Our Goat Cheese
Our Process
Here at Mackenzie Creamery, we take pride in using the traditional methods of cheese making to create the freshest and smoothest goat cheese possible.
Goat Milk
We purchase our milk from local goat dairies. Our dairies’ herds consist of la mancha, nubian, saanen and a few alpine goats, giving us a wonderful blend of flavorful, protein-rich milk.
Transportation
Our milk is gently transported in our 300-gallon stainless steel tank, driven very slowly to delicately handle the milk, protecting it from being shaken or churned.
Pasteurization
The milk is transferred from our transport tank directly into our vat pasteurizers to begin the cheesemaking process. We pasteurize our fresh goat milk in the afternoon (using a Low Temperature Long Time method), and add culture and rennet at just the right temperature.
Quiescence
Then the magic starts and the cheese curd begins to form! The pasteurizer is “put to bed” with the curds forming in a state of quiescence through the night.
Draining
The next morning, when the curds have reached the correct pH, they are gently poured into cheese bags. They drain overnight, until the perfect balance of pH, moisture level and texture and taste is reached.
Repurposing
We capture the whey in a 300-gallon tank and give it to a local farmer who raises free-range hogs and chickens. (Additional pencil work by Crystal Madrilejos)
Flavoring
The next day we lightly salt the curds. The cheese is then ready to be mixed and packaged into one of the dozen flavors we offer.
Packaging
By the end of the day, the cheese is vacuum sealed, labeled, boxed and put in the walk-in cooler for weekly deliveries to our local restaurants, retail stores and distributors.
Fin.
Then we hang up our white lab jackets and hairnets, and call it a day!