March's Challenge - Double your Pleasure, Double your Fun!

We are all of us getting a little winter-weary and dreaming of spring. 

And with spring comes re-organization. 

Even here at Forging Fromage!

Yes, we are expanding in our repertoires. 

Not only will we be encouraging each other in our fromage forging, but in other DIY kitchen projects such as growing, preserving, charcuterie, and fermenting as well.

This is our year forgers - we are moving forward!

This year we are witches and goddesses and earth-mamas of our kitchens. 

(And all the necessary masculine equivalents for those gents who want to play along!)

Are you ready? Great!

March's Forging Challenges:

Goat's Milk Faisselle and Spiced Orange Slices

We are making a fresh goat's milk cheese and serving it with our own (water-bath) canned orange slices. Delicious!

Goat's Milk Faisselle

Ingredients:

• 6 goat's cheese moulds
• Flat-bottomed baking dish

1 quart goat's milk
Pinch mesophilic culture
2 drops liquid rennet

1. Sterilize all equipment. In a large ss pot over medium heat, warm milk to 86°F, stirring gently to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. 
2. Sprinkle culture over surface of milk and let stand for about 5 minutes to rehydrate. Using skimmer and an up-and-down motion, gently draw culture drown into milk without breaking surface of milk. 
3. Dilute rennet in 1 tbsp col water. Add to milk and, using the same up-and-down motion, draw rennet down into milk until well blended. Cover and let set at room temp in a draft-free location for 12 hours. 
4. Place moulds in a flat-bottomed baking dish. Using skimmer, gently ladle curd into moulds, taking care not to bread up the curd. The whey will begin draining out of the holes in the moulds right away and will collect in the dish. 
5. As soon as the curd has drained down below the tops of the moulds, cover the dish and place in the refrigerator. The faisselle is ready to use ans soon as it has drained to your desired texture. The longer it drains, the firmer it will become (because the moulds are sitting in the whey, it will stay fairly moist). Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To remove, unmould onto a plate. 

Makes 6 cheeses, each 3-4 oz.

Moulds - I am going to use my couer a la creme moulds and line them with cheesecloth.


And to go with it....... A seasonal canning recipe...

Spiced Orange Slices

Ingredients:
4 large oranges
8 cups hot water
1 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
½ cup each: cider vinegar and water
¼ cup corn syrup
8 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods
4 cinnamon sticks, 3 inches long
½ tsp peppercorns

1. Combine whole unpeeled oranges, 8 cups hot water, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring  to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until fruit is tender. Drain oranges, discarding liquid, and cool. 
2. Cut oranges in half crosswise and then into very thin slices. 
3. Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, vinegar, water, corn syrup, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and peppercorns in a large saucepan. Stir over high heat until sugars have dissolved. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. Add orange slices, cover, and cook gently for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove and discard cardamom and cinnamon. 
4. Remove hot jars from canner. Remove orange slices from liquid with a slotted spoon; pack into jars. Pour liquid and whole cloves over oranges to within ½ inch or rim (headspace). Process 10 minutes for ½ pint (250ml) jars and 15 minutes for pint (500ml) jars as directed for water bath canning. 

Makes 4 half-pint (250ml) jars.

New to canning? Get the safety facts down before starting.  
Information on safe canning here.


Recipe sources:

---

1. Natashyas Spiced Orange Slices and Faisselle 2. Heather's Faisselle & Spiced OJ Slices 3. Foodycat

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