There are a number of questions that frequently crop up when we are at Farmers Markets, so here are a few that we hear most often.
If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
As it is made using unpasteurised milk, can the cheese be eaten by people with a low resistance to infection, for example pregnant women, children and the elderly?
The advice of the Chief Medical Officer is that ‘at risk’groups should avoid blue and soft cheese whether pasteurised or not, hard cheese is not therefore deemed to be a concern for the above groups. Hard cheese is considered to be very safe because over the life of the cheese the build up of acidity and the lack of moisture creates an environment that is very difficult for pathogens such as listeria to survive in.
Will the butter freeze?
The butter is ideal for freezing for up to 3 months. It freezes so well that you wouldn’t know it had been frozen.
Can I cook with the cheese?
The cheese is perfect for cooking because it has plenty of flavour and it melts well. It is particularly good for cheese sauces, cheese on toast and grated on pasta dishes. We recently tried the Smoked Poacher on a cauliflower cheese and it was delicious!
For ideas on recipes see our
Recipes page.
Is the cheese suitable for vegetarians?
Unfortunately not. We have tried using vegetarian rennet but when we did the cheese was very bitter so we have gone back to using traditional animal rennet.
What are the ingredients of Lincolnshire Poacher?
Fresh raw milk - 98%
Animal rennet - trace
Starter Culture (which turns the milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid) - trace
Salt - 2%
Where does the name Lincolnshire Poacher come from?
There is a fabled Lincolnshire Poacher as mentioned in a 17th century song. So we took the name from this.
How is the cheese smoked?
The traditional smoking is done at a local smokehouse. Fully matured Lincolnshire Poacher cheese is cut into 1kg (2lb) wedges. It is then placed on racking and cold smoked for about 24 hours over dampened oak chips. The oak chips are dampened so that they give off lots of smoke, which in turn infuses the cheese giving it that distinctive flavour and colour. Most smoked cheeses that you see in the supermarkets are not actually smoked but have the flavour added (they call it liquid smoke) and then they are covered in colouring to make it look like it has been traditionally smoked.
Why is some Lincolnshire Poacher blue?
To get blue mould into cheeses like stilton, blue mould spores (penicillium roquefortii) are added to the milk. After a few weeks, the stiltons are then spiked to allow oxygen to get into the cheese and this promotes the blue mould to grow inside the cheese. We do not add any mould spores or spike the cheese but occasionally during maturation, the rind of a cheese will crack and the cheese will blue up naturally. We only tend to get blueing along the natural cracks in the cheese so it can be a little intermittant. However, when we do get the blueing it is delicious and we have many customers who ask specifically for the blue.
I am lactose intolerant, can I eat the cheese?
Due to the long maturation period, the vast majority of lactose in the cheese will have turned to lactic acid. There may be trace levels of lactose present.
What is the best way to keep the cheese?
Ideally Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese is best kept in a cellar (which would have similar conditions to our own cheese store i.e. high humidity and a temperature of 10 to 15C). However, most of us don’t have a cellar so the fridge is the best alternative. Once opened loosely wrap the remaining cheese in wax paper to allow it to breathe.
If you use cling film or foil to wrap the cheese, leave the rind exposed, so again the cheese can continue to breathe.
Do you supply unpasteurised milk?
We take fresh unpasteurised milk in one Litre containers to all of our farmer’s markets.
The cost is £1.25 each.
It is always best to pre-order either by phone or email as we often sell out.
It is absolutely delicious and if you’ve never tried raw milk it’s a must!
Raw milk is suitable for home freezing
