Vermont Cheddar Houses

It’s been said that cheddar isn’t merely a noun or an adjective, but also a verb. At least, that is, it’s considered to be such in England and Vermont [1]. Cheddaring began in Vermont in the 1800s as a way for dairy farmers to use up extra milk. Today, it’s more of a craft, practiced among small dairy farms as a labor of love (as well as, of course, a way to make a living).

Vermont cheddar houses take enormous pride in their product, proclaiming it by far America’s finest sharp cheese. And they take great pain to live up to that claim. Cheddaring starts with adding rennet to warm milk to curdle it into a custard-like consistency. They then cut it with mesh wires and allow the curd to drain off all the whey before it is milled, salted, pressed, and aged. And that last stage is where the majority of the flavor and refinement come in.

The most sharp-flavored (and most expensive) cheddars are those that have been aged the longest. There are scant few makers of authentic Vermont cheddar left these days, but most can be visited and are happy to offer tastings and sell their hand-crafted delicacy. Following is a list of some of those cheese-makers; note that it’s always wise to call ahead and make sure they will be making cheese during the time of your visit.

Cabot Creamery [2]

Rte. 215, Cabot Village

800/837-4261

www.cabotcheese.com [3]

Crowley Cheese

Healdville Rd./Rte. 103, 2 mi. W of Rte. 100 Healdville

802/259-2340

www.crowleycheese-vermont.com [4]

Grafton Village Cheese Company [5]

533 Townshend Rd., Grafton

800/472-3866

www.graftonvillagecheese.com [6]

Plymouth Cheese Corporation

106 Messer Hill Rd., Plymouth Notch

802/672-3650

www.frogcitycheese.com [7]

Shelburne Farms [8]

1611 Harbor Rd., Shelburne

802/985-8686

www.shelburnefarms.org [9]

Sugarbush Farm [10]

591 Sugarbush Farm Rd., Woodstock

800/281-1757

www.sugarbushfarm.com [11]

Three Shepherds Farm [12]

42 Roxbury Mountain Rd., Warren

802/496-4559

www.rootswork.org [13]