Randy Chandler
Making cheese is an art and a science. The process involves turning milk into a solid by removing water and acidifying the milk. The first step is acidification, where a starter culture is added to milk to change lactose into lactic acid. This is followed by coagulation, where an enzyme called rennet is added to solidify the milk. The curds and whey are then separated, with the curds being cut into small pieces to release more whey. The curds are then moulded, salted, and pressed before being left to ripen and age. The type of cheese produced depends on the steps taken by the cheesemaker and the specific cultures and moulds used.
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What You'll Learn
Milk to curds
Milk is collected from dairy farms and transported to a cheese plant for processing. Before it can be made into cheese, the milk is rigorously tested for quality and purity. Once it passes these tests, the milk is filtered, standardised—adding more fat, cream, or protein as needed—and pasteurised to kill any harmful bacteria.
The next step is to acidify the milk. This can be done by adding an acid (like vinegar or citric acid) directly to the milk, which is known as direct acidification. This process is used to make cheeses like ricotta and mascarpone. Alternatively, milk can be acidified by adding starter cultures, which are living bacteria that feed on the lactose in the milk and produce lactic acid. The type of starter culture used depends on the desired cheese variety, with mesophiles used for most cheeses and thermophiles for longer-aged, harder cheeses.
The milk is then gently heated, and an enzyme called rennet is added. Rennet causes the proteins in the milk to link together and form a firm, jelly-like substance called curd. The amount of rennet added, as well as the speed of setting and the level of acidity, will determine the style of cheese being created.
Once the curd has set, it is cut into small pieces to release the whey (a liquid that is mostly water). The size of the curd pieces will depend on the desired moisture content of the final cheese. For drier cheeses, the curd is cut into smaller pieces to release more moisture, while larger pieces are kept for moister cheeses.
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Curds and whey separation
Milk is made up of minerals, fats, proteins, sugar, and water. The proteins in milk include whey and casein proteins. These are all combined to form a colloid, which means that the different particles in milk blend together smoothly and won't separate on their own.
However, when you combine the casein (milk protein) with an acid like vinegar, buttermilk, lemon juice, or pineapple juice, it curdles the milk and the casein turns into chunky curds because it can't mix. The leftover liquid after the milk is curdled and strained is called whey.
To make cheese, milk is heated and then combined with an acidic agent, such as vinegar, to separate the curds and whey. The mixture is then strained through a cheesecloth-lined strainer, and the curds are allowed to drain and dry. The curds can then be salted and pressed into a form or hoop to create the desired shape and consistency of the final cheese product.
For example, to make ricotta cheese, you can pour milk and vinegar into a pot and cook on medium heat until the curds (thick, cottage cheese-like substance) float to the top of the pot and separate from the whey (thin liquid). The curds and whey are then strained through a strainer over a bowl. The curds can be gathered in your hand, squeezed together, and rinsed to form a ball. The curds can be salted to taste and then stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Fresh cheese will usually last about a week.
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Adding salt
The addition of salt is an essential step in the cheese-making process. Most cheese recipes call for salt, often listed as cheese salt. Cheese salt is a non-iodized salt as iodized salt can slow down the aging process and harm bacterial growth, which is essential to cheesemaking.
Salt is added to cheese for a number of reasons. Firstly, it helps to preserve the cheese and prepare it for aging. It also adds to the flavour of the cheese and helps to control moisture during the draining process, causing the curds to shrink. Salt is also important for the development of a good rind and can help to kill bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.
When adding salt to soft cheese, a good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of salt per half-pound of cheese. For hard cheeses, a brine solution is often used, with a coarser salt requiring extra care as it dissolves more slowly. The brine solution can be tested by adding a raw egg – if it floats and a 2cm circle is above the surface, the brine is at about 18% saturation, which is commonly used for brined salted cheese.
Salt can be added to the cheese in a few different ways. For soft cheeses, a dry salt rub can be done by sprinkling the required amount of salt onto the cheese and gently rubbing it over the surface. For hard cheeses, the cheese curd is often salted and then pressed into a hoop, which is brined. This is the case for cheeses such as mozzarella and Swiss cheeses.
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Shaping the curds
Firstly, the curds are cut into small pieces using knives, wires, or ladles. The size of the cut pieces will determine the dryness and hardness of the final cheese. Smaller pieces release more whey (liquid), resulting in drier and harder cheese. On the other hand, larger pieces retain more moisture, leading to a softer and moister cheese.
After cutting, the curds are stirred and heated to release additional whey. This process further separates the solid curds from the liquid whey. The curds are then stacked and allowed to settle, after which the whey is fully drained off.
The next step is moulding and salting the curds. The curds are pressed into a specific shape, such as a hoop for cheeses like mozzarella and Swiss cheese. Salting the curds also helps to remove more moisture, influencing the texture and flavour of the cheese.
The shaping process is crucial in determining the final shape, consistency, and flavour of the cheese. It involves a series of steps that gradually transform the curds into the desired form, removing excess moisture and preparing the cheese for the ageing process.
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Ripening and ageing
Ripening, or maturation, is a crucial step in cheesemaking, responsible for the distinct flavour of the cheese. It involves a series of complex physical, chemical, and microbiological changes that determine the cheese's taste, texture, and body. The process is influenced by various factors, including the microflora, the curd, and the enzymatic process, which is the most crucial step for all cheeses.
Cheese ripening was traditionally done in cellars or caves, but today it is a highly industrialised process using machinery and biochemistry. However, some cheeses, like Roquefort blue cheese, are still ripened in designated caves.
During ripening, the cheese goes through a series of maturation stages where temperature and relative humidity are carefully controlled. This allows the surface mould to grow, and the mould ripening of the cheese by fungi to occur. The amount of salt used during brining also affects the rate of proteolysis in the cheese, which stops the bacteria from growing.
The process of cheese ripening affects the taste of the final product. If the cheese is not ripened, it will be tasteless, except for fresh cheeses, which are not ripened. Different factors define taste in cheese, including casein, fat, brine, and many other elements.
After the cheese has been shaped, it may be aged further before it is ready to eat. The ageing process is important, and even cheeses with identical ingredients will differ based on different ageing processes.
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Frequently asked questions
The first step in making cheese is to acidify the milk. This can be done by adding a starter culture to the milk, which changes lactose (milk sugar) into lactic acid. Alternatively, direct acidification involves dumping an acid like vinegar or citric acid directly into the milk.
The next step is coagulation, which involves adding an enzyme called rennet to the milk to help it solidify.
After coagulation, the curds and whey need to be separated. The curd is cut into small pieces to release the whey (mostly water) and the smaller the pieces, the drier the curd and the harder the final cheese.
The curds and whey can be heated and stacked to encourage further separation, and then the curds are moulded and salted.
The final step is ripening or ageing, which can take from several months to several years, depending on the type of cheese and the desired outcome.
