Not much more to do now. Except for the messy business.
The Cheddar needs to mature for three or four months minimum. It would take much longer if I was making a truckle of significant size but this is just a bijou experiment.
However, the cheeses need to be wrapped (or so I’m told) in muslin, soaked in melted lard. This is a messy business – no two ways about it. The lard is melted in a pan and I dip in strips of muslin. I have to say that this is a process I had not envisaged. It’s not glamorous; it’s not clean; it’s downright irksome.
And then I have to pick up these hot, slimy strips and wrap them around my delicate cheeses.
Still, job done. Though the cheddars feel mighty greasy to the touch. I’m intrigued to know if they’ll ever dry out and feel crusty and wholesome on the outside. Time will tell.
