Fromagina
Fromagina starter culture was developed by Bob & Ricki Carroll. It is a cross between Fromage Blanc and Mascarpone. Fromagina is excellent in cooking or served by itself as a delightfully, creamy spread. This is an easy cheese to start with, we highly recommend it for both beginners and advanced cheesemakers alike.
Here are the simple steps for making this delicious cheese:
- Heat 1 gallon of milk to 86ºF
- Add 1 packet of fromagina to milk, let rehydrate for 1-3 minutes
- Stir milk for 1-2 minutes
- Let set for 8-12 hours
- Drain in Butter Muslin for 6-12 hours
- Store finished cheese in a refrigerator for up to one week
Q. I made this cheese earlier this week. I made half a pack with half a gallon of milk (I have a scale that goes to 1/10 if a gram). I left it to set overnight (12 hours), and strained for 6 hours. The curds were soft, but they still cured and seeped whey when I cut them, and they held well in the butter muselin. However, the finished cheese was kind of acidic, and had a slightly grainy consistency, even after working it, first with a whisk, then with the paddle attachment of my kitchenaid. What did I do wrong? I need to troubleshoot before I try again.
A. This is perhaps because you used only half the pack.Te packs contain a lot more nutrient to assist their coming out of thedried state. Much more nutrient than bacteria.When we pack them the nutrient and culture are well mixed to give aneven process.During shipping the culture and nutrient tend to separate and you arelikely to get more of one than the other.I suspect that the half you used had more culture and caused a morerapid acid development.This is why we do not recommend splitting the small packs.Higher acid can cause an acid tasting cheese as well as very granularand course curds.Also temperatures at which the curd sets set can cause a higher orlower acid development.It is always a good idea to monitor the firmness of curd and aciddevelopment as it develops.Our 12/6 timing is only a guideline and you should check firmness ofcurd set and taste of the developing curd.Also it is good to open the drain cloth and mix the curd 1-2 timesduring draining. The weight of the curd compacts near the outside andblocks whey draining in the center otherwise.