What’s a Pirates favourite cheese?
yARRRG!
Sorry Everyone I just couldn’t resist the joke and its very difficult to resist this cheese as well! There are so many cheeses out there that are presented beautifully but this one really does rise above the rest; with its exquisite nettle rind which is hand finished.
So how is it made? At this point I will feature an excerpt from the Lynher website:
“We collect the milk from our own herd of Ayrshire, Jersey and Friesian cross cows, and from other carefully selected local farms who share our commitment to happy animals and healthy pastures. The curd is pressed and brined before being wrapped in wild nettle leaves that we forage from the Cornish countryside between May and September.
As anyone who’s ever had a brush with them while wearing shorts will be aware, the leaves are covered with tiny stinging hairs. Many people also know that they can be delicious – and sting-free – when cooked. But they have lots of other surprising qualities.For hundreds of years they’ve been used to treat a whole range of ailments, from skin conditions to headlice. They’re widely held to have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory qualities, and even to stimulate hair growth! Research by the University of Plymouth has shown that they can help arthritis symptoms, perhaps explaining why the Romans used flogging with nettles as a cure for rheumatism.
Nettles play a valuable role in eco-systems, providing a food source for no less than 107 insect species in the UK, including ladybirds and butterfly caterpillars – which in turn are eagerly snaffled up by hedgehogs and other creatures. Being a rich source of nitrogen, they act as an excellent accelerator for compost.
They’re also are rich in minerals and in vitamins A and C. Nettle products include soup, tea, nettle pudding, porridge and beer – and of course Yarg cheese, to which they give a subtle, mushroomy flavour.
Nettles are found from May to September, particularly on rich soil, in disturbed habitats, moist woodlands, along rivers and beside partially shaded trails. Some people learn to handle them without getting stung, but we find it much simpler to strip off the leaves quickly with work gloves. We then rinse and steam them before using them to wrap the cheese.
The leaves are carefully brushed onto the cheese in a traditional pattern of concentric circles, attracting naturally occurring moulds which give Yarg its lacy good looks. As the cheese matures, the edible nettle rind imparts a delicate, slightly mushroomy taste. By the time it is ready to eat some five weeks after the process began, Cornish Yarg has developed a unique appearance, with shades of blues, greens and a dusting of bloomy white.”
Well as you can see from this they take a lot of time and effort to present their cheese and with amazing tasting consequences, the rind adds to the flavour of the cheese and creates a lovely difference on a cheeseboard.
This cheese is available to purchase from Waitrose & online at Lynher Dairies.
Buy a piece the next time you go shopping and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!
Jon
🧀 
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