2025 Cheesemakinng Workshops
Information for all workshops:
LOCATION & TIME:
We hold our classes in the small commercial kitchen at the United Farmers’ Market, at 18 Spring St. in downtown Belfast. Midweek is the most convenient for us to schedule. Weekends are difficult for me due to finding help watching my disabled spouse, and my job at Springdale Farm Fridays and Saturdays. For the same reason, I am not available evenings. I hope these times can work for you!
Our Milk Sources – Please Note: We are sourcing the milk for our classes from the Jersey cows at Springdale Farm in Waldo Maine and goat from local farms seasonally as it becomes available.
All Workshop Attendees:
Please wear clean, non-shedding, clothes, a hat or hair covering, waterproof shoes (cheese is a water sport!). Please bring an apron or lab coat.
Bring a cooler to take home your cheeses! Bring a lunch.
PLEASE NOTE: Our workshops require at least3 participants in order to run, so share this page with your friends who may be interested.
We are taking a break this winter but will be offering two sessions of “Cheesy Gifts and a new offering: o”Design Your Own Class” private lessons.
BASICS OF HOME CEESEMAKING – Two day workshop
November 5 & -6 10 AM – 4 PM — This hands-on workshop in basic home cheese making. In this two-day workshop we’ll be using simple equipment you may already have at home to make a jack cheese the first day, press overnight, then finish the second. In addition, we will also make feta, yogurt, a lactic cheese, quick mozzarella, and ricotta, depending on the interests of the class. This workshop will concentrate on basic cow cheeses using Springdale Farm cow milk but will also delve briefly into goat cheese. Basic use of ripening cultures and rennet and milk chemistry will be covered. You will go home with cheese that you’ve made!
$300/person, $500/a couple. – Sign up: -Here for NOVEMBER
Cheesy Gifts – Two Dates
November 19. or December 10, 2025- 10, 2025 AM- 4PM – In this one-day class, we will make feta and a soft cheese in the morning, and we will then marinate in olive oil in jars in the afternoon. If time, we will also make cheese balls. We will have some jars for the class. If you have any special ones at home, bring them! Pint size, wide-mouth is best. Bring an apron, hair covering, and lunch, as well as a fancy jar or two to fill.
Fee $150 Sign up here.
INTRODUCING “DESIGN YOUR OWN CLASS”
Schedule a private class for your group at your location. $500/day for up to six people, $250/half day. Plus travel. Additional fee if I provide the milk, or if you would like to hold the class in the commercial kitchen at the United Farmers Market. Saturdays not available.
What cheese would you like to learn?
Contact CAPERCAILLIECONSULTS@GMAIL.COM for more information.
We’re always interested to know what sort of workshops you are interested in. We prefer to be contacted by email . Shoot us an email appletoncreamery@gmail.com with your interest and questions, and to be added to our mailing list.
Scroll or swipe down to see our our previous workshops.
Please Note: We are sourcing the milk for our classes from the Jersey cows at Springdale Farm in Waldo Maine
For all Capercaillie classes:
Please wear clean, non-shedding, clothes, a hat or hair covering, waterproof shoes (cheese is a water sport!).
Please bring :an apron or lab coat.
Bring a cooler to take home your cheeses!
Bring a lunch.
Our Previous Workshops
Mozzarella and Ricotta, University of Maine, Orono
Appleton Creamery-Capercaillie Consutling’s next class is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11, 10-3, at UMO ( University of Maine at Orono.) This will be a one-day, hands-on workshop to learn the basics of cheesemaking using household equipment/utensils, as we will be making two cheeses: a quick mozzarella and ricotta cheese. Please wear comfortable shoes, clean non-shedding clothes and bring an apron, if possible. Feel free to wear a hat or head bandana and tie back long hair. Hairnets will be available. Bring your lunch and a cooler with gel packs to transport your cheese home. Tea and coffee will be available.
Location: Commercial Kitchen, Hitchner Hall, UMaine Campus, Orono, Maine 04469 (https://umaine.edu/blog/buildings/hitchner-hall/)
Parking is available behind Hitchner Hall and temporary parking permits are available upon arrival.
Instructor: Caitlin Hunter, Capercaillie Consulting (former owner of Appleton Creamery)
Co-instructors: Beth Calder, Ph.D., UMaine Extension Food Science Specialist and Rob Dumas, UMaine Food Science Innovation Coordinator and Facility Manager
The maximum number of participants is 10 and the minimum number needed to hold the class is 6. If we do not meet our minimum number of registrants, we may have to cancel or reschedule this workshop due to low registration.
Basics of Home Cheesemaking- Two Day Workshop
: A hands-on workshop in basic home cheese making. In this two-day workshop we’ll be using simple equipment you may already have at home to make a jack cheese the first day, press overnight, then finish the second. In addition, we will also make feta, yogurt, a lactic cheese, quick mozzarella, and ricotta, depending on the interests of the class. This workshop will concentrate on basic cow cheeses using Springdale Farm cow milk but will also delve briefly into goat cheese. Basic use of ripening cultures and rennet and milk chemistry will be covered. You will go home with cheese that you’ve made!
Intro to Goat Cheese Workshop – 1 day
Learn the basics of goat cheese. We will make chèvre (a French style of fresh goat cheese), and many of its variations, as well as feta. We’ll discuss how goat milk is different from other milks, and why certain cheeses are better made with goat milk. Basic use of ripening cultures and rennet and milk chemistry will be covered. Do you have goats and want to make cheese? Are you thinking of getting goats? We can help!
Uproot Jr. Mozzarella and Pizza Making Class with Appleton Creamery
We’re pairing with Jess Shepard of Uproot Pie Company to offer a cheese and pizza gig. Kids will learn how to make mozzarella with Caitlin of Appleton Creamery and then use it to top their own wood-fired pizzas!
Make Cheesy Gifts for Valentine’s Day
We had so much fun with this class for Christmas, we thought we’d repeat it for Valentine’s Day, with a special Valentine’s Day twist. In this class, we will make feta and a soft cheese in the morning, and we will then marinate in olive oil in jars in the afternoon. If time, we will also make cheese balls. We will have some jars for the class. If you have any special ones at home, bring them! Pint size, wide-mouth is best.
Bring an apron, hair covering, and lunch, as well as a fancy jar or two to fill.
Basics of Home Cheesemaking
A hands-on workshop in basic home cheese making. In this two-day workshop we’ll be using simple equipment you may already have at home to make a jack cheese the first day, press overnight, then finish the second. In addition, we will also make feta, yogurt, a lactic cheese, quick mozzarella, and ricotta, depending on the interests of the class. This workshop will concentrate on basic cow cheeses using grocery store milk but will also delve briefly into goat cheese. Basic use of ripening cultures and rennet and milk chemistry will be covered. You will go home with cheese that you’ve made!,
*** Make Cheese Gifts for Christmas! ***
In this class, we will make feta and a soft cheese in the morning, and we will then marinate in olive oil in jars in the afternoon. If time, we will also make cheese balls.
We will have some jars for the class. If you have any special ones at home, bring them! Pint size, wide-mouth is best.
Bring an apron, hair covering, and lunch, as well as a fancy jar or two to fill.
Italian Fun
Mozzarella and Ricotta are two iconic cheeses of Italy, and so easy to make! You will learn how to make both in this half day, hands-on class.
Saturday, November 4, 10-2, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 37 Miller Street, Belfast Maine. November 4,10 am – 2 pm. $75. Please email with your interest.
Basics of Home Cheesemaking
A hands-on workshop in basic home cheese making. In this two-day workshop we’ll be using simple equipment you may already have at home to make a jack cheese the first day, press overnight, then finish the second. In addition, we will also make feta, yogurt, a lactic cheese, quick mozzarella, and ricotta (a whey cheese), depending on the interests of the class. This workshop will concentrate on basic cow cheeses using grocery store milk but will also delve briefly into goat cheese. Basic use of ripening cultures and rennet and milk chemistry will be covered. You will go home with cheese that you’ve made!
Capercaillie Consulting, formerly Appleton Creamery
117 Woods Rd
Belfast, Maine 04915
Here is a sampling of our previous workshops we offered when we were still making goat cheese at Appleton Creamery in Appleton, Maine.
Intro to Goat Cheese Workshop – 1 day
Learn the basics of goat cheese. We will make chèvre (a French style of fresh goat cheese), and many of its variations, as well as feta and a quick mozzarella and ricotta. We’ll discuss how goat milk is different from other milks, and why certain cheeses are better made with goat milk. Do you have goats and want to make cheese? Are you thinking of getting goats? Meet the goats and decide for yourself! Please note: During the winter months, we may need to use cow’s milk instead of goat’s milk, as our goats will be dry, but we will be teaching the same basic skill set and styles of cheeses that you would use with goat milk.
Basics of Home Cheesemaking Workshop – 2 days
A hands-on workshop in basic home cheese making. In this two-day workshop we’ll be using simple equipment you may already have at home to make a jack cheese the first day, press overnight, then finish the second. In addition, we will also make feta, yogurt, a lactic cheese, quick mozzarella, ricotta (a whey cheese) and butter, depending on the interests of the class. This workshop will concentrate on basic cow cheeses using grocery store milk but will also delve briefly into goat cheese. Basic use of ripening cultures and rennet and milk chemistry will be covered. You will go home with cheese that you’ve made!
Basics of Hard Cheese Workshop – 1 day
We will spend the day making one hard cheese, but along the way we’ll discuss the different steps that go into making a hard cheese, and how a slight change here or there will result in a totally different cheese. We’ll discuss the differences between milks, starter cultures, rennet, pH, aging and rind development.
Italian Fun Workshop – half day
Mozzarella and Ricotta are two iconic cheeses of Italy, and so easy to make! You will learn how to make both in this half day, hands-on class.