Tag: raw milk

  • From soil to cheese

    From soil to cheese

    Top 2 from a Dutch cheese journey

    He drops down unto his knees and studies the fresh cow manure on the field. It has the right smell, fIies have already found it, and that’s a good sign. It is one of indicators of how the cow is doing. Jan Dirk van de Voort is a farmer and cheesemaker of Remeker cheese and he sees the world in quite a different light than most of his colleagues.

    Remeker
    Fresh manure with flies = healthy cow
    Remeker
    Manure after 2½ weeks = dung beetles and birds have almost done their job

    In accordance with nature

    Jan Dirk comes from a farmer’s family and their story is linked to the farm De Groote Vort for many generations. Despite family tradition, he has gone his own ways. Well, his father did too, he was the first in the Netherlands to start with jersey cows. They were actually the first in Europe to make gouda with jersey milk.

    Remeker

    The biggest change

    Jan Dirk turned the farm organic 30 years ago but the gamechanger came 15 years ago when they said goodbye to antibiotics, vitamins, insecticides, pesticides etc. From that moment he relied on nature and sustainability. It has become a combination of philosophy and earning model at the same time.

    Remeker

    The horns

    An example of his way has do with horns. It is common that you dehorn the cows in order to prevent them to harm each other and to minimize the need for space. Jan Dirk explains that the horns is a mineral depot which are used for the calves. If you take away the horns, the minerals for the calves come out of the hoofs and thereby creating hoof issues which need treatment.

    In order to avoid aggressions among the cows, the stable has no corners. where the cows normally could take out their aggressions.

    Remeker

    The 85 cows eat fresh grass when it’s possible and that’s most of the year. When they can’t have fresh grass, they are fed with things such as hay, grass sileage and pressed herbs.

    Remeker

    Drink coffee and let the worms work

    The farm generates six incomes but has many more employees if you count the worms. They do an important job. Jan Dirk tells us about a research project they run with the university right now. The worms count the Dutch local worms but also imported long Canadian worms. It takes around 30 years to take the fields back to a stage where no ploughing and working the soil is needed (and he can drink coffee in stead). Where the soil is in balance when it comes to water, calcium and other minerals.

    Remeker
    Remeker
    The compactness of these two soil lumps will dissappear within a few more years when the worms have done more work.

    Connection between soil and cheese

    When it comes to the Remeker cheese, the method is also in line with old traditions and nature. Milk is only heated to the natural temperature of the cow which means all important micro organisms are kept alive.

    In the maturing cellar, beautiful cheeses with natural rind marked Remeker lie on wooden planks and are turned now and then.

    But new ideas can come along. All cheeses are for instance covered with homemade ghee (clarified butter). This gives extra taste from the outside inwards.

    Remeker
    Remeker
    Remeker

    Remeker is an old name of one of the fields. It goes back to the 17th century and comes from two old Dutch names: Reem (surrounded by) and eker (oak).
    Remeker

    The cheeses are really good. Going from young (3 months) with buttery, creamy flavor which melts on the tongue to 1½ years with grainy texture and crunchy crystals.

    Remeker

  • Let’s celebrate raw milk cheese

    Let’s celebrate raw milk cheese

    For the fifth time and all over the world it is International Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day. The organisation Oldways Cheese Coalition stands behind.

    What is raw milk?

    When you make cheese out of raw milk, the milk is not heat treated (for instance pasteurized or thermised). In stead the temperature is kept at the level of the temperature of the cow which is around 37°C / 99°F.

    Milk is from nature’s side filled with natural bacteria and microorganisms. Some of these are flavor-carrying bacteria and will add depth and complexity to the taste of the raw milk cheese.

    Some bacteria can under wrong circumstances develop harmful bacteria and therefore we sometimes find restrictions on raw milk cheeses. Danish dairies for instance need dispensations from the authorities, and raw milk cheeses can only be sold in the US if they are matured more than 60 days.

    Parmigiano reggiano

    Well known raw milk cheeses

    You might not think about it, but many European cheeses are made of raw milk. Parmesan (parmigiano reggiano) and grana padano, comté and roquefort must according to their DOP / AOP be made of raw milk. Other cheeses can be found in raw milk or pasteurized milk versions such as manchego DOP and taleggio DOP. And yet others such as emmental, gouda, and cheddar can be found with or without DOP label and with both milk treatments.

    Pastor del Valle

    Tingling on the tongue

    Sometimes you feel a small tingling on the tongue when you eat raw milk cheeses, especially some of the more matured versions.

    This is due to histamine which comes out when certain aminoacids (protein) is broken down during maturation. As the milk hasn’t been heat treated it contains more milk acid bacterias which produces this reaction. Histamine in small doses is no problem, it just gives you this delightful mouth feeling.

    Parmigiano reggiano

    Raw milk cheese and tradition

    Apart from taste, some people also connect raw milk cheese with culture and tradition as this was the original way to produce cheese before we began to pasteurize milk in the 19th century. In other words, raw milk cheeses is part of our gastronomic heritage.

    Enjoy a raw milk cheese today on this fifth International Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day!