Learn To Make Cheese

Great news for New Zealand cheesemakers!  Soon, they will no longer be required to pasteurize the milk used for cheese.  As you probably know, the heating of milk to high temperatures during pasteurization destroys enzymes that contribute to the complex flavors of cheese.

Cheesemakers are still unsure what the costs of compliance will be, but it is a great step for artisanal cheesemakers.  They’ll be able to produce cheeses that are not only safe, but incredibly flavorful and world-reknowned.

“Cheeses made with raw milk are currently limited to a small range of imported products. The change means local producers will be able to make such cheese for domestic and export sales. Raw milk products have to meet food safety standards and aren’t suitable for at-risk people such as pregnant women, young children and the elderly, Wilkinson said.

“This is about levelling the playing field and recognising we have some incredibly passionate cheesemakers in New Zealand who could produce raw milk cheeses to rival the best in Europe,” said Minister for Food Safety Kate Wilkinson, in a statement.”

Scoop: NZ cheese makers can use raw milk, await costs.