Amish Country – Empire Specialty Cheese in Conewango Valley NY

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About 20 years ago, I worked for Valley View Cheese Co Inc and it was a fun job back then.  I use to help make the Swiss cheese and I would have to be there at 8 in the morning and start flipping huge blocks of cheese in a salt water vat.

Next, I would help stir the milk and watch as my boss (Peter Mueller) added the cultures.  After a short time the milk would start to curdle, then we would hang these big stainless steel devices, that would cut through the curdled milk.

Then the milk would be pumped to these huge long vats, where I would put cloth-like material around the cheese and press it down with heavy weights.

I also remember the Amish bringing milk cans and dumping them into the milk tank.  The cheese factory also had their own drivers who would pick up the milk and bring it back to the cheese factory.

This was a sweaty job, but I loved eating all the Swiss cheese I wanted!  Years later the cheese factory was purchased by Tony Caparco and it’s now called Empire Specialty Cheese Co.  It is located at 6028 Route 62, Conewango Valley, NY.  They are the makers of premium Italian specialty cheeses.

Empire Specialty Cheese Co. not only makes great cheese, but there is also a little store located on the right-hand side of the cheese factory, where you can choose from many different cheese flavors.  Some of my personal favorites include Swiss cheese, pepperoni cheese and hot pepper cheese.

In this little store, you will also find Amish cards and crafts.  The last time I was in the store, I remember seeing an Amish cookbook, which might be an interesting purchase.

Apparently, there are Amish people who are currently working at the cheese factory.  I took a picture of the Amish buggies below, so you could see how they were parked at the cheese factory.

Empire Specialty Cheese Co. is located in beautiful Amish country.  The little store is a real treat and I’ve noticed a good number of people who are retired from their jobs, visiting the store and buying different types of cheese and homemade Amish wares.

Empire Specialty Cheese Co. is a very important business to the Amish community.

Empire Specialty Cheese Co.
6028 Route 62
Conewango Valley, NY 14726
716-296-5015

Posted by DeWayne Strickland on Monday, November 29th, 2010. Filed under Amish Country. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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