Aging Cheese on Wood Shelves and Food Safety – a Non-Issue

As a person who tends to want to follow rules, it is sad to be reminded that a good portion of food production regulations have little to do with actual food safety, rather they are the result of a ponderous, rigid system that steam rolls forward, sometimes based more on the ease of generalizing rather than the … Continue reading Aging Cheese on Wood Shelves and Food Safety – a Non-Issue

Once a Day Milking – a Viable Option for Quality of Life

Think about it, 75-80% of the milk for about half the labor, half the chemicals, half the grain, AND evenings (or mornings) with a few extra hours of "free" time. Once a day milking (OAD), as opposed to the more conventional twice a day (TAD), is a popular option in several other countries as a … Continue reading Once a Day Milking – a Viable Option for Quality of Life

Stretchy Secrets – Pasta Filata Cheeses

If your Quick Mozzarella doesn’t always turn out perfectly, despite many recipe's suggesting that it is “so easy”, stop blaming yourself! Stretched curd cheeses, often referred to by their Italian name of “pasta filata”, depend upon some pretty precise chemistry occurring in order to turn out well. In this article I have extracted a bit … Continue reading Stretchy Secrets – Pasta Filata Cheeses

Do Aged Cheeses Contain Probiotics?

Probiotics. The new darling of health and advertising. Do cheeses really contain any of these amazing, essential microbes? While I have no letters after my name (unless I capriciously add them), it doesn't require a university degree to understand that bacteria, both beneficial and hurtful, can only live under certain contidions. I am a cheesemaker … Continue reading Do Aged Cheeses Contain Probiotics?

Using 3M Quick Swabs to Build a Food Safety Program for the Farmstead Creamery

Environmental testing of food contact surfaces and other surfaces that workers might easily touch and then cross contaminate a product can help you quickly find gaps in your food safety program. If you read an earlier post I did on the subject, then you may remember that here at our tiny farmstead creamery, we do … Continue reading Using 3M Quick Swabs to Build a Food Safety Program for the Farmstead Creamery