Grass-Fed Cheese - Available from where?

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 12:14 pm

Hi

We would like to find a source of cheese made from milk from cows that have eaten nothing but grass and forage. It would be even better if it were Dexter. It is only for our own consumption but we could buy whole cheeses subject to transport.

Anyone out there who can help?

Anna · Post by **Anna** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:49 am

It is easy Clive, you have to milk one or two of your cows and start making cheese. I can assure you that the milk is heavenly and that is very fun to make cheese. Since I started milking very much in my life revolve around milking and taking care of milk and cheeses, but I have never ever eaten better. The only disadvantage is that I have to go to bed earlier to be alert and spirited for the morning milking. Maybe we also have put on a few kilos, we drink a lot of creamy milk and eat A LOT of cheese.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:28 am

All we need Anna is someone like you in the UK to do what you're doing and then start offering it by mail order. Perhaps you could do mail order cheese from Sweden?

We brought a whole Parmigiano back from Rome once. I foolishly left it on the kitchen worktop, and when we were sat watching the tele in the living room, my greyhound came in carrying the Parmigiano and starting eating it, tail wagging! We let him live but had to chuck the cheese away!

Edited By Broomcroft on 1252222367

Anna · Post by **Anna** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:55 am

But I only have one cow! I would love to but cannot feed UK. You have to do it:-) Come on, pick out a nice cow and give it a try. Soon you can´t imagine life without grass-fed dexter milk, it is even more addictive than the beef.

Anna · Post by **Anna** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 11:01 am

Some pictures, hopefully encouraging.

Here is the young girl who feeds us

And here are some cheeses

Here is a pretty wild one. It was walking around in the cupboard, we had to eat it quick. The taste and smell could be described as stable and meadow hay, with a touch of urine.

This is my favorite, my every day cheese

redhill · Post by **redhill** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 1:35 pm

Anna congratulations, your cheeses look mouth watering, any chance that you will share your recipes with us.
I make a hard crumbly cheese, Caerphilly type that takes 6 weeks before its ready to eat , but your softer cheese looks much nicer.

Sue Castlemears herd

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 2:10 pm

WOW Anna, those are amazing. I'd love the smelly one. Nice cow too.

Louise Badcock · Post by **Louise Badcock** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 3:25 pm

Hunter House Farm do Dexter cheese. They are in Middleton in Teesdale and may be on this site.
Sorry I cannot track down the details. I buy their cheese in Barnard Castle. DL12 8LZ 01833 637275
Also this outstanding cheese stall in durham market has some great local cheeses . It has a website. go for the Unpasteurized ones.
http://www.teesdalegame.co.uk/cheeses....d=18290
cheers Louise (cheese addict)

Anna · Post by **Anna** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 4:18 pm

The hard cheese, camembert and blue cheeses are made from standard recipes. The semi soft cheese with white mold (my favourite) is from an Danish book. I have never failed with this one and it only needs four or five weeks to mature. I can try to translate the recipe and pm it to anyone interested, just send me a pm.

In Sweden a few really big dairies have ruled the market for decades, the small ones where exterminated fifty years ago. But now farm dairies are coming back and people pay really good money for the exellent cheeses they produce. Thoose who started out had a very hard time getting permissions to produce and sell, but lately "the State" has stopped setting up obstacles and new small dairies are popping up. Hope some day there will be a Dexter Cheese Dairy around. (Not run by me though, I reckon it is to much hard work to run both a herd and a dairy – even though I dream of it sometimes..)

How is the dairy situation in UK, are there any farm dairies?

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:25 pm

Thanks Louise, we'll give them a go and see if they can help especially if it's Dexter.

Hi Anna - I don't know a lot about dairy at all, but it seems to me that the situation over here is that dairy is a disaster. I believe some 70% of English milk comes from my area, and I don't see any wealthy dairy farmers.

Dairy farms have been closing down for years now and one of the biggest buyers and distributors has just gone bankrupt taking farmers money with them. And yet at the same time, the government is (at long last) beginning to realise that our ability to produce our own food just might be quite important!!!

Bottled water can often cost MORE than milk!!!

But there are some farms doing their own thing so maybe we're about to follow in your footsteps. I hope they make cheeses like yours.

Penny · Post by **Penny** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 7:35 pm

Anna,

just to say thank you so much for sending me the recipe. it does seem so easy and looks absolutely delicious. As I am doing a bit of milking at the moment, I will definintely have a go at it when I have a bit more time. Many thanks
Penny

Liz D · Post by **Liz D** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:15 pm

I feed my milkers organic alfalfa pellets mixed with the tiniest bit of organic grain, no soy. They love it and we get the benifit of 'grass fed' milk and cheese. Anna's right Clive, cheese is much simpler than one thinks. Although, frankly turning milk into cheese is still 'magic' for me. I bet if you started making cheese it would become a passion for you too. Anna I would love that recipe too, your cheeses look fantastic! I pm'd you already! And not able to resist being a tiny bit 'cheesy' myself, let me share my pantry with you too!

Now who's got the wine?!

Anna · Post by **Anna** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:03 am

Liz D, Your cheeses do look fantastic!

The dark one to the left on the tray, what is it? Mmm, looks like it has been matured in a real cave. Where do you mature your cheeses?

Edited By Anna on 1254215033

Liz D · Post by **Liz D** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:21 am

Hi Anna, the dark on the left is a small wheel of cheddar that I allowed the natural molds to form, from blue to grey to brown and hard not mold spores any more. The white beside it is another wheel of cheddar that I aged near to some cheeses containing penicillium candidum, and it did the same but with white mold! I find it interesting experimenting with aging and different recipes, so thanks for sending me yours! I have a cheese room in the basement, so in the winter time the humidity and temperature mimick a real cave ... boy would I love that!

Anna · Post by **Anna** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:49 pm

These wild molds are a little too exiting. I have had a few cheeses with by mistake wild mold growth that turned out very well. One or two have gone bad though.

I just remembered something about the semi soft white mold cheese. It is ideal to slice with a cheese slicer (like this: http://www.hospitalitywholesale.com.au/ ... ...er1.jpg ) but I don´t know if that is a commonly used tool in your countries. Anyway, when sliced it lasts for long and makes ordinary sandwiches luxurious.