February’s Cheese of The Month
Great Lakes Cheshire!
$22.99/lb All Month Long at both the Creamery & Zingerman’s Deli!
Milk — Dutch-Belted Cow
Rennet — Animal Rennet
While we’re using the name Cheshire, our cheese is actually a cousin (twice removed) of the British original. Zingerman’s Cheesemaker John Loomis adapted his Cheshire from a recipe by Welsh cheesemaker Leon Downey, with whom John apprenticed in the late 1980s. Downey, one time viola player in the Halle Orchestra in London, decided to learn cheesemaking when he wanted to leave behind the intensity of city living. Leon and his wife bought a farm in Wales and he set out to make his own Welsh version of Cheshire, which he called Llangloffan. It was smaller in size, a bit tangier in flavor and somewhat wilder in its personality than the more proper English original. John brought the recipe back to Ann Arbor, made his own tweaks over 25 years, and started producing wheels of Great Lakes Cheshire at Zingerman’s Creamery a couple years ago.
Our Cheshire is younger, tarter, and more crumbly than cheddar (a cheese it is often compared to) which is typically aged long and has a creamier texture. Also, Cheshire curd is broken in half many times and run through a traditional peg mill which gives it a finer texture than you’d find with cheddar.
Ours is made with the milk of Dutch-Belted cows from Andy Schneider’s herd in Westphalia, MI. Dutch-Belteds are very rare—there are roughly 200 in the U.S.—and what makes their milk unique is its higher butterfat and protein content. The bonds formed by the protein and butterfat are exceptionally small, creating a supremely dense, rich curd. Andy Schneider takes pains to produce a milk that is significantly better than the norm.
Winter Gelato Flavors to Your Door!
Did you know that you can enjoy a big scoop of our award-winning gelato sent anywhere in the US? Whether you are in SoHo, Memphis, LA, or Anchorage, our friends at Zingerman’s Mail Order got your back. You can have a box of 6, hand-packed and handmade gelati dropped off at your front door! Eating gelato is more of an event than a dessert – thick, luscious, and creamy, and certain to make any sweets lover swoon!
You can send a pack to friends, family, or yourself from here!
Flavors
We’ll send six of our favorite flavors, twelve ounces of each:
- Vanilla—Real vanilla taste from Madagascar’s famous bourbon vanilla beans. This is a BIG flavor you can’t get with the more common “vanilla” shortcuts.
- Peppermint—Made with Hammond’s peppermint candies and the best mint oil we could find, this is a perfect treat for the Wintertime.
- Dulce De Leche—Rich and luscious dulce de leche from Argentina swirled throughout.
- Dark Chocolate—Made with Scharffenberger cocoa, this gelato has an intense chocolate flavor that will surprise even the most ardent chocophile.
- John, Do Ya? (Gianduja)—An Italian classic using chocolate-hazelnut mix from Turin.
- Raspberry Sorbet—No dairy in this one, just sweet and delicious Michigan raspberries.
Mozzarella Classes
The 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, 12-2:30 pm at the Creamery – thru May!
Come learn with the masters of mozzarella how to stretch your own from-scratch fresh mozzarella. We will guide you through the steps to set up the curd from milk and teach you the technique we employ to stretch the curds into marvelous mozzarella of your very own!
$60/person, registration required. Save $5 when you pre-pay. Call 734.929.0500 to reserve your spot today!
Andy Schneider and Our Very Own Aubrey Thomason Discuss Dutch-Belted Milk!
Our Dutch-Belted cow’s milk comes to us from Andy Schneider’s Dairy Farm in Westphalia (northwest of Lansing). This dairy has a herd of Dutch-Belted cows which are extremely rare in the U.S. (there are slightly more than 200). What makes the Dutch Belted cow’s milk unique is its high butterfat and protein content, and the way in which the butterfat globules bond to one another. The bonds are small, creating a supremely dense, rich curd. Originating from the Alps, Dutch-Belted cows gained great popularity in Scandinavia until finally being introduced to the US.
Andy Schneider takes pains to produce a milk that is significantly better than the norm. The calves are provided their mother’s milk for ten months or until the mother kicks them off the teat, and the Creamery only gets the excess that the calves can’t drink. (This is the distinction of a dairy cow as opposed to meat cattle–the dairy cow produces more milk than the calf can take in). In the interest of economy, dairy farmers usually put the calves on formula and sell all the milk. Giving calves the milk that was intended for them creates an extremely healthy herd and allows for cows that the Schneiders milk well into their teens. Healthy cows equal healthy milk. Perfect for rich, complex cheeses that allow the natural flavor of this milk to come through.
Culture Magazine: The Word on Cheese!
If you aren’t familiar with this publication, Culture magazine is one of the oldest dedicated to the art of cheesemaking. They have published countless articles that are worthy of being in queue on any cheese-lover’s reading list. Earlier this year, Matt Rubiner of Rubiner’s Cheesemongors & Grocers in Great Barrington, MA came out to spend some time with us and wrote a great article on his adventures with the Creamery. Filled with drool-inducing shots of cheese and some expert wordsmithing, I’d love to invite you all to read the full piece.
Culture was kind enough to post a PDF of the article for you to download if you’d like to check it out. Thanks, guys!
Who We Are
Zingerman’s Creamery is dedicated to crafting handmade cheeses and gelato using traditional methods to both honor the rich tradition of the art of cheesemaking and create the most full-flavored products we can. Using local milk from both Calder Dairy and Green Meadow Dairy, low-temperature pasteurization, and lots of time to draw out and enhance the amazing flavors of the milk, we make our products to-order every week for our wholesale customers and our Cheese Shop.
We think all of that adds up to cheese and gelato with flavor that truly stands out. But while we may think you can really taste the difference, the only taste that truly matters is your own. We’d love to share a taste of what is exciting us for the day, or something that looks intriguing to you, whatever it is, everything you buy from us is 100% guaranteed. If you aren’t happy with your purchase, just let us know and we’ll get you another slice or scoop on us, or refund your hard-earned cash!
Zingerman’s Creamery is dedicated to crafting handmade 
