Taking their savory time: the cheese cave at Vulto Creamery

In February, four of us from Down to Earth Markets took a day trip to visit Jos Vulto at his cheese making shop in Walton, NY. When we followed him into the cheese cave, it was like watching a sunrise together: Our group became quiet as we witnessed something beautiful. The room was small, cool, and fragrant. The walls were lined with shelves, and upon the shelves were rows and rows of cheese rounds, squatting like Buddhas in time immemorial.

Yet there is a specific time at work here. At Vulto Creamery, Jos crafts four varieties of cheese, and together they ripen into their flavors – or “age” – in the cheese cave for 2 to 9 months. They abide by their time on a specific material: wood.

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration issued a statement that created a firestorm among cheese artisans (and those who LOVE them) across the country. The statement expressed concern that cheese makers don’t sterilize the wooden boards, and thus, they are potentially unsafe. The FDA’s words applied to both domestic and imported cheese, and the fear arose that this time-honored method of cheese making would be restricted.

The American Cheese Society came out with their response in about a minute: “For centuries, cheesemakers have been creating delicious, nutritious, unique cheeses aged on wood. Today’s cheesemakers – large and small, domestic and international – continue to use this material for production due to its inherent safety, unique contribution to the aging and flavor-development process, and track record of safety as part of overall plant hygiene and good manufacturing practices. No food borne illness outbreak has been found to be caused by the use of wood as an aging surface.”

The FDA soon “clarified” its statement and said that their recent notice had always been in place and did not amount to a change in policy. So for now – and for forever, in our opinion – wood is good.

As the imbroglio began to subside, we called Jos to get his opinion on the matter. “It all made me a little bit anxious,” he said, “but I knew it would be hard for them to hang on to a policy like no wooden boards. He added, “If I had to change my wooden boards, I wouldn’t know what to change them into. The boards are safe, as well as beneficial to cheese and financially viable for cheesemakers.”

As we wrapped up the call, a cooking analogy came up: Think of your most beloved cast iron skillet. With every meal, it gets seasoned. It also gets cleaned, but it doesn’t get sterilized. This cast iron skillet is a piece of our own kitchen heritage. Likewise, so are the wooden boards prized by cheese makers all around the world through centuries of their craft.

When the FDA issued its clarification of its original statement, the government body quieted the backfire for now. However, many people are concerned this issue could raise its head again. To vocalize your support of using wooden boards in the cheese aging process, Jos recommends signing this WhiteHouse.gov petition.

In the meantime, we look forward to savoring the fine work of Vulto Creamery and our other talented makers at the markets this weekend. You’ll find the whole list of cheese artisans on our website, under the vendor category of Eggs, Dairy, and Honey. We’re happy to say that there are many to choose from – enjoy!