Cheesemaker
What is a Cheesemaker?
A Cheesemaker is an artisan who makes cheese!
A Cheesemaker turns milk into cheese.
The milk can come from:
- cows
- goats
- sheep
- buffalo
- or any other animal which feed the young milk
There are basically 3 kinds of cheeses:
- Hard: Parmigiano / Pecorini / Emmental etc
- Semi-soft: Gorgonzola / Goats Milk Log / Stilton etc
- Soft: Brie / Camembert / Mozzarella etc
A Cheesemaker can work in large cheese manufacturing plants or for themselves.
As a self-employed Cheesemaker you could sell your cheeses to delis, fine-dining restaurants or sell them yourself at food markets.
What does a Cheesemaker do?
- following a recipe
- pasteurizes the milk
- maintaining the correct temperatures
- tinting the cheese (adding colourants)
- adding key ingredients like rennet and cultures to make the cheese ‘set’
- adding flavourant if required: for example sundried tomatoes, olives, herbs etc
- removing the whey – the water substance
- shaping cheeses
- storing cheese so that they can ‘cure’ (mature) and ripen
- regularly testing cheeses to check maturity
Are you … ?
- a person with a good palate? you can taste the slight differences between flavours.
- good with your hands?
- passionate about food?
- adventurous with food?
- patient?
- accurate?
- hygiene conscious?
How do I become a Cheesemaker?
There are no cheese schools or colleges that provide training in cheese making but there are a number of private places that offer short courses:
- GROOTPLAAS DE RUST CHEESE ACADEMY:
http://www.cheeseacademy.co.za/
- FINEST KIND:
http://www.finestkind.co.za/index.html
- CHEESEMAKING.CO.ZA:
http://www.cheesemaking.co.za/
- ANGEL DOW:
Offers courses in goat’s cheese making
http://www.dairygoat.co.za/products/cheese/index.asp
OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER: Chef or Sommelier
Is becoming a Cheesemaker the right career choice for me?
See below for more info.
