As with other pressed, cooked cheeses, Beaufort can be preserved for a long time due to the heating of the curd and a low water content in the final product. But its subtle flavour is not exclusively as a result of the care taken during the manufacturing process, it also depends on the conditions of the milk production.

High altitude, harsh climate, steep slopes... Today, the agricultural system responds to the difficulties faced by farming in the high Savoyard valleys. It is able to participate in the agricultural life of the region, contributing to its cultural heritage which is now truly alive.

It means that the needs of the population can now be met, in view of the long and harsh winter cold, by optimizing use of the vegetation according to the altitude :

- In the valley, the lands are used for the cultivation of basic cereals, and is the place where small herds are left for wintering ;

- In the zone known as the "montagnette", herds graze in the spring and autumn. The milk produced is transformed into tomme (cheese) intended for the subsistence economy. The hay necessary for the long winter months is also produced here ;

- In the zone known as the "grande montagne" or high mountain pastures, the cows are gathered into large herds of upto 200 animals. The "montagnards" cultivate the 1500 to 2500 metre high prairies for "100 days" from June to September. The Beaufort made is exported to great cities such as Paris, Lyon or Turin earning money to buy the commodities which cannot be produced in the area.

Technological progress has drastically affected agriculture in the 20th century. The subsistence economy is no longer essential. However, the agricultural system remains the best method of exploiting the grass which is both of a high quality and abundant and which is the production base for the milk used for Beaufort. In the valleys, the hay meadows have replaced the cereal fields.

The milk is collected in individual churns after each milking or after combining the previous day's evening milk with the morning milk. Whatever method is used, the milk is poured into a copper cauldron, in its unpasteurized state without undergoing the skimming process. The different stages remain the same, controlled by the know-how of the cheese-maker and cellarman and identical in all the dairies, these being the following :


Curdling or coagulation
At 33°C, for coagulation, the cheese-maker adds the rennet, prepared according to an ancestral method which is used as a lactic leaven agent.


Breaking up the curd
With the help of a "curd slicer", the cheese-maker cuts the resulting curd into small grain-size pieces. This process helps eliminate a large quantity of water from the curd.


Stirring and cooking
The grains are then heated to 53-54°C and continually stirred. This stage, called "stirring on the fire", is perfect for the draining of the grain.


Moulding and pressing
When it is felt that the curd is "done", the cheese-maker removes it from the cauldron and places it in a cheesecloth. He then presses the cheeseclothed curd in a round wooden mould which gives it its characteristic concave heel. The cheese is turned over and pressed during a 20 hour period.


Salting
After resting it for 24 hours, the cheese is placed in a bath of brine for a first salting, which contributes to its rind.


Maturing
The maturing of Beaufort lasts a minimum of 5 months and sometimes upto 12 months and longer. At a temperature of less than 10°C and increased humidity, the quality of the final product is largely dependent upon the care which the cheese-maker and cellarman bring to their craft.

He salts, rubs and turns the cheeses twice per week, conditions essential for the development of the cheese's aromas.