Short course teaches the art and science of making cheese

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is offering a cheese making short course that provides all the information needed to create a brand of cheese. The Science and Art of Cheese Making will be held Nov. 11-14 in the Food Science Building, on the University Park campus.

Topics

Faculty from the College of Agricultural Sciences will offer sessions covering important aspects of cheese making, such as milk composition and quality, coagulation, manufacture of cheese, evaluation, and food safety practices.

The four-day course is geared toward farmstead and smaller artisanal cheese makers but is open to anyone interested in cheese making.

Presenters

Short course presenters from Penn State include Kerry Kayleigan, dairy foods research and extension associate in food science; Sarah Cornelisse, farm business senior extension associate; Catherine Cutter, associate professor of food science and food safety extension specialist; Bob Roberts, professor and head of food science; and Robson Machado, food science doctoral degree candidate.

Other presenters include Dave Potter, a consultant from Dairy Connection, in Wisconsin; and former Penn State graduate student Bob Snow, a consultant from Agri-Grow Services.

Activities

The course will include a cheese-making session, lab sessions and cheese tastings, as well as a tour of the Penn State Berkey Creamery.

“The artisanal cheese-making industry is attractive because you can take a perishable product, such as milk, and you can turn it into something with increased shelf life, therefore greatly increasing the value,” Kaylegian said. “Plus, anybody can sell milk. But artisanal cheese makers can develop a cheese that is unique to their company.

“When you really know and understand the process behind artisanal cheese making, you get to run wild with the ideas,” she added. “You get a signature product out of it.”

Cost

Registration for the short course costs $1,125, which includes tuition, course materials, laboratory fees, certificate of attendance, continental breakfasts, refreshment breaks, lunch with speakers, a welcome wine and cheese reception and a fleece jacket.

For more information or to register, visit http://psu.ag/H2g0w4.