The best cheese, made by ourselves.
Herz-Käse is firmly rooted in two locations in the middle of the Allgäu in Germany. The main office is in Kimratshofen, with the administration, quality assurance, marketing, cheese ripening and packaging departments. We obtain the cheese for our high-quality specialities from our alpine dairy in Schweineberg near Ofterschwang.
The alpine dairy at the heart of the Allgäu.
The production of pasture milk is the most original form of milk production. The quality of our cheese specialities starts with the feeding of the cows. Just as we did 170 years ago, the Schweineberg alpine dairy obtains its pasture milk exclusively from local mountain farming regions, where the dairy cows are fed according to the seasons. In summer, the cows graze on fresh meadows. The meadows are mown, the grass is dried, and the resulting hay is used as fodder during the cold season. There are presently six farmers who provide the high-quality pasture milk, which is processed daily on-site.
A warm welcome: Cheese-lovers can buy our products directly from us at the alpine dairy’s small shop or online.
Visit our Schweineberg alpine dairy
www.allgaeuer-bergkaese.deSENNEREI SCHWEINEBERG
Schweineberg 18
87527 Ofterschwang
Fon +49 (0) 83 21 – 33 63
Fax +49 (0) 83 21 – 67 61 64
Email kontakt@allgaeuer-bergkaese.de
OPENING TIMES
Monday-Thursday
08:00 – 11:30 hrs
17:30 – 19:00 hrs
Friday and Saturday
08:00 – 11:30 hrs
16:00 – 19:00 hrs
Sundays and public holidays
16:00 – 19:00 hrs
Of the great art of
cheese-making.
1. PREPARING TO MAKE CHEESE
As every morning, the cheesemakers wait at the dairy for the mountain farmers to deliver their milk. The working day starts very early in the cheese dairy – usually at around 4 a.m.
2. IT STARTS WITH THE COPPER KETTLE
The unskimmed raw milk is poured into the copper kettle and stirred continuously as it is slowly heated to around 33°C. The cheesemakers add bacterial cultures – along with rennet, a complex set of enzymes that is produced in the stomachs of calves. Now the milk gradually turns into cheese. The right temperature in the copper kettle causes the cultures to increase, and the milk protein separates. We call this natural process “curdling”.
3. PLAYING THE HARP
The curds are now separated with an implement called a cheese harp. It divides and stirs at the same time, separating the curds from the whey. This thickened mixture is then lifted out of the kettle in finely-woven cheesecloth and pressed into round cheese moulds. The whey drains away, and the fresh cheese curds are weighted down while they grow into real cheese.
4. TIME TO MATURE
The cheese wheels are then put in a saline bath, which draws more whey out of the curds. The cheeses spend the next 48 hours in brine to encourage the rind to develop. Finally, the young cheese is placed in the maturation cellar and stored at 15ºC and 95% humidity for at least four months. Every week, it is turned and “washed” in salt water. This is where the cheese develops its wonderful aroma and ripens into a true Herz speciality.
For Herz-Käse, the highest
quality is quite natural.
We at Herz-Käse are committed to our home in the Allgäu. Protecting the environment and preserving this wonderful landscape is of the utmost importance to us. And to us, natural and exclusive raw materials and environmentally-friendly, sustainable production methods are the basic principles for the highest quality.
Only the very best quality counts for us. That is why we only process the good milk that is provided fresh every day from our local mountain farmers. First-class processing is also important to us, as is modern and hygienic production equipment. As well as the perfect ripening processes and careful maintenance of the cheese. And there’s a good reason why we call ourselves a “cheese manufactory”: values such as craftsmanship and a love for our product are also important to us.
Control is good, but quality is better
When it comes to quality and purity, Herz cheese specialities are excellent in every respect. From sourcing the milk to production and ripening to the packaging, we undergo the most stringent checks, and consistently fulfil all the requirements that are imposed on us. This is also confirmed by the many certifications we hold.
