Cheese Factory in El Quelite

[asirimarco]

This time in El Quelite we found the cheese factory that we were told about last time. It is just an older no color adobe building with an old blackened red tile roof with cactus growing out of it.) It's one big concrete room with a big walk in refrigerator. The young men working there (there are four of them) invited us in to look around. Explaining first that they had just loaded the milk so they were in the process of cleaning up spills. The milk was sitting in big blue plastic barrels on the concrete floor.

They go through 1500 liters of milk a day to make the cheese. After the first process of heating the whole cow’s milk to near boiling they add an acidifying agent then stir until the curds form.

The product is then put in these containers lined with a white paper cloth material of sorts and allowed to drain for three to five hours.

Then it is kept in a cooler wrapped with cheese cloth.

The cheese is called queso fresco. It is a soft cheese but more moist then cream cheese. It is very good. It is always served in the restaurant. With fruit for breakfast and as an appetizer for lunch.

[Cedar518]

That's so interesting. It looks like just a shed type building. Here in the US we'd have a million regulations to contend with. Did they talk about any health inspections or such things? I think I LOVE Mexico!

[avalen]

well it certainly looks like cream cheese, and if I was in Mexico and served that I would
just think it was cream cheese. Very interesting place, I like seeing how things are made.

[snowball]

Interesting! thanks for showing us the process
sheila

[Bethers]

Interesting - not that much different than some of the small cheese factories I've been in in the US - but had to look through a window to see the process. Wonder if they make cheese curds. I hate the stuff - but it sells like hotcakes in the WI cheese factories and surrounding towns - especially when fresh.

[dcricket]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh Yes, queso fresco is soooooooooooo yummy!

[Liz]

Fascinating...and what a nice tour you got...and gave to us. Thanks! Cheese looks good.

[Gentleladybear]

Very interesting tour. Did they give you samples of the products they produced? It looks like a good cheese.