Meet the Maker: Sister Barbara & Sister Maria

In our “Meet the Maker” series, we’ll introduce you to local personalities from each of the towns where Nest offices are located. These makers enrich our communities and color the landscape of our towns. For this installment, we travel to Crozet, Virginia to meet Sister Barbara and Sister Maria, Trappist Nuns and cheese makers. 

Makers

Sister Francis greets us at the front doors of the monastery. She’s a tiny woman with a big smile, who quietly leads us down the hall where we meet Sister Barbara. Her delicate hands reach out to embrace mine, and her face lights up as she welcomes us into the sitting room.

Sister Barbara has lived at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery since its formation in 1987. Tucked away in the hills of Crozet, Virginia, the Trappist monastery follows the Benedictine tradition of self-funding through the goods they produce. Sister Barbara explains, “Our cheese-making endeavor helps to support our life of prayer and service.”

SisterBarbara

Sister Maria joins us. At 38, she’s the youngest of the 15 sisters who live at the monastery. Her youthful energy and vibrancy are engaging. Originally from Spain, she has recently completed the Monastic Consecration, vowing to live the remainder of her life here at the monastery. I somewhat jokingly ask, “When you made the decision to commit your life to this monastery, did you realize that you were also committing to a life of cheese making?” Without hesitation, Sister Maria smiles brightly and replies, “Well, I would do whatever the Lord called upon me to do…though I am glad it’s cheese.” Other Trappist nuns produce fruit cakes, breads, clothing, and beer, which is commonly produced by Trappist monks.CheeseNuns

Using a native Dutch recipe, the sisters lovingly make rounds of Gouda cheese, by hand. Every week, the cycle begins with the delivery of 750 gallons of cow’s milk from the Mennonite farm, “just over the hill,” tells Sister Barbara. The milk is heated and fresh cultures are added to produce curds. The curds are cut by hand and packed into plastic forms, which are then pressed twice. Once the cheese has solidified, the two-pound rounds are immersed in a salt brine, then cured in a refrigeration room. A thin rind is hand-painted onto each round, allowing the cheese to breathe while it ages. The cheese begins to deepen in color and flavor, resulting in a semi-soft, mild, and mellow Gouda. Throughout the process, precise instructions are followed, pH levels are tested for accuracy, consistency is measured, and detailed notes are recorded.

Makers

The dedication and care that is taken in the cheese making regimen is an extension of the sisters’ dedication to the Roman Catholic Church. Their days are filled with prayer and cheese making, and the two seem to align harmoniously. “About one-third of the cheese orders are accompanied by a prayer request,” shares Sister Barbara. The sisters willingly honor these requests and include them in their daily prayers. To purchase the heavenly Gouda, visit the website, or travel the long, winding, country road to purchase a round of cheese and visit with the delightful sisters.

Makers

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

We ask each of our makers to share what’s in their toolbox—the five things they can’t live without:

  1. Gouda roundMakers
  2. WhiskBL9A2990
  3. Cheese form BL9A2997
  4. Cheese filterBL9A2995
  5. ThermometerBL9A2992

View previous makers, Singer/Songwriter, Kat Mills and Surfboard Shaper, Shawn O’DonellStay tuned as we meet our next maker, a restauranteur from Fredericksburg, Virginia.

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Posted in Asheville, Charlottesville, Fall/Winter 2015, Fredericksburg, NEST Magazine, New River Valley, Wilmington
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