The process
to make a Naturamel cheese
FROM THE COW
The black and white or red and white Holstein Friesian cow boasts an excellent milk production, and is by far the most common breed of dairy cattle in the Netherlands. Our farmers milk their cows twice a day, so that the fresh milk for cheese making can be stored in a cooling tank at the correct temperature.
CHEESE MAKING
To make Naturamel cheese, fresh full-fat milk is brought to temperature in a curdling vat. The chosen heating process is important for a specific flavour pattern but also to make the cheese safer for export purposes. The Naturamel Premium & Organic specialty cheese types are prepared from full-fat pasteurized milk, that is heated up to 72°C. The Naturamel Prestige farmhouse cheese is prepared from thermised milk, that is briefly heated to 65 °C to create a slightly more artisanal effect in taste.
For a starter culture and rennet is then added to curdle the milk. This is subsequently cut and washed prior to being pressed into a cheese vat. After drying and acidifying in the vat, the cheese is immersed in a brine bath, dried once more and then enveloped in a protective coating. The ripening process of a Naturamel cheese can now begin!
RIPENING
Our Naturamel cheese undergoes a secret transformation process whilst ripening on wooden boards. A natural combination of rest, the correct temperature, humidity and the appropriate number of ripening months is extremely important for its deliciously unique artisanal flavour.
ARTISAN CHEESE
Because our traditional made cheese is so deliciously rich and creamy, and boasts such a temptingly tangy taste, we decided to call it Naturamel. Our label comprises three artisanal cheese lines as follows:
Naturamel Premium
Dutch Specialty Cheese
Naturamel Prestige
Dutch Farmhouse Cheese
Naturamel Organic
Dutch Green Heart Cheese (overview follows soon)