Tag Archives: lede

Peter Dixon Workshop: Nov 13-14, 2015

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Soft, Hard, and Stretchy: The Culture of Southern European Cheeses with Peter Dixon

Peter Dixon taught a two day workshop focusing on the cheese styles of Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Albania and beyond). He demonstrated making three different cheeses — one stretchy pasta filata type, one aged hard style, one young semi-soft style — and the techniques for making all three types. In addition, Peter will discuss and demonstrate how to create and propagate natural cheese cultures for use in these and other cheese recipes.

The workshop took place on FRIDAY and SATURDAY, November 13-14 at Pineland Farms Creamery in New Gloucester, Maine. The hours are 8am to 4pm each day.

Here are some pictures of the two-day workshop:

Hooped cheeses ready to drain

Hooped cheeses ready to drain


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Meeting: Oct 5 in Edmunds at Tide Mill Creamery

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Our next meeting will take place almost as far east as you can travel in the continental US: Edmunds, ME on the shores of Cobbscook Bay at Tide Mill Creamery. Cheese maker Rachel Bell recently won her first ACS award and would like to explore the idea of cooperative marketing of cheeses through the Guild at this meeting.

Rachel writes: “We are the last driveway on Tide Mill Rd. You can turn into the main entrance to Tide Mill Farm and drive through the farm and around the dairy barn and on for awhile to get to us (the last driveway on the right before reaching Rt. 1 again) or you can turn right into the second entrance of Tide Mill Rd. and we are the first left. There is a Tide Mill Creamery sign hanging on a rock at our entrance.”

tidemillcreamery.com/
Tide Mill Creamery
Edmunds, ME 04628

Maine Wins Ten Awards at 2015 ACS Competition

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Maine cheese makers won ten awards at the 2015 American Cheese Society Judging and Competition announced at this year’s ACS Conference in Providence, RI. The ACS cheese competition is the largest competition in North America and includes entries from the US, Canada, and beyond.

From among 267 companies submitting 1,779 entries seven Maine cheese makers won ten awards including four 1st place ribbons, four 2nd place, and two 3rd place ribbons. This is the most ribbons that Maine cheese makers have collected at a ACS competition since 2007 and it reflects the number of Maine cheese makers who could arrange to get their cheeses to the conference being held only a few hours drive from our cheese rooms.

First time competitors such Barred Owl Creamery in Whitefield, and Tide Mill Creamery in Edmunds won awards, as well as long time cheese makers like Appleton Creamery and York Hill Farm who have each won multiple ACS awards in past competitions.

Following are a list of the awards listed alphabetically by creamery name:

Appleton Creamery
—1st Place in Marinated Goat Cheese for Chevre In Olive Oil

Barred Owl Creamery
—1st Place in Sheep or Mixed Milk Feta for Organic Feta
—2nd Place in Farmstead Cheese With Flavor Added for Hot Pepper Jelly Chevre

Fuzzy Udder Creamery
—2nd Place in Sheep or Mixed Milk Plain Yogurt for Sheep Milk Yogurt

Swallowtail Farm and Creamery
—2nd Place in Cows Milk Ricotta for Ricotta Salata
—2nd Place in Yogurt With Flavor Added for Caramel Sea Salt Greek Style Yogurt
—3rd Place in Cows Milk Plain Yogurt for Original Cream Top Jersey Cow Milk Yogurt

Tide Mill Creamery
—1st Place in Sheep or Mixed Milk Soft Ripened Cheeses for Little Bloom

Winter Hill Farm
—3rd Place in Farmstead Aged Less Than 60 Days for Tide Line

York Hill Farm
—1st Place in Goats Milk Soft Ripened Cheeses for Ripened Chevre Roll With Ash