Country Flight

A little light morning fog did not deter us from hopping on  the Eagle for a short 80 mile flight around the beautiful mid-Wisconsin farm country.

Our ride started on the lower right from our rv park at Lake Delton, and went west along the bottom of the loop.  We made one stop, at the lower left

here at the La Valle location of Carr Valley Cheese,

to watch cheddar cheese being made.  At this plant, one of three in the area, they were making cheddar cheeses.  This process starts at 1 am, when 

milk is pasteurized then cultures of good bacteria are added to help determine the ultimate flavor and texture of the cheese.   Next a milk-clotting enzyme called rennet is added to coagulate the milk, forming a custard-like mass.

  

For the cheddar making process it is cut into small pieces to begin the process of separating the liquid whey from the milk solids or curds.  The curds and whey are cooked and stirred until the desired temperature and firmness of curd is achieved.  The whey is then drained off, leaving a tightly formed curd.  

The curds are pressed into those tins in the middle, then set on end to let the whey drain, leaving the desired texture and solidity, a process that takes up to 24 hours.  The finished round blocks are coated in wax and shipped. 

When we arrived at 10 am, the last of the curds were being prepared for pressing.  The rest of the day would be spent in cleaning equipment.

After watching the cheese-making video and observing part of the process, we perused the small store while we sampled cheese made from goat's, sheep's and cows' milk, one made from all three, mild and sharp cheddars, and curds.  We bought colby longhorn, which is hard to find, some garlic bread cheese which you heat up and eat with anything you want, and some curds.  The curds taste like salty mild mild cheddar and squeak  as you chew them.

By the time we were back on the road, the sun had dispelled the fog and broken up the cloud cover, making for beautiful sightseeing.

For the rest of our ride we relaxed and enjoyed the scenic and picturesque countryside.

Chore day tomorrow.

Louise and Duane