Limestone: the secret to great Midwest Cheeses

Southwest Missouri is known for its creeks, rivers and lakes, and its LIMESTONE. Limestone is quite ordinary or so we thought!

The midwest is surrounded by limestone rock, and limestone-filtered water is some of the best for cheesemaking, for cows to drink and for growing grass. Cheesemakers in the Midwest will tell you that they make cheese in California with the same recipe, but it’s a totally different product.

When water runs through limestone, the rock filters out iron, creating mineral water with a sweeter finish—the secret weapon of both Midwest cheesemakers and Kentucky bourbon distillers. Cows drinking that water produce sweeter milk, lending a trademark sweetness to cheddars found in the Midwest and other cow's-milk cheese. When they eat grass watered with the limestone-filtered liquid, it adds to the cheese's clean, sweet finish.

So there you have it: Limestone = clean, sweet cheeses.

Credit: Jeanne Carpenter, Founder of Cheesetopia and Wisconsin Cheese Originals