all, thanks for the encouragment.
I think I’ll give this one a try either this Sunday or next Saturday, depending on my schedule.
Rich, good advice on mixing the peppers instead of layering.
I did use the layering technique on the Toscano Pepato, and although I had a very nicely sealed outer rind, the peppers are pretty much concentrated in the inner two thirds of the wheel.
I’ve also tried Ricki’s recipe and, like Rich, found it to be nice out of the press and dry after aging. In fact I’m yet to hear of anyone that has made a home Monterey Jack that wasn’t at least somewhat disappointed with the final texture.
I don’t know what the commercial cheesemakers do to have that soft, creamy texture but I wish I could figure it out.
I’ve also tried Ricki’s recipe and, like Rich, found it to be nice out of the press and dry after aging. In fact I’m yet to hear of anyone that has made a home Monterey Jack that wasn’t at least somewhat disappointed with the final texture.
I don’t know what the commercial cheesemakers do to have that soft, creamy texture but I wish I could figure it out. Dave
My source gives the following information:-
If a cheese is excessively dry the following are the likely reason
An insufficient amount of rennet. Add more rennet
The curd was cut into too small particles, Cut larger
The curds were cooked too high a temp Cook at lower temp
The curds were overly agitated. Treat the curds gently stir with hand.
Take your pick
Perhaps your rennet might be a weaker variety or old?
Flora Danica adds a buttery taste, perhaps that might be what you’re looking for?
guys let separate the meaning of dryness (less moisture) AND texture crumbly or soft
both are totally different, and each is a result of different reasons,
rennet does not mean anything to all of above (coagulate or not)
cut larger or stirring less , or cut smaller and aging more are totally different and both related to moisture content and texture issue
crumbly cheese is very acidic no matter of water content (moisture level) or dryness (which is related to temp and cut size ....)
example Feta cheese is a crumbly cheese with high moister level content (crumbly but not dry)....
Swiss is soft elastic and dry meltable cheese
mozzarella soft elastic stringy meltebale cheese and high in moisture ...
I’m thinking that I’ll go with the cook to lower temp solution first. That should retain moisture in the curd. How much cooler will be an experimentation thing, but I should think 2 degrees would be a good starting point. Thanks for all the feedback on this one. It promotes thinking, and that’s always a good thing.
u said that the cheese was dry , so u need to increase the temp so u can withdraw more whey (lactose) OR/AND prolong the cooking time so the result is less dry and less crumbly cheese
why? because if u left whey in cheese means u left lactose, and this means u will end up with lactic acid, this acid will force the moisture out and destroy the cheese texture and make crumbly and not meltable, if u r going to do what u said above, u will end up with more crumbly cheese and drier.
Example Feta cooking temp is very low, but it is crumbly…
I’m gonna hafta think on that one for a while, Nabil. You may be right about the lactose in the whey developing acid. However, there is still the question of actual moisture content. Acid or alkiline, if there is less actual moisture in the curd, I have trouble accepting that there will be MORE moisture after aging.
Note to Dave: I think that the texture and moistness you are looking for will be found in a Manchego. Besides, its ready much, much sooner; and you can be rewarded sooner for your efforts. I was going to do a pepper Jack tomorrow; but I think I’ll opt for a pepper Manchego. I really like this cheese.
u said that the cheese was dry , so u need to increase the temp so u can withdraw more whey (lactose) OR/AND prolong the cooking time so the result is less dry and less crumbly cheese
Is this right? We cook Parmesan to a higher temp and for longer to make a dry cheese? Surely this statement is completely backwards?
Parmesan cooked higher and very longer to reduce the moister content , we were not talking about that, crumbly cheese is caused by acid, u need to cook more for rich case ...
i know it is complicated but here’s example
cooking enough will make cheese not crumbly and moister , cooking more will make less moister
