Three Sisters Farmstead Cheese

 

Hilardes Dairy is one of the most countrys most modern. About 6,000 cows are milked daily on a large carousel turntable. Methane gas from a waste lagoon is captured under plastic. It  powers four large engines that generate electricity to run the dairy - lights, milking machines and cheese making operation.

Marissa Hilardes Simoes has been making prize-winning farmstead cheese since she was a teenager. Rich milk from Jersey cows is piped directly from the cows to the cheese-making vat.

After the curd is pressed and the whey drained off, the cheese is pressed into 20-pound wheels. These are wrapped in cheesecloth – a time-honored technique of classic cheese making.

Now air-dried aging begins. During the process the cheese forms a natural rind, which is coated with a blend of oils and vinegars to preserve its pristine flavor.