A few of our wonderful Albertan Cheese Makers
Carolyn & Harvey Van Driesten, Noble Meadows Cheese makers photo credit – Karen Anderson
Ben Oudshoorn with Fairwinds Farm’s Hard Goat’s Cheeses photo – Karen Anderson
Paulo Campanella and Frank Fiorini, White Gold Cheese Factory photo credit – Karen Anderson
Sweetmeadow Cheese maker Sandy Easterbrooks w her Jersey cows & East Friesen sheep – photo credit Karen Anderson
John Schalkwijk and his Award winning Sylvan Star Cheeses
Ella Kinloch started Make Cheese – She’s a teacher turned cheese making teacher
Are Albertans are turning into cheese heads?
Cheese head is an affectionate moniker for people who love cheese. We’ve got a growing cadre of artisanal cheese makers in the province. I’ve profiled the 15 Alberta Cheese Makers I could find, I’ve posted on issues in cheese making, I’ve profiled the Make Cheese company that sells cheese making kits and most recently I’ve posted on White Gold’s encouraging story of growth.
Other Albertans might have a beef about being called a cheese head but I guess I’d qualify. I credit several influential visits to Wisconsin, the world headquarters of cheese heads, including one of my best friends Barb Murphy Moore, for forming the cheese head curd in my brain but I never thought my fondness for the stuff would ever lead me to making cheese myself.
Last summer a visit from one of my chef friends changed all that.
This post will demystify basic fresh cheese making and provide a few recipes that I hope will encourage you to give D-I-Y cheese making a try. Many of us, live pretty far from stores that carry fresh local cheeses, but as you’ll see, if you can access fresh milk, you can make fresh cheese.
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