Bushra Griffith
Cheese is believed to have been discovered around 8000 BCE, around the time sheep were first domesticated. The earliest cheeses were likely sour and salty, similar in texture to rustic cottage cheese or feta. Pioneers made cheese by putting milk in a warm place overnight, allowing it to clabber or clobber and separate into curds and whey. The mixture was then heated, strained through a cloth, and sprinkled with salt to create what we now know as cheese. In the 19th century, pioneers in Wisconsin, many of whom were experienced in cheesemaking, began manufacturing cheese as soon as they settled, with Swiss immigrants opening a farmstead cheese factory in New Glarus in 1846.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Wisconsin, USA |
| Time Period | 1800s |
| People | Swiss, German, Norwegian immigrants and American pioneers |
| Cheese-making Techniques | Used milk from cows, basic equipment like wash boilers, hoops made of hickory or white oak, and linen/gunny sacks as cheesecloth |
| Challenges | Lack of necessary equipment and resources, had to procure cows and equipment from Europe or Ohio |
| Innovations | First cottage industry cheese factory by Anne Pickett, first cheese vat by John J. Smith, first full-scale cheese factory by Hiram Smith |
| Purpose | Preserve milk, make butter |
| Process | Skimmed cream for butter, used remaining milk for cheese, pressed and salted milk curds |
| Trade | Sold cheese in local markets, exported to England |
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What You'll Learn
Pioneers' cheese-making methods
Cheese-making predates recorded history and was most likely discovered accidentally during the transportation of milk in animal organs. Pioneers in the United States, particularly in Wisconsin, played a significant role in the development of cheese-making methods.
In the early 1800s, pioneers in Wisconsin, including foreign immigrants from Switzerland, Germany, and Norway, began engaging in farmstead cheese manufacturing. They faced challenges as they lacked the necessary equipment and resources, such as cows and milk. However, they adapted by using creative substitutes for cheese-making tools, such as wash boilers as kettles, hoops made from hickory or white oak splint, and gunny sacks or linen as cheesecloth.
Pioneers in Wisconsin, like Anne Pickett, played a crucial role in establishing cottage industry cheese factories. Pickett's operation, established in 1841, was the first to sell cheese statewide. She rented cows from her neighbours, marking the beginning of the separation of cheese factories from farms. This trend was furthered by Chester Hazen, who built the first cheese factory independent of a farm. Despite initial criticism, Hazen's factory successfully produced cheese from the milk of multiple herds, contributing to Wisconsin's burgeoning cheese industry.
Cheese-making was a challenging and laborious process, often the role of women in early pioneer days. They would collect supplies, milk cows, churn butter, and press cheese. The development of cheese factories across America alleviated some of this workload. The pioneers' methods involved using a heavy beam filled with stones as a press and mixing the cheese with their bare hands, which also served as a thermometer during the warming process.
Additionally, pioneers in the United States favoured the production of cheddar cheese due to its sturdiness, adaptability, and taste. By 1790, they were exporting cheddar wheels back to England, where the variety had originated. The mass production of cheese began in 1815 when the first cheese factory was built in Switzerland, and the discovery of mass-producing rennet further propelled industrial cheese production.
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The pioneers' cheesemaking challenges
The pioneers of cheesemaking in the United States, particularly in Wisconsin, faced several challenges. The first settlers, who arrived in Green County, Wisconsin, in 1845, were experienced in making cheese in the Alps. However, they encountered a lack of essential resources for cheesemaking in their new homeland. They had to procure cows, which could take time, and acquire equipment from Europe, Switzerland, or Ohio, which was not immediately available. Improvisation was necessary, as they had to use common household items such as wash boilers, hickory or white oak splint hoops, and gunny sacks or linen as cheesecloth.
Obtaining the necessary ingredients and equipment was just the first hurdle. The pioneers also had to develop methods to make cheese without modern technology. They used a heavy beam filled with stones as a press and their bare hands to mix the cheese and gauge temperature during the warming process. Making cheese was labour-intensive, requiring tasks such as collecting supplies by oxcart, milking cows, hauling milk, churning butter, and pressing cheese.
Another challenge was adapting cheesemaking techniques to the new climate and conditions. In warmer climates, most cheeses were typically consumed fresh and produced daily, as warm temperatures affected preservation. Salt was added to cheese for preservation, but the amount of salt needed varied depending on the climate. As cheesemaking spread to cooler climates in Northern Europe, less salt was required, leading to the development of milder, creamier cheeses, as well as aged, ripened, and blue cheeses.
The pioneers also had to determine which cows produced the best milk for cheesemaking. Stephen Babcock, a University of Wisconsin professor, played a crucial role in this regard by inventing the first practical test to determine the fat content of milk. This innovation helped dairy farmers select the most suitable cows for cheese production.
In addition to these challenges, the pioneers had to navigate the transition from handmade cheese to mass production. The establishment of the first cheese factories, such as the one built by Chester Hazen, marked a significant step towards industrialization. However, traditional cheesemaking methods persisted, and women played a central role in continuing the difficult tradition of making cheese at home on farms.
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How pioneers' cheese was preserved
The pioneers' cheese-making process was a way to preserve milk, which was very perishable. Pioneers would skim off the cream to make butter and then use the rest of the milk to make cheese.
In pioneer times, cheese preservation methods were limited by the lack of refrigeration. However, cheese preservation methods have evolved over thousands of years, with the earliest evidence of cheesemaking dating back over 7,000 years. Pioneers would have drawn on these traditional methods to preserve their cheese.
Cheese was likely first discovered when milk was stored and transported in animal skins and organs, which naturally curdled the milk due to the rennet in the stomach lining. Pioneers may have used similar methods to preserve cheese before refrigeration, as animal skins and inflated internal organs provided storage vessels for a range of foodstuffs. Curdling milk in an animal's stomach made better-textured curds, and salt was added for extra preservation, creating what we now know as "cheese".
Pioneers may have also used clay pots to collect and culture milk, and ceramic strainers allowed whey to drain away from the coagulated curd. In the Bronze Age, cheesemakers would pack wheels of hard, natural-rinded aged cheeses into ceramic vessels for trading. Later, cheesemakers in the United States would rub Cheddar-style wheels of cheese with lard or melted butter to prevent moisture loss and seal a protective coating around the cheese.
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The pioneers' cheese-making equipment
A common wash boiler served as a kettle, and hoops were crafted from hickory or white oak splint. A gunny sack or a piece of linen was used as cheesecloth. The pioneers also had to procure cows, usually one to five, for milk, which was the foundation of their cheesemaking process. This could take time, and in the meantime, they had to source equipment from Europe, Switzerland, or Ohio.
As cheesemaking developed, pioneers would often make cheese at home using milk from their cows. They would skim off the cream to make butter and then use the remaining milk for cheesemaking. Pioneers would use their bare hands to mix the cheese and as a thermometer to gauge the warming process. A heavy beam filled with stones served as a press to shape the cheese.
The development of cheese factories in the mid-19th century marked a significant shift in cheesemaking. In 1841, Mrs. Anne Pickett established Wisconsin's first "cottage industry cheese factory," renting milk from her neighbours' cows. This was followed by the establishment of farmstead cheese factories, such as the one opened by Swiss immigrants in New Glarus, Wisconsin, in 1846. These factories signified a transition from home cheesemaking to larger-scale production, and they played a crucial role in shaping Wisconsin's cheese-making heritage.
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Pioneers' cheese factories
The pioneers of cheese-making in the United States were largely from the colonies of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Eastern Massachusetts. As settlements moved west, colonists from western Massachusetts, Vermont, and upstate New York provided cheese to the growing colonies. Following the Revolutionary War, New York State became the new cheese-making hub, with the western region of Ohio also becoming a very important area in the American cheese industry. This region was nicknamed "Cheesedom" for over 50 years. For over 150 years, New York and Ohio contributed the bulk of cheese manufactured in the United States.
In the 1830s and 1840s, the southeastern portion of Wisconsin was settled by pioneers who came via the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes waterway. These pioneers included immigrants from Germany, Norway, and Switzerland, who had experience making cheese in their home countries. In 1831, Wisconsin's first farmstead cheese factory was opened in Koshkonong. In 1841, Mrs. Anne Pickett established Wisconsin's first "cottage industry cheese factory", using milk from her neighbours' cows. Pickett's operation was the first to sell its cheese statewide.
In 1845, the first settlers arrived in Green County, Wisconsin from the canton of Glarus, Switzerland. These pioneers established the community of New Glarus, where they quickly set up a farmstead cheese factory. However, they faced challenges in the new world, including a lack of cows, cheese-making equipment, and money. It took time for them to accumulate the necessary resources for cheese-making, and they had to make do with makeshift equipment in the meantime.
The development of cheese factories across America marked a shift in the production of cheese. Prior to this, cheese was primarily made at home on the farm, with women carrying on the difficult tradition of cheesemaking. The birth of the cheese factory led to the mass production of cheese, with the first cheese factory being built in Switzerland in 1815. This was followed by the discovery of how to mass-produce rennet, which spread industrial cheese production. Pasteurization also played a key role in making soft cheeses safer, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses.
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