About Us

Why unpasteurized milk?

Because it makes for a tastier cheese. One little problem with pasteurization is that it kills (along with the bad) the good bacteria that destroy harmful microbes. We prefer to keep the good right where they 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 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.

Why does the consistency of Berkshire Blue vary?

Because the diet of the Jerseys changes with the seasons, which have a way of sneaking up. As an artisan cheese maker (well, sometimes there are two of us), we refuse to adjust for, say, the changes in protein and fat content of the milk by adding powdered skim milk, or cream, or additional rennet. We make adjustments by time and temperature, and it sometimes takes a few batches to get back to the optimum consistency. So Berkshire Blue can range in density from slightly softer than Cheddar to a firm Brie. But in every case, because the ingredients are the same, the taste is the same. And in answer to a related question, the hardness or softness of Berkshire Blue doesn't have so much to do with age as with the Jersey's seasonal diet.

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.

Who makes Berkshire Blue?

The owner/head cheese maker is Ira Grable, a former New York City business owner.

How much cheese do you make?

Every cheese is made by hand so we are only able to produce small quantities. We produce between 60 and 210 three-pound wheels per week, depending on the season. It takes 12 hours from the delivery of the milk to the dairy to become  recognizable as cheese and a further 60 days to mature. Making small amounts means we can focus on quality all the time.

What awards has Berkshire Blue won?

Berkshire Blue was the featured cheese at the Culinary Institute of America Master Chef Dinner 2008 and 2009, and, is on the menu at the American Bounty Restaurant at The Culinary Institute.  Awarded The Bronze Medal at the 21st annual  World Cheese Awards in Dublin, Ireland 2008.  A Gold Medal at The Big  "E"  Cheese Competition, Springfield, Ma. 2008.  A score of 91 in "Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to The World's Best" by Max McCalman & David Gibbons, 2005.  Gold Medal at the 16th World Cheese Awards in London, U.K. 2003.  Chef’s Choice Award at the Annual Spinazola Dinner, Boston 2004 and The James Beard Dinner New York City 2002 and 2003.  First Place at The American Cheese Society competition, Washington, D.C. 2002.  Berkshire Blue Cheese is an International Slow Food Invitee. 

http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2009/8/Food+%26+Drink/Curd-is-the-Word

http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2009/8/Food+%26+Drink/Curd-is-the-Word

 Bon Apetit Magazine July 2009

http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2009/07/creative_cheeses_for_burgers