Castile Curing

[gdawgs]

The castile I made just turned 2 months old so I figured I'd give it a try. Some of you have mentioned that it's good to try it out at different stages of curing to see how it changes over time. So before I used it, I decided to cut it in half to see if the center was different from the outside. I cut a different soap in half a while back that was two months old and was surprised to find that it was still tacky in the center. Well I was very surprised when I cut the castile. I think it's a good visualization of cure in progress. I did not use any colorant, but the FO does discolor.

Here's before I cut.

And here's the center. How cool is that! I'll give another one a cut a few months down the road.

 

[Susie]

Its a good visualization of FO discoloration in progress.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

Very interesting, thank you so much for sharing! : )

 

[IrishLass]

Mmmmmm, I am now hungry for a chocolate-covered caramel. lol


IrishLass

 

[Steve85569]

^^ That was mean!
Now I want some too!
Interesting discoloration. FO in a castile is interesting too. Let us know how the scent holds in another 10 months.

 

[Arimara]

That's how I learned that a longer cure than 8 weeks would be ideal for some of my soaps. I'm soft oil reliant so it's kind of a thing for me anyway.

 

[gdawgs]

Its a good visualization of FO discoloration in progress.

Right. I'm assuming it's air making it's way through the soap right? If so, I wonder if cure is similar. If cure involves the molecules making their way in. Or something in the soap making it's way out???????

Either way, I thought it was pretty cool.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

Mmmmmm, I am now hungry for a chocolate-covered caramel. lol


IrishLass

If you aren`t a Norwegian (or know of a Norwegian) you may not get this, but...
That soap actually looks a looooooot like the brown cheese we Norwegians eat everyday at breakfast, along with our tea/coffee.

Just google "brunost" and you`ll know exactly what I am talking about *grin*.

It seems like no one else out there likes it, but us.

We don`t mind. More for us! : P

 

[DeeAnna]

Ski Queen cheese. With raspberry jam. And tea. Yum.

I live 30 minutes from Decorah, Iowa, the home away from home for many Norwegians. That's why we can often find unusual Norsk treats in our little rural grocery stores.

To keep this soap related, I see this "rind" in my soaps too. In my experience, the rind gets wider and less obvious with time, but never quite goes away.

 

[gdawgs]

If you aren`t a Norwegian (or know of a Norwegian) you may not get this, but...
That soap actually looks a looooooot like the brown cheese we Norwegians eat everyday at breakfast, along with our tea/coffee.

Just google "brunost" and you`ll know exactly what I am talking about *grin*.

It seems like no one else out there likes it, but us.

We don`t mind. More for us! : P

Wow, my soap does look a lot like that. I love cheese, so if I ever come across any brunost, I'm going to try it.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

Ski Queen cheese. With raspberry jam. And tea. Yum.

I live 30 minutes from Decorah, Iowa, the home away from home for many Norwegians. That's why we can often find unusual Norsk treats in our little rural grocery stores.

To keep this soap related, I see this "rind" in my soaps too. In my experience, the rind gets wider and less obvious with time, but never quite goes away.

Mmmm, then you know what I talking about. Yum indeedio!
I often think about Brunost when I see soaps that has brown dicoloration of vanilla fragrances in them. I just can`t help it. Especially Pine Tar soaps.
See? I managed to keep it Soaprelated too *cough* : D )

Wow, my soap does look a lot like that. I love cheese, so if I ever come across any brunost, I'm going to try it.

Lol, I don`t know how many brave americans/english people I have heard utter those exact words, ("I love cheese, I want to try this Brunost of yours") with the same confidence.
Taking them up on it and then watching them taking a bite of brunost and observe their look of ...uhm... surprize on their face as the tastebuds responds to the unfamiliar and confusing mix of sour/sweet/caramel`y taste : D

Usually I just stand there, knowing what will come, trying sooo hard not to stare at them while they are in that moment of time where they aren`t sure if they should drop everything and RUN to the nearest trash-can and gag it out, or do the polite thing and swallow it in silence and with huge difficulty, while trying to give a compliment:
"Oh, *gag* dish washh jushht *gag* jushht, uhhm.., greah`. .`While they are trying SO hard not to move their tongue more than neccesary so they don`t have to re-live the taste : D

If you get a chance to taste it sometime I would love to hear your thoughts!
*rofl*.

Sorry, end of highjack

 

[gdawgs]

Mmmm, then you know what I talking about. Yum indeedio!
I often think about Brunost when I see soaps that has brown dicoloration of vanilla fragrances in them. I just can`t help it. Especially Pine Tar soaps.
See? I managed to keep it Soaprelated too *cough* : D )



Lol, I don`t know how many brave americans/english people I have heard utter those exact words, ("I love cheese, I want to try this Brunost of yours") with the same confidence.
Taking them up on it and then watching them taking a bite of brunost and observe their look of ...uhm... surprize on their face as the tastebuds responds to the unfamiliar and confusing mix of sour/sweet/caramel`y taste : D

Usually I just stand there, knowing what will come, trying sooo hard not to stare at them while they are in that moment of time where they aren`t sure if they should drop everything and RUN to the nearest trash-can and gag it out, or do the polite thing and swallow it in silence and with huge difficulty, while trying to give a compliment:
"Oh, *gag* dish washh jushht *gag* jushht, uhhm.., greah`. .`While they are trying SO hard not to move their tongue more than neccesary so they don`t have to re-live the taste : D

If you get a chance to taste it sometime I would love to hear your thoughts!
*rofl*.

Sorry, end of highjack

I've had some bad cheese before. It was a "queso blanco" from the local grocery store. I've had several of these cheeses before, but this one was nasty. No one ate it, everyone who tried it had to spit it out. Even my dad, the guy who will put leeches in his mouth just to satisfy grandkids who dare him to do it, could not put it down, and he'll eat anything. The only words I can come up with to describe how it smelled and tasted is "rotten butthole". It was without question the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted.

Now I have to find some of this Norwegian cheese. It can't be as bad as the queso.

 

[IrishLass]

I've had some bad cheese before. It was a "queso blanco" from the local grocery store. I've had several of these cheeses before, but this one was nasty. No one ate it, everyone who tried it had to spit it out. Even my dad, the guy who will put leeches in his mouth just to satisfy grandkids who dare him to do it, could not put it down, and he'll eat anything. The only words I can come up with to describe how it smelled and tasted is "rotten butthole". It was without question the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted.

Now I have to find some of this Norwegian cheese. It can't be as bad as the queso.

Queso blanco spoils very quickly. It sounds like you bought a bad batch that was past it's prime. I use queso blanco when making certain Mexican dishes, and when it's fresh, it has a very mild, fresh, milky taste that borders on neutral (much like mozzarella).


IrishLass

 

[gdawgs]

Queso blanco spoils very quickly. It sounds like you bought a bad batch that was past it's prime. I use queso blanco when making certain Mexican dishes, and when it's fresh, it has a very mild, fresh, milky taste that borders on neutral (much like mozzarella).


IrishLass

Yeah, all the stuff I've ever had before was similar to mozzarella. I was wondering if it was bad too. But the packaging was vacuum packed, and it was still well sealed and it wasn't expired. But something could have gone wrong.

On another note, look what I found down at the store! (not sure why it's rotated)

I was expecting the worst after reading MySoapyHeart's post, but it's not bad at all. The best description is maybe a sharper version of Kraft singles(but much higher quality than Kraft) with a somewhat sweet caramel taste and a hint of bitterness. Then after you have eaten it, your mouth feels like you drank some whipping cream. I will definitely eat it all and not throw it away. Will I buy it again? Probably not.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

Yeah, all the stuff I've ever had before was similar to mozzarella. I was wondering if it was bad too. But the packaging was vacuum packed, and it was still well sealed and it wasn't expired. But something could have gone wrong.

On another note, look what I found down at the store! (not sure why it's rotated)

I was expecting the worst after reading MySoapyHeart's post, but it's not bad at all. The best description is maybe a sharper version of Kraft singles(but much higher quality than Kraft) with a somewhat sweet caramel taste and a hint of bitterness. Then after you have eaten it, your mouth feels like you drank some whipping cream. I will definitely eat it all and not throw it away. Will I buy it again? Probably not.

Color me impressed, you found Brunost, and ate it without too much...uhm, "issues", w00t!

It seems that brand there is the one you get over "there", but it is not in many stores here in Norway at all. It is not this one we eat. Perhaps yours is specifically made for the overseas market, and that is a bit milder type of Brunost, to not deter people from eating it.

The type I am talking about and that my previous experienses are based upon - is much darker version, you can see it on the left in the image below.

It is called Gubransdalsost. It is a more intens flavoured Brunost. I get a feeling , well, judging only by your description at least, it seems this one is a much lighter version of Brunost. Sort of the difference between a soft milk chocolate, versus a 85% dark chocolate. Sounds yours has more of creamy taste and not the sharpness and edge of the more common Brunost we usually eat here.

If you still find the taste to be a bit too... let us say, peculiar, you can melt it in any type of sauce to make the sauce get a rounder taste, and use it up that way. The cheese will seriously mellow out in flavour, and at the same time add some depth to the sauce. We do that in Norway when we get leftovers of the cheese and it is too thin to slice but we don`t want to waste perfectly good cheese.

 

[HowieRoll]

I LOVE that brown cheese. My mom's family is from Norway, and it was a staple in our house growing up. But we simply called it Goat Cheese, which caused great confusion for me as an adult when I'd see Goat Cheese on a restaurant menu and then find what was served was some sort of imposter white crumbly cheese, certainly not my beloved creamy brown Goat Cheese... haha..

Early on in the relationship with my (now) husband we were visiting my parents and my mom put out a plate of beloved Goat Cheese. It was the first time my husband tried it... and definitely the last. The experience was much as MySoapyHeart described. He is a man that will eat almost anything, but just stared in amazement as we all devoured it willingly and happily.

Thanks for the memories - it's one of those foods that you can taste just thinking about it!

PS Gdawgs, your soap is so pretty and tasty looking I want to take a cheese slicer to it!

 

[gdawgs]

Well I guess I'll have to keep my eye out for some of your Gubransdalsost. There are some cheese shops in the Minneapolis area, so I may have to swing by one sometime and see if they have any.

In the meantime, the "fake" stuff I have (although it is made in Norway) is growing on me. I'm almost half way through this chunk. No need to do anything to it. I'm just eating it straight.

 

[TeresaT]

Yeah, all the stuff I've ever had before was similar to mozzarella. I was wondering if it was bad too. But the packaging was vacuum packed, and it was still well sealed and it wasn't expired. But something could have gone wrong.

On another note, look what I found down at the store! (not sure why it's rotated)

I was expecting the worst after reading MySoapyHeart's post, but it's not bad at all. The best description is maybe a sharper version of Kraft singles(but much higher quality than Kraft) with a somewhat sweet caramel taste and a hint of bitterness. Then after you have eaten it, your mouth feels like you drank some whipping cream. I will definitely eat it all and not throw it away. Will I buy it again? Probably not.

I just found, bought and ate some of this. Based on the descriptions on this thread, I was expecting a not-so-pleasant experience. However, it is really good. It is rich, creamy, mellow and caramel-ly tasting. The first thing I though of was a caramel. It looks like one and tastes like it's been caramelized. Not at all what I was expecting. It does have an odd aftertaste, very earthy, dare I say goaty? However, I am chugging down a Naked kale blazer with it, so that may have something to do with the after taste. I would imagine kale and cheese are probably not the best paring in the world. But that's just how I roll.

Yes, this is definitely on my list of "gonna buy again" stuff. I haven't met very many cheeses I don't like. I don't like port-wine cheese; but that's because of the wine, not the cheese. I don't like lavender goat cheese, but that's because of the floral after taste, not the cheese. My favorite cheese in the whole wide world is blue cheese; Stilton is the best IMO. The stouter and smellier the cheese, the better it is. I also like a good (stinky) Provolone; if it smells like someone puked, I'm all over it! So, I was kind of disappointed that this was such a sweet, mild cheese. I'll bet it would taste really great melted over some day old toasted French bread. Yummy!!

Gotta go! I'm supposed to be over a friend's house celebrating a birthday. I just had to jump on to opine about the cheese. I think I'll stop at the store and see if they've got any French bread so I can slice it up and let it sit overnight. For some reason, I like it better the day after rather than the day of...

 

[Rune]

Geitost?

If you aren`t a Norwegian (or know of a Norwegian) you may not get this, but...
That soap actually looks a looooooot like the brown cheese we Norwegians eat everyday at breakfast, along with our tea/coffee.

Just google "brunost" and you`ll know exactly what I am talking about *grin*.

It seems like no one else out there likes it, but us.

We don`t mind. More for us! : P

I would say it's more like my favorite, brun geitost (brown goats cheese). I guess it it vanilla discoloration. Maybe I should make a geitost or brunost soap with lots of vanilla to discolor it and sell in Norway? Hmm, a maybe a good idea? Brunost is meltable and dissolves in water, so it can work. Not too much brunost in the soap, but. It is very sweet, so it will definately improve lather as well. I think I will try. Or we can try together, I can make brun geitostsåpe (brown goats cheese soap) and you can make brunostsåpe (brown cheese soap)

 

[Rune]

There it is!

I just found, bought and ate some of this. Based on the descriptions on this thread, I was expecting a not-so-pleasant experience. However, it is really good. It is rich, creamy, mellow and caramel-ly tasting. The first thing I though of was a caramel. It looks like one and tastes like it's been caramelized. Not at all what I was expecting. It does have an odd aftertaste, very earthy, dare I say goaty? However, I am chugging down a Naked kale blazer with it, so that may have something to do with the after taste. I would imagine kale and cheese are probably not the best paring in the world. But that's just how I roll.

Yes, this is definitely on my list of "gonna buy again" stuff. I haven't met very many cheeses I don't like. I don't like port-wine cheese; but that's because of the wine, not the cheese. I don't like lavender goat cheese, but that's because of the floral after taste, not the cheese. My favorite cheese in the whole wide world is blue cheese; Stilton is the best IMO. The stouter and smellier the cheese, the better it is. I also like a good (stinky) Provolone; if it smells like someone puked, I'm all over it! So, I was kind of disappointed that this was such a sweet, mild cheese. I'll bet it would taste really great melted over some day old toasted French bread. Yummy!!

Gotta go! I'm supposed to be over a friend's house celebrating a birthday. I just had to jump on to opine about the cheese. I think I'll stop at the store and see if they've got any French bread so I can slice it up and let it sit overnight. For some reason, I like it better the day after rather than the day of...

There is the brown goats cheese, my favorite! I could never image that it was sold outside Norway. Ours is not branded as "Ski Queen", but I guess it is the same cheese, or almost the same.