Visit to a dairy with a difference

Our youngest recently finished reading one of his SA history curriculum readers.

 In the story, Annetjie ( wife of Hendrik Boom  who was Van Riebeeck's gardener), 

cared for the cows at the Cape colony all those years ago. 

In the last week he also discovered more about Louis Pasteur and his remarkable contributions to the scientific world . So with great excitement, we visited a dairy of a different kind on Friday morning! 

It was dark and rainy, as we headed over the mountain with friends......

the mountain that used to hold my dear sister on the other side.

Children chattered excitedly and my friend and I caught up with one another....

how nice to have the time to chat early in the morning!

We arrived at Imhoff Farm's goat dairy just as it began to get light...

We were greeted by Denise, who welcomed us warmly and answered our numerous questions.

 The nannies, all lined up and most co operative, were in the process of being milked. We peered through the parlour window, fascinated  as the machines did their work. Some of the nannies looked rather large and we learned that most of them are pregnant with up to three babies!

Once milking was over, we entered the cheese making "factory"....

We were hit with a really cheesy smell....

it took a little getting used to so early in the morning! 

We enjoyed watching the making of mozzarella with the curd from the day before

 (whey separated overnight)

.....a surprisingly quick process.

 Strips cut, laid in boiling water, moulded into balls, squeezed in muslin cloth,

and then left in cold water before being put into brine. 

We learned how other types of cheese are made...

 Goat's milk and cows milk cheese. 

Feta, Gouda, Cheddar and Cream cheese.

Fascinating .

I could not help thinking of my sister...

 she has begun making her own cheese on the far away farm. 

We enjoyed delicious tasters of feta, goat's milk gouda, and fynbos cheddar...

the fynbos grown right outside the door!

For the brave, there was fresh goats milk to taste too...

I enjoyed the taste and was surprised that my non milk drinking daughter did too! 

I could not convince my youngest to taste it...reason being:

"I only like cold milk mom!"

ok, ok....was not going to push it!

What a tasty treat!

Of course we had to take some handmade cheese home for the rest of the family to try...

Fynbos cheddar and chili cheddar....

Enjoyed today on home-made spinach and sun dried tomato bread, 

alongside steaming butternut

 and orange soup!

Just perfectly delicious!