Cheese has been prepared the traditional way at Kaamps Estate since 1985. Milk from the farm’s own cows is used to make this cheese. This guarantees top quality milk for making the tastiest and most exceptional cheeses in the cheese-making facility on the country estate.
The Nijland family started producing cheese in 1985.
The once small-scale cheese-making operation has now developed into a well-run business where an enthusiastic team of cheese-makers prepares exceptional cheeses professionally every day. This is done largely by hand, with day-fresh milk processed into cheese straight away. Sound, artisanal and ethically produced cheese from the wellspring of nature!
Curious to know how cheese is made? Here are the steps at a glance.
As soon as the cows have been milked, the milk is used to make cheese. Rennet and starter culture are added to this milk. Rennet ensures the milk, casein and milk fats coagulate. This makes the milk thicker. Starter culture gives the cheese an appetising taste and extends its shelf life.
The thickened milk is cut into pieces to produce small white granules. This is called curd. The curd floats in liquid called whey. The whey is separated from the curd. The curd is then used to make cheese.
The still granular curd is placed inside a round vat and then firmly pressed. That is how the cheese gets its round shape.
After pressing, the cheeses are removed from the vats and placed on a large rack. The rack is submerged in a brine bath (= large tub of salt water). The salt is absorbed into the cheese and promotes the rind formation, firmness, taste and shelf life of the cheese.
After being soaked in the brine bath, the cheeses are washed several times with caramel or honey. The recipes for these caramel and honey mixtures are a closely guarded family secret. The caramel produces the dark brown colour and somewhat sweet taste of the cheese. The cheeses into which honey is rubbed take on a golden brown colour and acquire a slight honey flavour. The cheeses are then placed on wooden racks to ripen over time. The longer the cheese ripens, the fuller the flavour. For example: young cheese ripens in 4 weeks, mature cheese takes 10 to 12 months to ripen.
Different types of cheese are professionally produced according to a traditional recipe at Kaamps Estate. For example, Gouda cheese from the Cheese of the Farm range, ranging from young cheese to cheese in excess of a year old. As well as herbed cheese made with fenugreek, stinging nettle & Italian herbs. And naturally, our cheese variants with caramel coating, such as pumpkin seed and carrot cheese, goat’s cheese with honey and thyme, or clover cheese.