ABOUT THE MILK
How much milk does a cow generally produce?
A cow produces approximately 33 litres of milk per day.
How much milk is processed at the St-Albert Cheese Co-operative annually?
Between 5 and 7 truckloads of milk are delivered every day, for a total of approximately 80,000 litres of milk per day, which comes to 28 million litres of milk annually.
How much milk does it take to make the cheese?
It takes approximately 10 litres of milk to make 1 kg of fresh cheddar.
Where does the St-Albert Cheese Co-operative get its milk?
The milk used to make St-Albert cheeses essentially comes from eastern Ontario dairy farmers.
Does the milk used to make St-Albert cheeses contain growth hormones or antibiotics?
There are no hormones or antibiotics in the milk used to make St-Albert cheeses. The milk that is delivered is tested for antibiotics. If any trace of such is found, the shipment is immediately rejected and will not be used to make any of our products.
ABOUT THE CHEESE
Do St-Albert cheeses contain lactose?
Yes. Lactose is a natural sugar that is present in milk. However, when it comes to cheddar, most of the lactose remains with the whey, which is drained and eliminated during the cheddarization process. The cultures that are added to the milk to make the cheese break the lactose down into lactic acid, so cheese contains less lactose than milk. This having been said, anyone who is allergic or intolerant should follow their doctor’s recommendations as to whether or not to consume our cheddar.
Do St-Albert cheeses contain gluten?
No because gluten comes from wheat, and there are no wheat-based ingredients in our products according to the descriptions of those ingredients.
Which ingredient makes the cheese orange?
We use a natural coloring called annatto. All this ingredient does is colour the cheese naturally, without changing its flavour or texture. Annatto is a natural dye extracted from the seed coat of the achiote tree, which grows in the tropics. Without the annatto, the cheese would remain white, like milk.
Does fresh cheese have to be kept in the fridge?
Fresh cheese keeps well for 24 hours at room temperature, but after that it must be refrigerated. This information appears on the packaging with all of our fresh cheese. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency approves keeping fresh cheese at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
What is the best way to store cheese?
The best way to store cheese is to put it in the fridge in a sealed bag with as little air as possible inside. This will keep it fresh and prevent mould. The less contact the cheese has with air, the better it will keep.
Can cheese be frozen?
You can keep cheese longer by freezing it, but this will affect its texture, making it dryer and more brittle. Although freezing slows the growth of mould, it also stops the ageing process in cheddar. If you want to freeze your cheese, wrap it in a moisture-proof bag (for instance a resealable plastic bag). This will help preserve its flavour and texture. When you are ready to consume it, take the cheese out of the freezer, but leave it in the bag to preserve its moisture and flavour. Once it is thawed out, the cheese should be consumed as quickly as possible.
Can I eat cheese after the expiry date printed on the package?
Definitely. The expiry date on the bag is just a benchmark based on our studies about the average life span of different products. Depending on the way you store and use the cheese, it can easily last well beyond its expiry date. Nonetheless, its flavour and texture may deteriorate over time. Still, it is important to bear in mind that cheese is a perishable dairy product, so if it is not stored properly it can get mouldy.