It begins with fresh, local milk
Our day starts early as we begin pumping fresh milk into the small open cheese vats. A culture is added to the milk and the fermentation process begins. Next, vegetarian rennet is used to solidify the milk while the cheesemaker carefully stirs until the contents reach the desired firmness and acidity. At just the right moment, the vat is cut using a set of wire curd knives to separate the curds from the whey. The fresh curds are transferred into a cloth-lined basket and tossed with a mixture of salt and P. roqueforti. They are then hand-scooped into stainless-steel forms called hoops that allow additional whey to drain and the soft curds to knit into a solid 4-pound wheel.