Urban Foodies Visit Farmstead Cheesemakers
A Happy Cow at Silver Springs Creamery
Have you ever been curious about the cheese making process? After taking Chef Lenny Rede’s Cheese and Wine Pairing class at the Northwest Wine Academy, my classmates and I were certainly inspired to learn more about artisinal cheese making first hand. Unfortunately, cheese makers within close proximity to Seattle had full schedules due to the start of the season for our area’s farmer’s markets. Then, I met the author of the blog SeattleTallPoppy, a woman I follow on Twitter. She tells me about a cheese tour she took around the Bellingham area last year. I tell her about our inability to get to visit even one cheese maker. Next thing you know after a few follow up e-mails between us, the nice folks at Whatcom County Tourism have scheduled a full day for me and several classmates to visit farmstead cheese makers including Silver Springs Creamery, Appel Farms, and Pleasant Valley Dairy! All of these outfits are family operations.
I still giggle about the notice we received prior to our tour that warns us to dress appropriately and not to wear heels. To be prepared to smell and maybe even touch farm animals. I suspect there was a prior incident with some well meaning city folk romanticizing the idea of visiting the source of one of their beloved food sources!
Our self guided tour starts at Silver Springs Creamery in Lynden with Eric Sundstrom, owner and cheese maker. Intrigued by the LaMancha goats on the farm I assume they must be a breed from Spain, right? However, Eric tells me they are the only goat developed in America. The farm’s 15 milking goats produce about 10-12 gallons of milk a day, yielding 12% of the farm’s cheese. The goats’ milk is also used to produce the most delicious yogurt I have ever tasted. It’s smooth and creamy, and surprisingly delicately flavored for goat milk yogurt.
In addition to 15 milking goats, the farm has 9 Jersey cows. Whereas Holsteins produce white milk, Jersey cows produce a yellow milk that has high butterfat content. Eric says that Jersey milk is best for cheese making. He also explained that the grass the cows eat starts putting out protein, and the protein dictates how fat the cow gets. In addition to producing artisinal cheeses including Gouda from the Jersey milk, Eric hand crafts gourmet ice cream.
Cheese Shop at Appel Farms
At Appel Farms, the next stop on our tour, we have a chance to visit with co-owner Ruth Appel. Ruth and her husband, John, make 10,000 pounds of cheese per week. Rich and Ann Appel maintain the 250 cow dairy. How many people does it take to milk all those cows? Just 2 full time milkers plus 4 full time working as help. After all, it’s automated these days. While we walk the grounds, Ruth tells us that the farm was originally purchased with a jar of gold from the Alaska Gold Rush. On the day of our visit, Paneer is being made, Appel Farms’ #1 selling cheese. As luck would have it, a special bin in the cheese shop offers “misshapen” cheese at a deep discount. I score a ½ pound chunk of Paneer for just $1.50.
Pleasant Valley Dairy in Ferndale is our final and most memorable stop of the day. Seth Snook first takes us through a tasting of his interesting flavored cheeses. Incidentally, he goes through about 150 pounds of jalapenos a year to flavor his Jalapeno Gouda. Since Gouda isn’t suitable for winter production, he also came up with some other varieties including Farmstead and Mutschli. My personal favorite is the Nokkelost, a Norwegian recipe flavored with cumin, cloves, and caraway that makes my tastebuds dance over the unique combination.
Packing Curds into a Mold
Next, we are very fortunate to observe the cheese packing process. First, the curds are packed into molds, some of which were bought by Seth’s grandfather in the 70s. As each mold is packed, we see the whey squirting out. After all the molds are filled they get stacked to further press out the whey and begin firming. After a short time, the packed curds are briefly removed from the mold, and flipped. We are all stunned at how firm the cheese has become in what seems like just a few minutes. After the cheese is restacked, we take a peek into the aging room and see rows of bright red and yellow wax covered mounds. Eventually, today’s cheese is going to end up here. First, this Gouda is going to be sent to the smoke house for a process that takes about 12 hours. After it is aged, it will be sold in Seth’s shop as – you guessed it – smoked Gouda.
Why make cheese from raw milk?
“You can make a good cheese with pasteurized milk, but you’ll never make a great cheese with pasteurized milk,” according to Seth’s grandfather.
Stacks of Molded Cheese Getting Pressed
Think cheese making is your calling? First consider that Eric’s day starts at 4:30 am and ends at 8:30 pm. Seth’s is a little more reasonable, starting at 7:00 am. It seems to me that cheese making is like wine making – it sounds much more romantic than it really is! Not to discourage anyone from working the craft. After all, I value our artisinal cheese makers. Especially now more than ever.
Cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods. So much so that during the economic downturn, macaroni and cheese has made its way onto the menus of even upscale restaurants. We certainly enjoy serving cheese at our table. I even made ricotta cheese at home. What is your favorite cheese? I know you have at least one.
No related posts.
Tags: Appel Farms, Cheese making, Farmstead cheese, Pleasant Valley Dairy, Silver Springs Creamery
July 31st, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Excellent write up and I loved the photos. Felt like I was right there with you! Next time.
July 31st, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Thanks Traca, you were wonderful at coming to our aid!