Jacobs and Brichford Cheeses

While updating my Vegetarian Suitable Cheese Database, I “met” Leslie Jacobs, Co-Owner of Indiana’s Award-Winning Jacobs and Brichford Creamery. She offered to send me a collection of their raw milk cheeses, which I gladly accepted.

Leslie and her husband, Matthew Brichford, have lived on the family homestead since 1981 and have been making cheese for the last 15. The farm consists of 1300+ acres and is home to a herd of 200 cows. The cows are grass fed using sustainable practices. Matthew produces 33,000 pounds of cheese each year from the raw milk of their herd.. Leslie and one of their daughters market the cheeses.

First, an apology to Leslie. The cheese sat in my cheese fridge longer than Leslie would have wanted and most likely were not at their “prime” when I served them. No excuse except… well no excuse… however, they were still amazing.

I prepared a platter for The Man and me using four of the cheeses (saving the fifth for later enjoyment):

Ameribella is a washed rind, semi-soft cheese reminiscent of Taleggio. The earthy aroma of the rind, gives way to a sweet, savory paste that became silky at room temperature. I paired it with a Doux South Mustard and Cornichons. However, it oozed its way into a puddle of Sourwood Honey I had drizzled on fresh figs. (This cheese had ripened to a velvety ooze at room temperature.) It delivered a pungent taste that with both pairings was sublime. This was The Man’s favorite cheese.

Briana with Truffles. A smeared-rind cheese (using a technique similar to the one used on Alpine-style cheeses) with a tacky rind. I am not a fan of truffles but The Man consumed most of the wedge and was a happy camper to not share more than a morsel. The texture was creamy and the truffles added an earthy edge.

Everton was my favorite because I am a sucker for all Alpine-style cheeses. A harder paste with a stronger flavor than Le Gruyere or Comte.

Tomme de Fayette was the fourth cheese on the board. A traditional tomme cheese with grassy notes. The Man swooned.

I have recently updated my Raw Milk Cheese Database and now you can find more than 600 cheeses made with unpasteurized milk. Check it out here.

You can order directly from the website. Just do it!!

In addition to being a member of the Internationale Guilde des Fromagers (Jura and Garde) and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.

 

 

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