Category Archives: Learning

LEARN

Workshops at East Forty Farm & Dairy

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East Forty Farm and Dairy in Waldoboro, Maine is offering four workshops in February and March at the farm. All are on Sundays from 3 to 4:30 pm. Fee charged. Advance registration required. For more info, visit the farm’s Facebook page, or visit our Events Calendar for the category Cheese Related Workshops or please call 207-230-4318 or email info@eastfortyfarm.com.

Fondue Class February 19  – more info Facebook
Introduction to Cheese February 26 – more info Facebook
Seasonal Salads March 12 –  more info Facebook
Cooking With Cheese March 26 – more info Facebook

History: Premium Cheese Recipe

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From an address on the SECOND day of the meeting of the Maine Board of Agriculture, January 4, 1871 by X. A. Willard, A. M., of Herkimer, N. Y., Dairy Editor of the Rural New Yorker, &c., &c.

“At the late New York State Fair, the premium on the best factory cheese was awarded to the Whitesboro’ factory [in Oneida County, NY]. The process of manufacture may be briefly described as follows:

The night’s milk is drawn into the vats and cooled to 65° by Austin’s agitator and running water, the morning’s milk is run into the vat, and the whole heated to 84°, when the rennet and annotto [sic] are stirred in. As soon as the coagulated milk will break smoothly over the finger, and before it is very hard, cut and cross-cut, but rather coarsely. Heat to 96° or 98°, in the meantime stirring with rakes to prevent packing. Let it remain until the whey is slightly acid. Draw off the whey to pack the curd on each side of the vat to drain, air and acidify. Next, cut the curd in square pieces and reverse those next to the side of the vat, placing the others on them, also reversed. When the curd is quite acid, pass it rapidly through a curd mill, using steam power, and immediately salt, using from two to two and a quarter pounds of salt to one hundred pounds of curd, thoroughly incorporating the salt, and put to press directly. Press twenty-four hours, and remove to the curing room [recommended at that time to be kept at 70°F!], during daily for three weeks, and then every other day.”

Workshop

Dave Potter Cultures & Enzymes Workshop

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Dave Potter from Dairy Connection will be teaching a cultures workshop
on Sunday, February 19th, from 9am-4pm at the Governors Restaurant
conference room in Waterville, Maine.

Understanding the Function of Cultures and Enzymes in Cheese Making

Have you ever wondered how does rennet work or what do cultures do in
the cheese process? To produce any variety of cheese, there are basic
functional properties of milk that need to be manipulated and
controlled by the cheesemaker. This program is designed to help
understand these processes. Understanding the functional role cultures
and enzymes play in your cheese make will allow you as a cheesemaker
to create a new style of cheese or improve on an existing recipe.

Dave Potter has been involved in the food and dairy industry for the past
36 years. Dave grew up on a dairy farm in NE Iowa. He attended South
Dakota State University and earned a BS degree in Dairy Science,
majoring in Dairy Product Manufacturing. He spent his first 22 years
employed with Nordica/Rhodia with primary responsibilities in the
technical application of cultures and other ingredients used in the
making of fermented milks and cheeses. The past 14 years he has worked
with his wife, Cathy, owner of Dairy Connection, Inc., Madison, WI, to
provide cultures and enzymes as well as application support to
farmstead and specialty cheesemakers.

The workshop fee is $50 for members and $75 for non-members (this
includes a guild membership at the cheese enthusiast level). We can
probably fit as many people as would want to attend, but please sign
up soon so we know how many lunches to order.

To sign up please mail your workshop payment to:

Maine Cheese Guild
c/o Mary Belding, Treasurer
250 Walker Mills Road,
Harrison ME 04040