When my parents first started making cheese at Clover Creek many years ago, they used a hot wax coat to package each wedge for sale.
It seemed simple enough. But boy, did they burn their fingers!
And worse, some customers told them the wax cracked. Mold grew underneath. Not good.
They knew they had to find a better way to package cheese.
Looking for Better Ways to Package
Some of my parents’ cheese-making friends were wrapping their cheese in special paper. It was like wax paper but made just for cheese.
The problem? It takes forever to wrap each piece by hand. Plus, that paper costs a lot of money.
After doing more research, my parents bought a vacuum packing machine. Best decision ever!
From Wheel to Wedge
Here’s how I package cheese today:
When I get an order or need to restock cheese for the farmers’ market, I grab a wheel from our aging cooler. I pick out the oldest batch I have unless I’m saving it for something else.
First, I clean the wheel. I scrub off any extra mold with clean water. Then I let the wheel air dry completely.
For whole wheels: If a chef wants a whole wheel, I wrap it in freezer paper and vacuum pack it.
For wedges: Most of you want smaller pieces, so I use our wire cutter to slice up the wheel.
Each wheel gives me 16 to 20 wedges that are about 5 ounces each. Since cheese-making is an art (not an exact science!), the wedges aren’t all the same weight. But I’ve averaged out the price so they all cost the same.
Some stores and wineries like bigger or smaller pieces. I’m happy to cut those special sizes. I actually have a spreadsheet that helps me figure out how to cut each wheel into just the right number of wedges.
Vacuum-Sealing
The machine has two sealer bars, which means I can pack four wedges, two half wheels, or one whole wheel at a time.
When I’m packaging wedges, I put four wedges in bags. Then I line them up on both sides of the chamber.
Here’s what happens next:
- I close the lid
- The vacuum packer sucks all the air out of the chamber
- It seals the bag
- Then it lets air back in to seal the bag around each wedge
This creates a tight seal around each wedge. It protects the cheese from oxygen. Plus, the clear package shows off exactly what your cheese looks like.
The Final Touch
After I vacuum pack each wedge, I put a label on it.
Every label has a batch number that tells you exactly when I made that cheese. Dad set up our batch codes to follow the European way of writing dates: day, month, year.
Then I write the weight on each wedge and put them all in the walk-in cooler.
The wedges stay there until you pick one out from the farm store or until I pack it up for farmers’ market day.
Why All This Matters
Every step I take – from cleaning the wheels to sealing each wedge – is about one thing: making sure you get the best cheese possible. When you open one of my packages, I want you to taste exactly what I intended. No cracks, no unwanted mold, just perfect artisan cheese.
That’s my promise to you. And it all starts with how I package each piece with care.
Anthony Rice, head cheesemaker
Do you have questions about how I package your cheese?
Give me a call or stop by the market. I’m always happy to help!
0 Comments