Description
The Swaledale Cheese PDO and Swaledale Ewes' Cheese PDO are two cheeses made using the same method, one using cows' milk and the other using sheep's milk.
Production Area
Swaledale Cheese PDO and Swaledale Ewes' Cheese PDO are produced in Swaledale, a town in North Yorkshire in the Yorkshire and Humberside region of England.
Production Method
During the first phase the milk is heated to 28°C with the addition of starter cultures. Two hours later rennet is added and the milk is left to coagulate for one hour. The curd is then cut and mixed continuously for 40 minutes, maintaining the temperature at 28°C. The curd is then cut into blocks and left to drain and then cut into smaller nuggets which are placed in moulds lined with cheese cloth. The moulds are maintained at a temperature of 20°C and lightly pressed for 18 hours during which time they are turned every four hours. The cheeses are then removed from the moulds and soaked in brine for 24 hours. They are aged for a minimum of three to four weeks.
Appearance and Flavour
Swaledale Cheese PDO and Swaledale Ewes' Cheese PDO are round in shape and sometimes covered in a natural wax or a green, blue or grey coating of mould. They are fully-flavoured and pleasantly salty. Swaledale Cheese PDO is white in colour and soft and crumbly. Swaledale Ewes' Cheese PDO is also white and crumbly but it is a harder cheese with a more pronounced taste and meadowy notes.
History
Swaledale Cheese PDO and Swaledale Ewes' Cheese PDO are the results of a long tradition. These cheeses have been produced for centuries in the county of North Yorkshire using a method which has been handed down through the generations and is still known by only a very few people today. It is said that cheese making was brought here in the 11th century by Christian monks who came here from Normandy.
Gastronomy
Swaledale Cheese PDO and Swaledale Ewes' Cheese PDO must be stored in a cool place and if already cut should be kept in the refrigerator wrapped in aluminium foil. These cheeses can be eaten just as they are but are also excellent ingredients for many gastronomic dishes such as hors d'oeuvres, puddings and savoury pies. Ideal with dry wine or beer.
Marketing
These cheeses are sold as Swaledale Cheese PDO and Swaledale Ewes' Cheese PDO. They are sold whole or in cuts of various weights.
Distinctive Features
Swaledale Cheese PDO and Swaledale Ewes' Cheese PDO owe their distinctive flavour and taste to the lush pastures where the cows graze and the great experience and skill of the cheese makers who, still today, make them entirely by hand.
