History of Saint-Nectaire cheese | The implements museum

Museum of Saint-Nectaire

For nearly four centuries, the processes used in making the cheese have remained the same.

The implements used by generations of producers, designed with efficiency and the quality of the cheese in mind, have now been replaced by equipment - whether manual or mechanical - which complies with all the required hygiene standards.
But their memory, which has been preserved within the walls of the Maison des Fromages, at Egliseneuve d’Entraigues (63), reminds us of the reality of the work, which was traditionally carried out by the women on the farms.

Milking in the field and filling the wooden “gerles” to maintain the temperature of the milk before making into cheese.
Pousset to remove the serum form the gerle after rennetting.
Chèvre : special worktable allowing for the lactoserum (whey) to drain away.
Musadour (ou mouïsadou) : wooden paddle used to gather the curds into the “baste”.
Form/mould for Saint-Nectaire cheese.
Press or "Pesador" : was used for pressing the cheese for 24 hours
Wooden rac for the cheese to dry before being sent to ripen.
Maturing in natural cellars (often former wine cellars) on rye straw.
The sale of the "white" cheeses to the “affineurs” (cheese ripeners) in Besse.

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