Cheese Making in Ireland

Travel to Ireland and learn about Cliffoney cheese making.

This is Hans Valiant, organic farmer on the way to his office. There are a few Irish farmers who have taken the concept of the family farm to a different plain. Many are immigrants who have brought with them skills from their native lands, adapted them to Ireland and created a unique knish in the world of family farming. As you may have guessed these goats are considerably more than cute hairy pets to Hans and his family. Hans is a cheese maker, he belongs to an ever increasing group of small farmers making and selling cheese from their farms. Hans also belongs to a growing number of farmers who practice organic growing techniques. Using all natural products, no pesticides and no chemicals, he milks his goats by hand each morning and evening beginning the process to create Cliffoney organic farmhouse cheese. A brand very well known in the immediate area, sought after by local markets and restaurants and the other tourist that happens to sample Cliffoney’s unique blend of goat’s milk cheese. Gabby, Hans’s wife has a large garden where she grows all the herbs needed for their cheeses. She is a skilled organic gardener who grows not only enough for her spice to Cliffoney cheeses but a sufficient surplus to keep the local markets supplied most of the year. Hans and Gabby’s small farm lies just west of the most significant landmark in the area. They’ve lived in Ireland about 10 years and not only have become successful farmers and cheese makers but also hold classes in the theory of practice of organic farming and cheese making. Their classes have become so popular that teaching consumes most of their time. As a result, they’ve decided to cut back on their herd of goats and cheese making so they can devote more time to teaching. On one hand, it's a difficult decision since they both love not only making cheese but the goats, they’re like family pets. However on the other hand, Hans and Gabby are devoted to the art and practice of organic farming. They feel the responsibility to pass on what have they’ve learned on their many years of organic gardening and cheese production. One of Cliffoney’s most popular items is Gabby’s soft herb cheese which she makes daily in one corner of their classroom. That soft goat cheese rolled by hand, Gabby’s into balls. She then packs it in sunflower oil with fresh garlic and herbs from the garden plus a couple of edible flowers for color. Farmhouse cheese making is a growing business but 50% of Ireland’s farm house cheese product going to export. Kosher cheese started 16 years ago when Nick Nibber and his father in-law, Peter emigrated from Holland and started making Gouda cheese, now Nick and his wife Amanda share the work with Peter. Made from cow’s milk the process begins with milk fresh from cows milked just a few yards from their 150 year old home. Temperature of the milk and fat are carefully controlled throughout the process. The culture, imported from Holland is added to this point and that begins the carting of the milk in separation into curds and wheat. A portion of the wheat is drained off to be added to the cattle further later. And hot water is added to aide in the release of more weigh from the curds. After a couple of hours of mixing, separating curds and weigh, the fat is drained and the result is pressed into molds which will be compressed under a wooden pressure-winds. Once farmed, the cheese is soaked in brine then turned regularly to form a rein on the cheese wheel. Wheels are then aged 60 days and sold locally into the export market. Throughout Europe and the Americas, there’s a growing demand for this unique, boutique cheeses form small operators like Cliffoney and Kosher. Nick and his family also run a small bed and breakfast on their farm which not only brings in a little extra cash but gives them a chance to socialize with visitors from other parts of the world as well as Ireland.