Carrigaline Cheese Original. Used with permission. © Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheese
Carrigaline Cheese (Original) is a semi-firm farmhouse cheese with a spongey-texture from the many small holes in it. It has a mellow, almost sweet taste.
They use pasteurized milk from their Freisian cows, and vegetarian rennet. The cheese is best aged at least 3 months.
It is sold in wheels of 200 g, 400 g and 1.8 kg sizes, as well as in slices and chunks, in supermarkets in Ireland, the United States, Europe, and in the UK.
It is coated in yellow wax, though it is sometimes coated in green wax for export to North America.
As of 2018, there are six flavoured versions of Carrigaline Cheese available besides the original: Beech-Smoked, Blueberry, Cranberry, Dillisk Seaweed, Garlic & Herb, and Truffle (Truffle was added in 2018).
Website: Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheese
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Carrigaline Cheeses on board. Used with permission. © Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheese
Cooking Tips
Carrigaline has an acidity level close to mozzarella cheese and thus melts well, becoming creamy when melted.
In addition to melting well, the flavoured versions (particularly beech-smoked and truffle) can add flavour notes to savoury dishes. Versions such as Blueberry and Cranberry could be tried grated into sweet dishes such as muffins.
History Notes
Carrigaline Cheese was created in 1987 in Carrigaline, County Cork, Ireland by Pat O’Farrell, 10 km (6 miles) south of Cork (the city.)
In the early 2000s, the company received under the LEADER programme (funded by the EU and the Irish government) 19,000 Euros in grants for capital investment, and over 15,000 £ (Irish) in grants for expanding their premises to produce Carrigaline Cheese. This helped Pat and his wife, Ann, convert the farm from traditional mixed farming to dairy only, and focus on producing just Carrigaline Cheese.
Their eldest son, Padraig, has joined the company.
Carrigaline cheese makers. (L) Padraig O’ Farrell (son), (R) Pat O’ Farrell (founder). Before 2022. Used with permission. Adrian O’Herlihy Photography