Rebecca is blind and she makes cheese. It seems impossible, doesn’t it? We asked her about this and she was kind enough to explain how she does it further on in this interview.
She and her husband, Emmanuel (who is sighted) have a farm and they run their business (Tactile Vision Graphics) from there. Their business is to create braille publications – coloring books, greeting cards, maps, etc. (in all languages).
Last year, they were awarded a contract by Disney to create activity books for the blind and it was the first time Disney has done this kind of project. Thanks to these activity books, blind children will be able to “see” Mickey Mouse for the first time.
Rebecca’s Story
A year ago we moved from Windsor, Ontario, right across from Detroit, to Windsor, New Brunswick, which is sort of across from Presque Isle or Houlton, Maine.
The object was to have more land. We run a business and really wanted to have our home and business on the same property to avoid having to commute and to help do our part for the environment.
We have seven acres, with one barn housing the chickens, ducks and pheasants and another for the larger animals. We have all sorts of animals, for milk, wool, eggs and meat: a milk cow, a pig, goats, sheep, alpacas, ducks, chickens, quails, pheasants, and rabbits.
I think it was Amish friends in the Bruce Peninsula of Ontario who first gave me the idea that making cheese was possible. They had extra milk from their cow and some liquid rennet. The cheese turned out pretty well, very much like a farmhouse Mozzarella and I started thinking – wouldn’t it be amazing to learn how to make other kinds of cheese?
So, I went online and found New England Cheesemaking Supplies. I bought three kits, one of which included Ricki’s book (Home Cheese Making). I was still buying store-bought milk and realized that was a poor substitute for the real thing, but it was good practice.
What kinds of cheese have you made so far?
When we were buying milk from the store, I made yogurt, tried sour cream, cottage cheese, 30-minute Mozzarella, Brie and Farmhouse Cheddar.
Since our cow arrived last September, I’ve made 30-minute Mozzarella, Parmesan, Farmhouse and regular Cheddar, Emmental, Brie, Gouda, with fairly good success; and of course yogurt, sour cream, butter and cottage cheese.
I tried Wensleydale but found the curd-cutting process so tedious, and for mediocre results, that it will be some time before I try it again. Oh, yes, and Vacherin d’Abondance for Christmas of course, a must-have.
I’ve tried Robiola, but am looking forward to being able to use the milk from our goats and sheep, when they finish weaning their present babies. Feta and Keshkabel will definitely be on the list, then; and I think I’d like to try some blue cheeses.
How can you make cheese without seeing it?
Everyone who has an iPhone can enable what’s called “VoiceOver.” If you go in settings | General | Accessibility, anyone can make an iPhone speak what’s on the screen. We all know about “smart homes,” smart fridges, doorbells, speakers; I’m not a fan of these by and large. However, there is at least one thermometer/hygrometer called Inkbird which comes with a little circular box that sits in the fridge and takes humidity and temperature readings and sends them via bluetooth to your phone, where you can read them through the app.
I also use a cooking thermometer called EasyBBQ which comes with a box and thermometers. You submerge the tip into your pot of milk as you would with the Tel-Tru thermometer, but unlike the Tel-Tru, mine sends temperature readings to my phone, which I have either in my apron or on the stove. I use my hands a lot while cooking so I can now estimate within a degree or two what the temperature is, but I verify with my phone.
We have an induction stove. If I set the digital heat adjustment to 2, and use a particular pot with 2 gallons of milk, it takes exactly 3 minutes to raise the temperature by 1 degree Celsius. Anyone can make notes on heat levels and milk volumes, but I see it as a time-saving technique.
I really have to go by touch, sound, sometimes taste in making cheese. Where that becomes quite difficult is in gauging mould development as cheese ages. I just try to wipe the surface with salt brine daily and hope for the best. The exceptions are of course with soft or fresh cheese and mould-ripened cheese.
The affinage phase is definitely where I struggle most and I would love to take courses on finishing and aging cheese. Maybe when this strangeness is over (the pandemic) I’ll actually reserve a place, rather than just talking about it.
I’m so new to cheese making, I’m sure I’ll develop other techniques over time.
What are your goals?
Well, to eat really good cheese without breaking the bank; to be able to give it as gifts; possibly to sell it if I get good enough; and now, the crafting of cheese has drawn me in, so it’s somehow about the science, art and alchemy, as well.
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margaret byrd says
What an inspiring story. I loved seeing all the animals and hearing of the can-do attitude.
Rebecca Blaevoet says
Thanks for the comment, Margaret. I suppose a “can-do attitude” is what pushes any of us to make cheese, isn’t it? Slow food wouldn’t happen if none of us said “I think I’d like to give that a try, however much time and patience it requires to learn how.”
I think what you are doing is fantastic considering all the sight related things you are able to work around. As to the press, I prefer a Dutch stile because it exerts a constant pressure. The spring stile presses will change pressure (lower) as the cheese under press shrinks. This may also lend itself to your condition as you can adjust the weight by a digital scale and hanging distance by feel. The calculations for hanging weight & distance are really very simple as the calculator on your cell phone can talk to you.
I think I’d have to research that, Bob. Sounds interesting. It is true that you have to check that the pressure being exerted by the press is what you set it to initially, but that’s true whether you can see or not. The only way for me to use a digital scale is if it talks, so if it’s possible to connect it to an iPhone via bluetooth, I’ll be happy to give it a try.
Just a thought. There are talking scales out there. A gallon of water in an empty milk jug weighs slightly more than 8 pounds when full(my preferred weight). Also, the fact that you put the water in the jug means that the weight is fully adjustable and so is the hanging distance from the fulcrum. The press weight for the Dutch press is ((D2 X W)/D1)+M where D1 is the distance from the fulcrum to the center of the follower, D2 is the hanging distance from the fulcrum & W is the weight being hung. M is the force exerted by the press Mechanism when there is no weight on the press. I think I wrote an article for just that when I built my own Dutch press from some scraps I had in my shop. https://blog.cheesemaking.com/weights-for-the-dutch-style-press/ . I hope this helps. Isn’t making cheese fun?
Thanks for the scientific formula. I only passed math in grade 12 because my teacher made me promise never to take another math course. What a sad disservice that was! It turns out math is quite useful in everyday life. Thank you again, and for the blog article about measuring weights. As for talking scales, they’re terribly imprecise. The best I’ve found is a manual scale with two plates and a set of weights measuring by the gram. A microgram manual scale would be even better for cheese-making, but the ones where you slide the thing along an arm and the scale only has one plate are not as useful for me as a manual two-plate scale would be.
Hello Rebecca! It’s funny what you said about how you passed your Math class. I had a teacher that did the exact same thing with me! Your story is inspiring! I know the Disney thing is exciting but Disney is evil and I’m sorry to hear that part of your story. It’s not good to partner with evil. You might want to check into it further and definitely pray about it.