Smoked Baby Swiss
- Producer
- Boggy Meadow Farm
- Country
- United States
- Region
- New Hampshire
- Size
- 12 in length x 5 in width
- Weight
- 5 lbs
- Website
- www.boggymeadowfarm.com
- Milk
- Cow
- Treatment
- Raw
- Classification
- Firm
- Rennet
- Vegetable
- Rind
- Smoked
- Style
- Alpine-style
- Flavor
- Smoked
Smoked Baby Swiss is the maple-smoked version of the Swiss cheese produced at Boggy Meadow Farm, located in a stunningly beautiful area on the banks of the Connecticut River in New Hampshire.
There has been a farm on the site for centuries, and a dairy farm for as long as anyone can remember, but it is only in the last few years that cheese has been made there. Records show that Jonathan Mason, a retired United States Senator from Massachusetts, purchased Boggy Meadow Farm in 1822, and the 400 acre farm has been owned and operated by his descendants ever since.
Milk for production comes from the farm's own herd of Holstein and Brown Swiss cows. Smoked Baby Swiss is made once a week in the creamery, which is located in the converted 18th century barn and farmhouse across from the dairy parlor. “The interesting aspect of ‘Swiss’ cheese,” says owner Marcus Lovell-Smith, “ is that no salt is added to the curd—the only additives are the bacteria and the rennet, which makes the cheese a ‘pure’ derivation of the original raw milk.”
The cheese is made using a washed-curd technique; halfway through the process the curds are washed with fresh water to reduce the acidity. Lovell-Smith says that this step, along with the use of whole milk instead of skim milk in production, contributes to the cheese’s richness and creaminess.
After aging the cheese until its “eyes” form (the characteristic holes created by the propionic acid bacteria), wheels are smoked using maple wood.
Tasting Notes
Smoked Baby Swiss has a fudgy, mouth-coating texture and a caramel complexion. Taste is meaty and salty, with strong smoky aromas that remind us of bacon.
Pairings
Pair Smoked Baby Swiss with a Bock beer, a Gewurztraminer, or with Boggy Meadow Farm’s own Switchel Cider Vodka.
