Cotswold Cheese

What is Cotswold cheese? Cotswold cheese is an a cheese made in England. Specifically, Gloucestershire County. Cotswold is a variation of Double Gloucester with chopped onions and chives added. It is golden yellow to orange in color.

It is a full flavored creamy cheese similar to cheddar but not as hard. It melts well and is often used in recipes where a cheddar would be used. The addition of onions and chives also makes it great for dips, crackers and soups.

Cotswold Cheese - Deejays Double Gloucester with chives and Onion

Ingredients:
4.5 gallons raw milk
1/4 teaspoon MA11 culture
6 drops ammatto coloring
1/2 teaspoon double strength vegetable rennet
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon dried onions
3 tablespoons cheese salt

Procedure:
Heat milk to 90°F
Add culture and ripen for 45 minutes.
Add ammatto coloring to 1/4 cup pure water and mix well.
Add ammatto to milk and mix well.
Add rennet mixed in 1/4 cup of pure water.

adding culture adding ammatto adding rennet

Cover and set for about 45 minutes or until a clean break is achieved.
Cut curds into 1/4 inch pieces, rest for 5 minutes then stir with whisk for about 20 minutes breaking up any larger curds.
Scald curds by raising the temperature to 104°F in about 35 minutes stirring to prevent matting.
Maintain temperature for 30 minutes stirring to prevent matting.
Rest curds for 5 minutes.

Clean Break Cut curds Whisking curds

Drain curds in cheesecloth lined colander add salt, onion and chives and mix well.

Adding salt Adding Chives Adding Onion

Place curds in molds and press mold for 15 minutes using 10 pounds of weight.
Flip cheese then press with 20 pounds of weight for 15 minutes.
Flip cheese then press with 40 pounds of weight for 24 hours.
Remove from mold and air dry for at room temperature flipping at least twice until dry to the touch. This can be from 2 to 5 days.
You could wax once dry or I prefer to allow cheeses to develop a natural rind by aging and then brushing with a salt brine consisting of about 1-1/2 cups of salt to 1 quart of water to remove unwanted mold every few days
Age for 1 to 3 months at 55°F and 80 to 85% humidity turning weekly.