In the morning PVBK drove us down to Gruyere about 35 kms away - a place where they make cheese using mechanization. A majority of the Swiss cheese is otherwise made by hand and is a cottage industry. It was indeed very interesting to see how the milk is converted into cheese here.
As per Gruyere calculations, a cow eats 100 kg of grass and drinks 25 litres of water everyday, producing on an average 25 litres of milk every day. Out of 400 litres of milk one 35 kg round of Gruyere cheese is produced.
A pan containing 4800 litres of milk is used to produce 12 rounds of 35 kgs of Gruyere cheese. 4 pans enable 48 rounds to be produced daily. This is done by stirring the milk in the pans continuously for a specified period of time and at a specified temperature. An additive is added to curdle the milk
The whole process is automatic .The pan is also cleaned spotlessly using mechanized methods
The small cheese flakes which are created in the pans are then compressed mechanically under tremendous pressure .The high pressure compression consolidates the cheese into 35 kg rounds of cheese .The whey water which remains is used to make paneeer or what they call serac. The entire manufacturing process is so automated that one man controls the whole production.
The compression of the cheese which is done using mechanized methods is done manually even now .One of the old systems of compressing using wooden compressors is still in vogue up in the mountains
The cheese rounds weighing 35 kgs each are stored in temperature and humidity controlled cellars. Depending upon the season between 4000 and 7000 rounds of cheeses mature in the cellars at a temperature of 12 to 18 degree centigrade at 92% humidity.The 35 kg rounds are fanned and washed with a mixture of water and salt everyday for the first seven days – by a Robot .Untouched by human hand ! During the following two weeks the process is carried three times a week, then twice a week during the next 3 months and once a week until they are ready for sale.
5.7 million litres of milk is processed in the Gruyere region every year. The capacity of the cheese maturing cellars is 700 rounds of Gruyere cheese. Two thirds of the production is consumed in Switzerland only, and the remaining one third is exported to the European Union and North America.
After the visit we went to a restaurant in the same Complex and had Cheese Fondue for lunch!
