Shelburne Farms: Cheesemaking

Since 1980, we have made a fine "farmhouse" cheddar according to traditional methods, using only the raw milk from our purebred herd of Brown Swiss cows. The cheese is rGBH- and rBST-free and contains no artificial flavors, colorings, or preservatives. The American Cheese Society has consistently honored our cheddar with awards for excellence since 1990.

Visitors to Shelburne Farms are welcome to view cheesemaking in process at the Farm Barn from mid-May to mid-October. As artisanal cheesemakers, we make about 100,000 pounds of cheese a year, less than many commercial operations make in a day. Proceeds from the sale of our cheese helps support the farm's education programs.

Follow the steps below to better understand the cheesemaking process. (All cheesemaking images ŠA. Blake Gardner)

	STEP 1 At 7:30 a.m., milk is hauled from the dairy and pumped into the cheesemaking vat. Inside the vat’s thick walls, hot water sprays against the inner walls and warms the milk, which averages 6,000 pounds (692 gallons). This will make about 660 pounds of cheese.
	STEP 2 When the milk is warm, the cheesemaker adds a culture (dry flakes of several Lactococcus bacteria species) to start the ripening process. The culture helps develop the traditional sharp cheddar flavor profile as the cheese ages.
	STEP 3 After ripening, rennet is added. This enzyme coagulates the milk and the entire vat turns to a firm, tofu-like consistency within approximately 30 minutes.
	STEP 4 The coagulated milk is cut into quarter-inch cubes with wire knives. In the process, 90% of it separates out as watery whey leaving soft but solid curds.
	STEP 5 The curds are stirred and cooked in the whey until acidification has proceeded to an acceptable point for draining.
	STEP 6 The whey is drained into an underground tank for later use as fertilizer on our fields. Meanwhile, the curds are formed into two semi-firm “packs.”
	STEP 7 The packs are cut into slabs and the slabs are then stacked and re-stacked – eventually to 7 high -- in the process known as “cheddaring”. The cheddaring method helps to control lactose fermentation, moisture content and the temperature of the cheese.
	STEP 8 When the cheesemaker determines that the acidification in the cheese has proceeded to the proper point, the cheese is milled into “fingers” to maximize surface area for salting.
	STEP 9 Salt is mixed into the fingers to stop further bacteria development. A well-balanced cheddar has a salt content of 1.6%.
	STEP 10 The fingers are poured into collapsible forms ("hoops") and pressed overnight. This removes the last of the whey and forms solid, 40-pound blocks of cheese. In the morning, the blocks are vacuum-sealed for aging. Smaller wheels of cheese are also pressed, bound in cotton cloth, and aged separately to form a natural rind.
	STEP 11 When a cheddar block has been aged for 6 months to 3 years in the aging room, it is hand-cut into various sizes of specific dimensions: from ½-pound blocks to three-pound blocks.
	STEP 12 Each block of cheese receives three coats of wax to help preserve it. It is first dipped into a clear wax, and then dipped twice into a brown wax. After the final dipping, the date the cheese was originally made is embossed in the wax.