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03/01/07, 11:32 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 411
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Help with romano cheese, please
I am glad to see there are others in the cheesemaking mode. I made my first romano 3 weeks ago. It is aging in the frig and hard as a rock. I chiseled some just now and it has the proper flavor already, but is it supposed to be soooooo hard?
Much thanks
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03/01/07, 09:21 PM
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woolgathering
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: mo
Posts: 2,601
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havent gotten to romano, I have to parms going but they age so long...
I though early on romano was a slicing cheese, and as it aged got harder. Of course not from experience, just from reading.
It may be coming up on my cheese to do list next. 
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03/02/07, 06:30 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 411
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Thanks, the recipes are close to identical-perhaps Leslie or somebody can help!
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03/02/07, 06:33 AM
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 17,225
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Working in a plant that processes romano cheese I can say that it is a hard variety. It is also strong flavored and best suited to be grated and mixed with other ingredients.
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03/02/07, 07:23 AM
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Glowing in The Sun
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Since 12/14 in Osceola, IA, south of Des Moines, 30 mi N of MO border, 8/23/14 moved to beaver, IA, 6 yrs in far NE Iowa before that, moved from NorCal in 7/08 after 23 yrs there. Originally from MN.
Posts: 1,357
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Abouttime,
I'm not sure myself, I haven't made Romano yet. Just Parms, and the oldest of them is only 4.5 mos old. So we haven't tried to cut it or taste it yet (I'm being good about waiting). But my Parms seem pretty hard and dense. So I would imagine a Romano would be similar.
My question to you would be about your aging it. Do you have it wrapped or waxed or in a container so it's not drying out too bad and just hard from that? I don't wax my Parms, they are aging inside Ziplocks so I can control the moisture. So far they haven't developed a rind like the Swiss have done. I just wipe them with olive oil and keep them clean.
I am making a 2 gallon Parm today. I'm a week late on making it but the cows got snowed in and the milk truck couldn't make it over the mountain pass to our county last Tuesday.
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03/02/07, 11:47 AM
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woolgathering
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: mo
Posts: 2,601
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How hard is it at room temp?
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03/02/07, 01:53 PM
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Glowing in The Sun
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Since 12/14 in Osceola, IA, south of Des Moines, 30 mi N of MO border, 8/23/14 moved to beaver, IA, 6 yrs in far NE Iowa before that, moved from NorCal in 7/08 after 23 yrs there. Originally from MN.
Posts: 1,357
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Whose cheese at room temp, JG? Mine are out airing in the kitchen, waiting for a rubdown of olive oil. They were 52 degrees when I took them out of the cave. I rain out of oil, so am waiting for someone to bring me some from the store. I am in the middle of making a parm right now and can't leave...
I have 3 of them lined up on the counter, and I will have my son take a pic of them, if you would like. I don't know if the camera can capture the aging process I can see in person.
The oldest one is grainy and pretty darned hard. The younger they get, the less grainy they are, the curd is rubberier, and although it is dense, it is not firm and hard like the oldest parm. The oldest is developing a rind, just the beginnings of it. If it has to go for 9 months I don't want it to dry out too soon or too fast. I'm treating it like I did my Swiss which had a lovely, thin rind when it was done.
The youngest has some condensed moisture inside it's Ziplock, I have to dry it. The oldest has no excess moisture in the Ziplock, and is dry to the touch. The older they get, the less often I have to wipe them down with salt water, which is maybe once a week in the beginning.
Must run, have to cut curd now...
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03/02/07, 01:58 PM
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woolgathering
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: mo
Posts: 2,601
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oh i was asking the op
just thought of the question, because my gouda was softer at room temp than it was at fridge temp. I was concerned about its softness when i tried it, untill i chilled it.
it was still a bit under, but still good,(it was a week shy of being done, i couldnt wait lol)
yes id love to see pictures.
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03/02/07, 03:52 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 411
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I had the romano unwrapped, but with your advice on the blue, I had wrapped it. I
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03/02/07, 04:49 PM
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Glowing in The Sun
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Since 12/14 in Osceola, IA, south of Des Moines, 30 mi N of MO border, 8/23/14 moved to beaver, IA, 6 yrs in far NE Iowa before that, moved from NorCal in 7/08 after 23 yrs there. Originally from MN.
Posts: 1,357
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From left to right oldest to youngest. The oldest was made Oct 27th, the youngest is just 5 weeks old. I make one a month. The oldest weighed 1lb 11 oz and was from 2 gallons of milk.
They are back in their bags in the cooler/cave now. I got so tired making the Parm today, my feet are killing me, and I'm tired from stirring so much!
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03/02/07, 07:46 PM
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woolgathering
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: mo
Posts: 2,601
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yes parm is high maintenance, my first one stuck to the cloth because i followed one book instead of another, rewrapping every 30 min and gradually raising the pressure is a must!!!! the 2nd one looked good,i wax mine so they are all red lol.
speaking of stirring, i noticed that rikki's curd stirrer iin the book looked like a motor from an ice cream machine, Im pondering how to turn one into one....
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03/03/07, 02:56 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Florida but soon to be Idaho
Posts: 13
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Just out of curiosity, are you making it with sheep milk or cow milk? Romano Locatelli is made with sheep(Pecora) milk and is great. My daughter would eat that instead of candy. I grate it in soup, salads, pasta, etc. Just cutting off a piece is great too.
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03/03/07, 08:22 PM
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woolgathering
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: mo
Posts: 2,601
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I am using cow, however have gotton some sheep and plan on trying to make some sheep cheeses
i hear you get more poundage of cheese per gallon compared to other types of milk...
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03/03/07, 08:29 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,662
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by jerzeygurl
I am using cow, however have gotton some sheep and plan on trying to make some sheep cheeses
i hear you get more poundage of cheese per gallon compared to other types of milk...
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You also get more poundage of cheese per gallon with Kinder goat milk, about the same as sheep milk, I think (I've never used sheep milk, though).
Kathleen
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03/05/07, 03:18 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 411
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Lezlie-great pics-something to work towards. What type of press are you using?
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03/05/07, 07:17 AM
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Glowing in The Sun
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Since 12/14 in Osceola, IA, south of Des Moines, 30 mi N of MO border, 8/23/14 moved to beaver, IA, 6 yrs in far NE Iowa before that, moved from NorCal in 7/08 after 23 yrs there. Originally from MN.
Posts: 1,357
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I got the wooden/stainless press from cheesemaking.com. The mould holds up to 4# of curds. I want to get a 1# tomme mould from them, too, to make properly shaped smaller cheeses.
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03/05/07, 07:52 AM
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woolgathering
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: mo
Posts: 2,601
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I am using the larger tomme for the muenster, have 4 in "cellar"(actually fridge) one at 60degrees and one in press
trying to use up all the linnens before it goes bad....
since i mixed up the linens, for recipies that call for a pinch in it can i just use a couple of squirts????
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03/05/07, 03:35 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 411
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Lezlie and JG-I'm jealous of your presses-both of mine are homemade!
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03/05/07, 08:04 PM
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woolgathering
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: mo
Posts: 2,601
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well Im sure your homemade one looks better than the one i bought,im still mad, but im using it....  I do like the pressure gage though...
I bought the tomme separately and use a cutting board as a weight on it, works really good, most of the time. some times i get lopsided, today it fell and broke a plate 
my press works its just not as pretty as one would have liked for the price...
and for soft cheeses, like i said in another post, the ones that came out best werent in the expensive camebert molds, but in the homemade ones i made out of gladware containers 
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