The UConn Creamery’s cheeses were recently recognized with awards in major national and regional contests.
UConn’s artisanal 1881 Reserve was awarded First Place in the American Originals – Monterey Jack category in the 2024 American Cheese Society Annual Judging and Competition. The cheese also received a bronze medal in the same class at the Big E Cheese Competition.
The Creamery’s Storrs Original Farmstead Jack also won bronze at the Big E competition while the Old Farm Lane Fresh Cheese won silver, and the Green Chile Old Farm Lane Fresh Cheese took home the gold with a near-perfect rating of 99 out of 100.
Dennis D’Amico, associate professor of animal science in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), and Bill Sciturro, UConn Creamery manager, created the cheeses together.
The cheeses are produced on-site at the Creamery using milk from the UConn dairy herd.
“It starts with high quality fresh milk from our own herd, followed by the expert guidance of Dr. D’Amico, and topped off with a great team that is willing to put in the long hours that cheesemaking requires,” Sciturro says.
D’Amico says he is especially proud of the wins for the 1881 Reserve, which is aged for about three months, and has a distinct sweet, nutty flavor not usually associated with Jack.
“I’m very proud because Monterey Jack is one of the few cheeses that originated in the Americas around the 18th century and has become one of most popular cheese types. Our variations on this may be unfamiliar to some so I came into it never really expecting to get recognized for this,” D’Amico says.
The UConn Creamery only began making this cheese in 2021 using their limited cheese-making equipment, which primarily produces ice cream. They are only able to produce the Storrs Original Farmstead Jack and the 1881 Reserve, an aged version of the Farmstead Jack a few times a year.
When they entered the cheese in the American Cheese Society’s competition last year, it did not place, and they received feedback about areas for improvement.
“We only get a couple of cracks at it each year so there isn’t a lot of time for making minor adjustments and turning the ship around quickly,” D’Amico says. “We went back to the drawing board and saw where we could make some changes to have it age appropriately and develop the right flavor.”
The American Cheese Society Judging and Competition uses teams of two judges – one technical and the other aesthetic – who assess the appearance, texture, aroma, and flavor of the cheeses. The competition this year had 1,596 other products from 228 entering companies.
“The UConn Creamery team has always been proud of the cheeses we make, so it is exciting to be recognized by others for our quality, especially 1881 taking first place nationally,” Sciturro says.
D’Amico says he hopes this continuing recognition of the excellence of the Creamery’s cheeses helps put it on the map for its products other than ice cream.
“For me and my pursuit of pushing the envelope and using the Creamery to do what we can with what we have to make cheese, when we don’t make cheese very often, that beats out the likes of Tillamook is just super rewarding and I’m super proud of the cheese,” D’Amico says.
The award-winning cheeses is now available for purchase at the UConn Dairy Bar.
This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.
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