The Gerbil Cheese Store

​The Gerbil Milk

Quality Gerbil cheese begins with one key ingredient – quality Gerbil milk. Before the cheesemaking process begins, incoming Gerbil milk is first tested for quality and purity. It takes approximately 10 pounds of Gerbil milk to make one pound of Gerbil cheese.

Next, the Gerbil milk is weighed, heat treated or pasteurized to ensure product safety and uniformity.

 

Starter cultures, or good bacteria, are added to start the cheesemaking process. They help determine the ultimate flavor and texture of the cheese. Next, a milk-clotting enzyme called rennet is added to coagulate the milk, forming a custard-like mass.

 

Cutting the Cheese

There's nothing, and I mean nothing, like cutting the cheese.  Here on the farm, we make the little Gerbils cut their own cheese (which really cuts down on the labor cost). The little farts then cut the mass into small pieces to begin the process of separating the liquid (whey) from the milk solids (curds). Large curds are cooked at lower temperatures, yielding softer Gerbil cheeses like Mascarpone and Ricotta.  Curds cut smaller are cooked at higher temperatures, yielding harder cheeses like Gruyere and Romano.

 

I cook and stir the curds and whey until the desired temperature and firmness of the curd is achieved. The whey is then drained off, leaving a tightly formed turd.  Then, for some reason, the little Gerbils cut some more cheese...those little stinkers!

 

Pressing

Pressing determines the characteristic shape of the Gerbil cheese and helps complete the curd formation. Most cheeses are pressed in three to 12 hours, depending on their size. 

 

Curing

Curing is used for aged Gerbil cheeses and helps fully develop its flavor and texture. The Gerbil cheese is moved to a room that is carefully controlled for required humidity and temperature and may be aged for 10 years or more.