Herkimer County Cheese
In the years after the Civil War, nearly half of all the cheese made in America came from New York
State. The best came from Herkimer County cows that grazed on the limestone rich pastures of this
region. Local cheese-makers were able to capture that special flavor in their cheddar, and the
resulting cheese was shipped throughout the world
From Quality Farms
By 1830, dairying was widespread among the towns of Herkimer County north of the Mohawk River. At first cheese-making was a family affair, but by 1860 farmers began to adopt the factory system to the process. Cooperative factories collected milk from dozens of farms and brought it to a central location where a single skilled cheese-maker could mass-produce thousands of pounds of cheese.
The cash that local farmers received for their cheese made them prosperous. From 1865 to the early 1900s, Herkimer County farms were among the finest and most modern in the state. Many of the fine barns and farm buildings that you see in this region today were built with the profits from cheese-making.
Making Great Cheese
At the factory, the farmer's milk was weighed and tested for its butterfat content, then poured into large cheese vats. The milk was gently heated, then rennet was added to coagulate the liquid. Gradually it solidified as the curds
separated from the liquid whey. The process was facilitated by cutting the curd into cubes and then cooked further until the right moment was reached and the curds were strained out. variations in temperature and timing were required for each kind of cheese and each batch of milk.
The curds were then poured into wooden or metal cheese hoops lined with muslin cheesecloth and tightly pressed to remove as much liquid as possible. The next day the cheese went to the curing room where it ripened on long tables for 20-30 days. Each day the wheels of cheese had to be turned and rubbed with grease to seal the outside surfaces.When fully aged, they were packed into
wooden boxes for shipping to shops and wholesalers around the world.
Inset:
"Above all things, do not make salty, soft, and mushy or porous and spongy cheese. Have them when cured, be firm but mellow and clean flavored, with a smooth, bright, and handsome exterior, and then you have the perfection of good cheese."- Sam Perry, cheese broker of Newport, New York
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