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Berkshire Blue is an American Blue Cheese made in Berkshire
County, MA from whole, unpasteurized Jersey cows’ milk.
Who makes Berkshire Blue?
Berkshire Eagle. Involved with Miller in cheese making are Dr. Alan Duffield
of England, under whose licensing agreement Berkshire Blue is made, and
cheese maker and equity partner David R. Boag of Housatonic.
Why unpasteurized milk?
belong, seeing as they would have to be reintroduced artificially anyway.
belong, seeing as they would have to be reintroduced artificially anyway.
Pasteurization also inactivates various native enzymes in milk, which in the
slow aging process produce flavor, character and complexity in our Berkshire
slow aging process produce flavor, character and complexity in our Berkshire
Blue.
Blue.
Why Jersey cows' milk?
Because Jersey milk has consistently high butterfat, calcium and protein
contents. No other cows' milk compares. Period. (Some trivia: Jerseys have
the highest IQ of domesticated bovines. Any farmer with a mixed herd will
tell you that when his cows escape for greener pastures, it is usually a
Jersey leading the herd.)
Why do you make such a big deal about doing everything by hand?
To quote the eminent food science writer Harold McGee, milk is a "living
tissue," so complex are the interactions among its manifold enzymes and
microbes. By the time our unpasteurized milk begins to become Berkshire
Blue, we have almost a higher life form on our hands, full of all the
allurements for attracting alien spoilers. Hence, hands on everything. It's
the only way to ensure the hoops are filled properly for a well-shaped
cheese and, as the maturing and aging processes proceed, to detect any
anomaly that may require extra measures. Cheeses are turned every 12
hours the first week, then every second day, for a total of 24 revolutions.
How do you get Berkshire Blue to be more creamy than other blues?
Not by adding cream. Actually, Berkshire Blue only seems more creamy. We
strive for a product in which you taste the Jersey milk and the blue mould
first, and everything else a distant second. Our most recent test for salt
content was 2.2%; the industry average is about 6%. Our pH is high,
around 7.5, meaning we are a low-acid cheese.
What awards has Berkshire Blue won?
Berkshire Blue was awarded a gold medal at the 26th World Cheese Awards
in London and was the chef’s choice at the James Beard dinner in New York
City in 2002 and 2003 and the Spinozolla Dinner in Boston in 2004.
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ladleing of whey from vats.
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cheese cut from forms by hand.
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2.5 and 5.0 pound
wheels in aging room
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