You have probably heard the staff at your favorite coffee shop tell you the milk won' t froth at certain times. Well, right now it's time to spare a thought for what changes in milk quality mean for cheese.
Milk production is a seasonal affair, particularly in Australia.
The advantage of this system is cost, and cheap milk. But it also means that quality and quantity vary according to the state of the pastures and the season. Such changes have a major influence on the character of all the most interesting specialist cheeses, and is part of the reason why they are so fascinating to eat and work with. This year was an exceptionally hot and dry summer but recent rain means the yellow paddocks are now slowly turning green with tender young grass shoots. Pasture is not the only major influence on milk quality.