Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to make cheese? Typically it will take about 8 hours to make cheese.  It does depend on what kind of cheese is being made.  Goats' Milk Chev're takes four days from start to finish. 

Where do we get our milk?  We get our Cows' Milk from Hastings Creamery which is made up of a group of farmers. 

Is your cheese Vegetarian safe?  Yes, we use a vegetable rennet.

Does your cheese contain hormones?  No, our cheese is made from Milk that does not contain growth hormones.  

Where do we get our Goats' Milk?  We get our Goats' Milk from Poplar Hills Farm located in Scandia Minnesota.  

Can Cheese be Frozen?  Yes, but we do not recommend it.  Cows' milk cheese will break down due to the structure of the milk.  The texture will dry out and the flavor will change slightly.  If you would like to use the cheese for cooking freezing it will be fine.  If you would like to do that we do recommend to shred it before freezing.  Goats' milk cheese will freeze beautifully.  The structure of the milk is different and unaffected by freezing.  

Why are some cheeses White and some Yellow? In the early days of cheesemaking the color distinguished it from others.  Yellow was typically a Cheddar and white was a Jack.

What do you use to make the cheese Yellow?  We use Annatto Color.  Annatto is a natural vegetable based coloring. 

How many cups of shredded cheese can you get out of a 1 pound hunk?  4 oz of cheese equals 1 cup of shredded.  1 pound of cheese will shred into 4 cups.

What does the term "Sharp" mean?  Sharp refers to the taste of the cheese.  The more cheese ages ( gets older) the more flavor it will have.  That flavor change is the sharpening of the cheese.

What are Cheese Curds?  Curds are cheese that has yet to be pressed into a solid block.  In the making process you have curds and whey.  The whey is drained off and the curds are then salted and placed into the molds to be pressed into a solid block.  

How many gallons of milk does it take to make a pound of cheese?  Many factories measure by pounds, not gallons.  It takes 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese.  A gallon of milk weighs about 8 pounds.

If all cheeses are made the same..... Why do they taste different?  All cheese are not made the same.  Each cheese has its own recipe, even though the process may be very similar.  Our cheesemaker makes each recipe according to his technique and knowledge.  Many factors determine what a cheese will be including the acid development.  Some cheeses receive flavoring before pressing others need to age to aid in flavor development. 

What is Butter Jack?  Butter Jack is similar to Montery Jack, but is much richer in flavor.