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Big Cheese

24/07/2011 By Gavin Webber 5 Comments

I have been busy making cheese today.  So what is new you probably think to yourselves, you always make cheese Gavin.Well, I have been making big cheese, or big batches of cheese.  You see, now that I have a 14 litre pot and two cheese presses, I can make double the amount of cheese in the same time frame as it used to take me to make just one.  I am so glad that I “upsized” my equipment, because now I seem to always have cheese at hand, and some left over should friends want to buy some from or to give away as gifts. Nothing says ‘I love you’ like home-made cheese!

Last weekend, I made two Caerphilly cheeses, and the week before that, I made the biggest Parmesan that I have ever made.

The only problem I have is that it has been so cold here of late, that the cheese will not dry and form a rind.  The Caerphilly above, which are the two wheels at the front, have been sitting at room temperature for 7 days, and have only formed a slight rind on the edges.  Because they have been moist, I have had to wash with brine to inhibit mould growth.

Not so bad though for the Parmesan at the back.  Because it is a brine dipped cheese, the rind forms really easily, with minimal mould formation.  I will wax it this week, as I find this helps it from drying out.  As for the Caerphilly, I will wait for the rind, and then put them in the cheese cave for a few more weeks before vacuum packing them to stop them from aging further.

Today, because it was raining heavily and I couldn’t do much outside, I decided to make another big Parmesan.  It took me about 4 hours from milk to press (as shown above), and tomorrow I will brine it for 24 hours.  In ten months it will taste absolutely delicious!

This morning, Kim found some Feta in the fridge that I had made about 3 months ago, still in the brine and looking very healthy.  I tried a little and found it to be sharp, very edible, with a crumbly texture to the cut, but when spread on toast it was smooth and creamy and delicious.  I remember following my standard recipe for this one, and it just goes to show that if kept submerged in brine in a sealed container, Feta can last for a long time.  Now that we have discovered this, I think I will age all of my Feta for this long!

Filed Under: Hardware Tagged With: Caerphilly, Feta, Parmesan

Feta Video Tutorial

21/07/2011 By Gavin Webber 9 Comments

After a request from Annet who was looking for more information about Feta, I knew that I could fulfil the request easily. She was disappointed at the diminishing quality of commercially made cheese.  What better way to overcome that issue, by making your own Feta using our Feta video tutorial!

 Feta (Greek: φέτα) is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. Feta is an aged crumbly cheese, commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture. It is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads (e.g the Greek salad), pastries and in baking.

It can also be served cooked or grilled, as part of a sandwich or as a salty alternative to other cheeses in a variety of dishes.

Feta Video Tutorial - Feta in brine
Feta in a whey based brine

Now what are you waiting for?  Get some milk and get cracking!

Just so you know exactly what I put in it, here is the ingredient list that I used.

Feta

  • 4 litres full cream milk (1 gallon)
  • 1/4 teaspoon of lipase diluted in 60ml (quarter of a cup) of non-chlorinated water
  • 1 gm (1 heaped smidgen) direct set mesophilic culture
  • 2.5 ml rennet diluted in 60 ml of non-chlorinated water
  • 2.5 ml calcium chloride diluted in 60 ml of unchlorinated water (if milk is homogenised)
  • Brine:
    Follow these instructions.

Enjoy this wonderful cheese!

Filed Under: Recipes, Video Tutorial Tagged With: Feta, Video Tutorial

Marinated Feta

09/07/2011 By Gavin Webber 9 Comments

From this…..

before feta

To this……

Marinated Feta

Marinated Feta is very simple to make, once you have mastered the art of the cheese itself.  Wash a large jar, then sterilise it and the lid.  This ensures that no bad bacteria start growing in your marinade.To this marinade, I added a sprig each of rosemary, thyme and oregano,  2 dried  and crumbled birds-eye chilies, and a liberal grinding of black pepper.

Then top it all off with half extra virgin olive oil and half sunflower oil.  If you just use olive oil, it solidifies in the fridge and doesn’t look very nice.

The recipe I followed recommended at least a week in the fridge for the flavours to infuse into the cheese. I  gave it two and it tasted fantastic!

The only ingredients that were not home-grown was the milk in the cheese and the olive oil.  Give me a few years and I might figure out how to milk chickens!  I wonder what cheese will be next?

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Feta

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Podcast Reviews

  • Number One Cheese Podcast
    October 14, 2023 by Gene 321 from Australia

    Inspirational, motivational, incredible knowledge of cheese history and production, a great teacher with a twist of Aussie humor and an all round nice guy who knows his cheese. I’ve been listening to Gavin for many years now and gained so much knowledge and inspiration from just listening to his podcasts. If you’re interested in cheese, Gavin is your man.

  • I am so hooked on cheese making now.
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    Thank you Gavin. I feel like I know you as if you were my neighbor and you really got me lost in cheese now

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    Excellent podcast. Started the home making adventure last month and have been catching up on all the past episodes and YouTube videos. it is a gold mine of shared knowledge. Thank you!

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    Little green cheese is so funny

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    I’ve just started cheese making at home,Gavin ‘s podcasts are so informative. I also watch his you tube tutorials. Thanks for your great work!!

  • An excellent guide to artisan cheese!
    January 14, 2020 by N.K.13 from Australia

    I recently became aware of Gavin’s lovely YouTube channel and podcast and it’s been incredible. His competence and comprehensive explanations leave you craving more. Much like a good cheese! Cheers Gavin!

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    I love that this podcast does not just have helpful tips and tricks on cheese making, but also stories and news from the cheese world, as well as nice little anecdotes from the host.A big fan from Thailand!

  • If you think you want to make cheese, listen to this!
    November 30, 2018 by paulsaw from United States

    Gavin Webber’s Little Green Cheese is By Far the best podcast I have ever heard! A truly informative and quality production!

  • Great program
    October 9, 2018 by p37dg9q14 from United States

    Very informative and enjoyable podcast. I started at episode 1 and currently listening to 25. I’ll be giving cheesemaking a go in the next week. Mike J from Oceanside CA

  • Great podcast
    September 13, 2018 by nicole_elias from Australia

    I have a long commute to and from work and have worked my way through the back catalogue of these podcasts. Enjoyed every one of them and hope for many more to come. Thanks Gavin! Keep up the great work. Cheers, Nicole

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