Open Creamery Day

What a great day for a road trip!  When I first took notice of Open Creamery Day I went to the Maine Cheese Guild site and looked at the map showing all the creameries that were taking part and read the info on each one trying to decide what would make for a nice ride and an interesting blog.  Appleton Creamery in where else...  a multiple winner in American Cheese Society competitions seemed like a good place to start.  And I'd never been to Appleton before, so that was also a plus.

 Caitlin Hunter raises 50+ goats on her small farm, about 35 milkers, 4 bucks and roughly 15 older females. That many goats takes her over an hour to milk, twice a day.  From that she gets 30 gallons of milk, which makes 30 lbs. of cheese. A board in the milking room helps her keep track of whose teats need tweaking. You can visit the Creamery website for info on buying her cheeses, which she sells at farmers markets and online November until it runs out..

Her two 15 gallon pasteurizers

The cheese is drained over night

I somehow left home without any money or a checkbook, but Caitlin (and Beth at Townhouse )  thought I looked trustworthy enough to let drive off with a promise to send them a check.  It's in tomorrows Mail! I have a piece of feta for lunch 3-4 days a week, so I couldn't pass up her award winning Sophia Feta, a Chevre in oil with basil and pine nuts, a Zephyr Ledge and one other soft cheese.

Anybody looking for a fun thing to do tomorrow, Savage Oaks Winery on 174 Barrett Hill Rd in Union could use you.

They also have a few chickens who wonder thru the small vineyard next to the house.

The backyard also found a small oven which they bake bread in and pizza on special occasions.

 Appleton Creamery

Caitlin Hunter, Owner

780 Gurney Town Road

Appleton, ME 04862

www.appletoncreamery.com

Lots of good info!

Trying to find a second creamery to fit into the drive was a little harder because, well they aren't lined up like car dealerships on Rte 1.  I finally decided on Townhouse Farm in Whitefield heading back toward Augusta on Rte 17 and then south on Rte 218.  Beth Whitman specializes in Middle Eastern style cheeses and yogurt.  Beth buys her milk from neighboring farms and sells some of her cheeses to restaurants in the Portland area.

Small cups of curd could be had for $3.00 and I bought a large  yogurt,   which I added to some fruit for a very yummy snack this evening.

I tried this excellent hard goat cheese and of course now looking at it wish I had purchased a piece.

Meg houses her cheeses in the "cave" under her barn.

Some of the neighborhood cows in the pasture behind Townhouse Farm.

Townhouse Farm
Beth Whitman
35 Townhouse Rd
Whitefield, ME 04353
207-549-5670
ewegurt@gmail.com

All in all a great day!

To find out more about Maine's many artisanal cheese makers go to the Maine Cheese Guild website.  

Two big foodie events coming up back to back in the next few weeks. First Harvest On The Harbor, starting on the 21st.  And fall Restaurant Week ME on the 24th.  I'll be posting a lot, not so sure about sleep.

Open Creamery Day / Preview

This Sunday October 10th is Open Creamery Day at many small farm creameries around the state. Most will be open from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. For a complete listing of creameries, directions and hours (at least one is open saturday) visit the Maine Cheese Guild. They are mostly in southern and coastal Maine, with the farthest south being Flying Goat Farm in Acton and the farthest downeast being Painted Pepper farm in Steuben. The westerm most is Longfellow's Creamery in Phillips and the northern most is Olde Oak Farm in Maxfield, near Howland west of 95.  Today I visited Pineland Farm Creamery in New Gloucester which  is set up to handle visitors. Who view the entire process from the glassed walled viewing area. Pineland has a market /welcome center where you can buy not only product produced on the farm but other Maine Made product, both food and non food. There will be a wine tasting from Noon to 3PM here as well as the cheese tasting.

This is the Pasteurizing Room, milk begins the process to cheese. they also make butter and spreadable cheese here.

The vats hold 1000 gallons of warm cultured milk beginning the separation into curds & whey.

The whey is drained off leaving the curd which has salt and in the case of Pepper Jack seen here, a blend of peppers.

The loose whey is scoped into metal boxes call Hoops which will be place on a press and cooled overnight.

Feta seen being removed from baskets and cut into blocks here, will be brined in tanks in a nearby room.

The 1000 gallons of milk (8500 Lbs) will make a 1000 Lbs of curd and 850 Lbs of cheese.

On sunday I'll be visiting the award-winning cheese at Appleton Creamery in Appleton. Cheese is handcrafted daily using traditional methods from the milk from our herd of Alpine goats and nearby EllsFarm sheep dairy. I'll post on tuesday. For a complete list of participating creameries, directions and hours visit the Maine Cheese Guild.

Pineland Farms Creamery

92 Creamery Ln.

New Gloucester, ME

207-688-6400

www.PinelandFarms.org