Boerenkaas, Dutch farmhouse cheese, is Gouda made on the farm from the farm’s own raw milk. It is the original form of Gouda, and still a specialty today.
What makes farmhouse Gouda special?
- Raw milk. Boerenkaas is made from unpasteurised milk, which gives a richer and more varied flavour.
- Made on the farm. The cheese is produced where the cows are milked, usually with the milk of a single herd.
- Protected name. In the Netherlands only cheese that meets these requirements may be sold as boerenkaas.
A few hundred Dutch dairy farms still make cheese themselves, many of them in the Green Heart region around Gouda, Woerden and Bodegraven.
Equipment for a farmhouse cheese room
Farmhouse production uses the same process steps on a smaller scale. A typical cheese room processes anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand Gallons (litres) of milk per day and needs:
- A milk cooling tank and a small heat exchanger or vat heating system
- An open cheese vat with cutting and stirring tools
- A pre-press / draining table
- Cheese moulds and a cheese press
- A brine bath
- Ripening shelves
Starting a farm dairy is a big step, and the right size of equipment makes the difference between a business that grows and one that struggles. We are happy to think along with you.
Starting a farmhouse cheese dairy?
Tell us about your milk volume, cheese formats and plans. We will come back to you with a proposal for the equipment that fits your dairy.
