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Farm cheese
or Boerenkaas is a unique product. It
is made with “farm fresh milk”, which contains taste giving
bacteria, giving the cheese it's unusual flavour. The character of
the cheese differs from farm to farm; type of grass, the breed of
cow and the manufacturing process can all be tasted in the different
cheese.
Cheesemaking
is an old “craft” which is still done on the farm. It is a
tradition that is usually passed on from mother to daughter and as a
result there have been very few changes in the process throughout
the centuries.
The
cheesemaking process is still based on
the principal that solids have to be seperated from liquids.
Although the process has not been modernised, technology now assists
with the heavier work. For instance heavy buckets of milk no longer
have to be poured into the tub: rather milk is “pumped” from the
cooling tank into the tub. However, the work of filling the molds
with curd, salting the cheese after pressing, and care of the cheese
after making them, still has to be done by hand.
In
the Van Gaalen Kaasmakerij, Boerenkaas
is made on a small scale according to Dutch traditions. For every
kilogram of cheese, 10 litres of milk ( supplied from neighbouring
farms) is used. Annelies uses traditional Dutch recipes and her
range consists of more than 30 different cheese at present. Just to
name a few; gouda in different stages of maturity, cumin or Leidse
kaas, stinging nettle cheese, garlic & onion cheese, pepper
cheese, feta, herb feta, cheese spread, nut cheese, and Italian herb
cheese. The cheese is matured in large walk in fridges adjoining the
“Kaasmakerij”. Most cheese are sold on the farm.
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