Open:Three Sisters Gift Shop is open M-F,
10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Tours of the milking barn, creamery, cheese aging loft and samples are available and must be scheduled in advance by calling (559) 562-2132
Location: 24163 Road 188, north of Lindsay and South of Exeter
Hilardes Dairy is one of the most country’s 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.
|
