[Cheese] garlic and herbs in cheese

[Linda Conroy]

re: garlic and peppers in cheese-the hot peppers should not be of concern in the cheese, particularly if you harvest them yourself. What I do is harvest the top peppers and same with herbs-not harvesting anything that has touched the ground. Ecoli spores live in soil, so I agree that fresh raw garlic is probably not the best idea particularly if you are using pasteurized milk.

Although one experiment I read about they placeed ecoli spores in a stelized vat with pasteurized milk and another in a barell of raw milk and the spores grew like crazy in the pasteurized milk (no competiters) and died off in the raw milk.

I put fresh rosemary, thyme, sage and other herbs in my cheese all the time and never have a problem. I do use raw milk.

happy cheese making
Linda
www.moonwiseherbs.com