From the first fruitières of the 13th century to today, the spirit of collaboration lives on in the heart of every cheese.
What is a Fruitière?
A fruitière is more than a cheese factory—it is a community. Originating in the Jura region, these cooperatives brought together farmers to pool their milk and expertise, ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality cheese. This collective spirit continues today, preserving traditions that have lasted for centuries. The original word is “fructeries”, which changed later to “fruitières”, and comes from the fact that the farmers put together the fruit of their common labor.
From Milk to Wheel
Curdling: The cheese master add rennet in the copper tank
Testing the quality of the curd
Cutting the curd
Cheese production in a fruitière follows a meticulous process:
- Collection: Fresh milk from local farms (within 25 km maximum of the Fruitière) is delivered to the fruitière daily, ensuring optimal freshness.
- Milk maturing: The Comté cheese-making process begins by inoculating the milk with yeasts specific to each “fruitière”. They contribute to the development of the cheese’s taste qualities.
- Curdling: After 45 minutes of maturing, the addition of rennet activates the coagulation of the milk (30-35 minutes). Rennet is a coagulating agent demanded by the PDO specification.
- Cutting and Cooking: The curds are cut into small grains (size of a grain of rice) and cooked to release lactoserum called the “whey”, shaping the texture of the final cheese.
- Moulding and Pressing: The curds are placed into moulds and pressed to form the iconic wheels.
Brining and Aging: The wheels are salted in brine and moved to aging cellars, where their journey continues.
Fun Facts: Shapes and Traditions
Concave
Convexe
Did you know that while the majority of cheeses, like Comté, are convex, only two, Beaufort and Abondance, are concave? This design, rooted in history, allowed for easier transport across mountains using ropes and mulebacks. These subtle details reflect the ingenuity of past cheese-makers and their adaptation to their environment.
Ancient times : cheeses were used for “barter” economy – the most used for this trade was Cantal.
