Beemster Cheese For Breast Cancer Research

October has fast become the pink month with more and more products taking on a rosy hue to benefit breast cancer. Beemster is the only official cheese sponsor and it will be going pink for the second year in a row by partnering with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help raise money and awareness for breast cancer research.

The limited edition Pink Ribbon Vlaskaas cheese will be available from September 15 through October 31, and for every pound sold, Beemster, will donate 50 cents to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. After donating $23,308 in 2009, the Gourmet Dutch company is pledging a minimum of $25,000 in 2010 and has set a goal of $40,000.

Beemster Vlaskaas is a gourmet Dutch cheese with a long history. Vlaskaas translates to flax cheese-- the sweet and creamy cheese was made only during the harvest festival of the flax for the workers to eat on thick slices of bread and with porridge while they worked and celebrated. In 2004 the harvest festival celebration was recreated as a community event. While digging through archives for information on the exact way to recreate the harvest festival, the recipe for Vlaskaas was discovered and Beemster was asked to make the Vlaskaas recipe. The cheese won a Gold Medal in its category and third place overall in the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Competition, one of the toughest cheese competitions in the world.