The Production

Snøfrisk is produced at the small dairy in north-western Norway on the coastline in a town Ørsta. With 62 employees in total they produce all Snøfrisk - around 300 tons a year.

The length of time between milking to finished product is rarely more than two-three days

When the milk arrives it is immediately pasteurised. Pasteurisation involves heating the milk in order to destroy bacteria. Then cow’s cream is added to slightly soften the taste of goat. When heated up to 72ºC the natural lactic acid bacteria are destroyed. Then lactic acid bacteria cultivated in a laboratory in Denmark are added. The milk is then heated up to 21ºC, a temperature at which the lactic acid bacteria thrive. This temperature is maintained for 16–18 hours, during which time the lactic acid bacteria multiply rapidly. They also break down the natural sugars found in milk, thereby achieving a controlled acidification.

Once the desired pH value is attained, the milk is cooled down in order to stop the acidification process. The milk is then heated up again to 72ºC in order to deactivate the lactic acid bacteria and thereby also stopping the ripening process. Finally, the milk is run through a separator to separate the curd from the whey. Some of the whey is retained to prevent the cheese turning into a hard, solid lump.     

Milk    consists of 90% water, and whey is the liquid that is left once the curd has been separated from it. The whey consists mostly of water, in addition to minerals and sugar residues. Goat whey is used to make another distinctive Norwegian cheese; Ski Queen brown cheese.

Once the whey has been separated, the curd is placed in funnels where it is kneaded. Salt is added and the cheese is homogenised, which means that the fat globules are broken up to give the cheese a smooth, soft consistency. A final heat treatment is then carried out before the cheese is poured into tubs. All that remains then is to cool the tubs down to 4ºC and Snøfrisk is ready to be sent to market.

A little salt – nothing more

The only additive used in the production of Snøfrisk is salt. The staff at the dairy in Ørsta is particularly proud of the fact that Snøfrisk is made without the use of stabilisers. Stabilisers are agents that prevent the cheese separating from the whey. In milk  products such as cream cheese and yoghurt you will often find a layer of liquid on top; this is the whey, which has separated. Stabilisers are added to prevent this from happening. In Ørsta, however, they manage to make cream cheese without having to use them.