I like to say that it isnt possible to live long enough to learn all the things Id like to know and understand. You have to be ready to be educated every day about something new. I learned something new at the conclusion of a family reunion of cousins last week in Wilmot.
I listened to one of my relatives who had made a long drive to attend, and she said, I dont know if well make it to the reunion next October or not. My husband wants to come in the spring for the winter cheese.
Looking at my sister, whose face told me she didnt know what winter cheese was either, I asked, Winter cheese? What the heck is that?
Oh, winter cheese is made from the milk gathered over the winter, which is richer. So the cheese that is made from it is better, the cousin said.
Well, I know what Im going to be doing the rest of the day, I said. Look for information about winter cheese.
It turns out winter cheese, or more correctly, seasonal cheese, is indeed a thing but only if you live in the right place. I am happy to say we do, indeed, live in the right place because so much smaller-batch cheese is made right here in our area. Seasonality makes no difference in cheeses made in big, industrial production plants where consistency over the whole of the year is the goal. Kraft singles you buy in March are exactly the same as those picked up in December.
But in our climate, just like most fruits and vegetables, cheese can heave seasons.
Goat cheese, a favorite of mine, is to be had fresh during the months of March through October, generally speaking, which is in keeping with the breeding and lactation cycles of goats. So that explains that.
Cheese made from cows milk, however, is a little more confusing. Cows, being long domesticated, have been forced out of their natural cycle and produce milk year-round. My reading told me milk from the summer months is more complex in flavor due to the animals diet of fresh grasses, weeds and other outdoor treats. During the winter months (at lease in our climate), cows are eating silage or hay that was picked at its peak and preserved for winter eating. The milk resulting from winter feed diets isnt, I understand, as flavorful or complex as the stuff from the summer.
So what makes winter cheese superior?
What was my cousin talking about?
It makes sense that aged cheeses, which take time to ripen, are going to be at their best after aging for a few months over the wintertime, making them ready for top flavor consumption in the springtime, but thats using summer milk.
Swiss cheese, of course, is the ubiquitous local favorite with cheese houses large and small competing for prizes at county fairs this time of year. Swiss is aged for two to six months or more depending on the type and the desired end result. And I found that winter milk is actually higher in fat as my cousin indicated, making for a richer cheese in the end. Those who make it their business to pursue the best flavors among cheeses will seek out cheese made in different seasons to be enjoyed in different ways and for varying reasons.
All pretty fascinating, and a new education pursuit is afoot for me.
Remind me to sample the winter cheeses in Amish country when spring rolls around.
