James Ryer with Frisco
A couple of weeks ago, Jamie made a comment at one of our Tidbits articles and we contacted him about an interview. We didn’t know at the time, how much he loves our company, but that quickly became apparent. If we had a paid spokesman, it would be him! His first response to our request for an interview was,
New England Cheesemaking is my one stop shop for all my supplies and training. I’ve taken your Cheesemaking 101 and 201 classes and in October I’m taking the Affinage class. I can’t wait to continue developing my skills.
Thank you, Jamie! It’s an honor to be appreciated by such an accomplished cheese maker.
With Gramps at Myrtle Beach
How did you get started making cheese?
I actually got interested in cheese when I was 17 and lived as an exchange student in France. I lived with an amazing family for two years and fell in love with France and its cheeses. I lived on a farm in the country and would help the family milk cows and goats.
I am still very close to this family, having lost my mom, dad, brother and sister over the past decade to a variety of health and other issues. They have become my second family. France changed my life at 17 and now 30 years later, it still holds a special place in my heart.
Irony – at 17, I couldn’t stomach goat cheese. Now I love it.
Visiting my French mom & dad in July – the Talon-Lucs of Etrochon St. Romans Les Melle, France.
In the lavender fields of Provence
I didn’t actually start making cheese until a year ago when some of my friends challenged me by saying “You have talked about your days in France every day for the last 20 plus years. Why don’t you do something French? Make some cheese.”
That challenge is when I decided to give it a try. I converted one of my EuroCave wine cellars into a cheese cellar and added a couple humidifiers to better control humidity, having learned temperature and humidity control are essential to good cheese.
There is a little video tour of my (now full) cave at my Instagram page – https://vimeo.com/363032866
I now have every shape and size mold New England Cheesemaking sells and have probably printed every recipe you have on your website.
Just a few of many molds
Once you start making cheese, I have discovered it quickly becomes an addiction. My garage is presently filled with shelves full of cheese making supplies.
Every week I buy fresh milk from an Amish farm and every weekend I embark on a new cheese making adventure.
A2 Guernsey milk
Sheep milk
I’m grateful for New England Cheesemaking in getting me started on this amazing hobby (now passion). I still have a lot to learn but am thankful I have a source to go to for tools, recipes and advice!
I started a little website blog a few weeks ago to share some of my favorite French imports and cheese making stories. I am working with the VA Dept. of Agriculture to get the proper permitting to sell cheese.
So, for now, you can read about my cheese making adventures until that is approved. (https://thefrenchartisan.us/). I’m also working on setting up a YouTube channel where I will do some cheese making videos.
I share my cheeses with my friends and locally. Who knows? – maybe it will continue to grow. For now, I have been dubbed “the French artisan” by my friends who come to my house frequently to taste my creations and we will see where it goes. They tell me they come for the free food.
A Few Pics:
Sheep Milk Cheese
Ibores rubbed with Tuscan olive oil and coated with paprika. This is right before aging for 2 months.
Sheep milk Tomme a couple of weeks before it will be ready to eat. (Note: For the experts, pardon the crack, this happens when there isn’t enough humidity in the cellar.)
For my first manchego I had to be as authentic as possible. This is raw sheep’s milk. The green spots are casein labels, food grade labels that you can write info, dates, etc., with food grade ink. These are pressed into the cheese and become a part of the rind.
Manchego being rubbed with olive oil during the aging process
Manchego. Unfortunately, aged near a bleu – lesson learned.
Goat Milk Cheese
25 pounds (or so) of goat cheese curd
Draining the goat milk curd
“Cheese – milk’s leap toward immortality!” (by Clifton Fadiman) Goat after ash and salt applied. In one week, this will be ablaze with beautiful penicillium candidum (white mold).
One of my favorite times in the cheese making process is when the first signs of mold begin to form on the cheese. This is where science and life come together and it fascinates me to no end. Here is my goat with truffle. You can see the truffle line midway in the cheese. The white mold is just starting to grow. This cheese will age for 1-2 more months.
Being salted and dried before aging
Cow Milk Cheese
Camembert in the molds
Camembert snug in NE Cheesemaking’s lovely wraps
A young Livarot in cambium spruce strips
Jarlsberg entering its second stage. This is where it is stored at room temperature for 5 weeks at 90 humidity. The gasses build up in the cheese causing the holes you see in traditional Jarlsberg or Swiss style cheese.
Bleu d’Auvergne at 3 months. An artisan cheesemaker told me the p. Roqueforti got a little out of hand here, but it still tasted great.
Parmesan and above – Manchego and a moldy bandaged cheddar
What else do you do when you’re not making cheese?
For a living, presently I’m Senior Director of Marketing for a US Government IT Services Provider called By Light.
By way of other hobbies besides cheese making, I SCUBA dive and am a private licensed pilot.
I also am an amateur chef. I’ve tried out for MasterChef several times. Next time I’ll be in – I’m sure of it. Lol.
Soon my cheesemaking ventures will surpass my spending in those two hobbies. Lol.
Fresh sourdough
Mon beau farci poitevin. À regional speciality of the Poitou Charentes region in France where I lived for two years at age 17. I made this with ingredients I planted in my hydroponic garden. (Except the cabbage). There is so much joy that comes when you make something from something you grew yourself!
My hydroponic lettuce
Peruvian chicken with avocado, baby arugula and Aji Verde.
Do you have any advice for beginning cheese makers?
My advice for beginner Cheese Maker’s would definitely be to take all of Jim’s classes offered through N.E. Cheesemaking and to invest in the “Successful Cheesemaking” 2 book series by Merryl Winstein. I just got it last week and it’s amazing.
Both these resources are incredibly valuable and will save you from tossing pound after pound of cheese in the beginning as you embark on this amazing journey!
