Patrick Oconnell
Cheese is a delicious food that is made from milk. It is a great way to preserve milk, which can go bad quickly. Cheese is made by adding bacteria or something acidic to milk, which makes the protein in the milk clump together into tiny pieces called curds, leaving behind a liquid called whey. The curds are then pressed into shape and become cheese! There are hundreds of different types of cheese, each with its own unique flavour, texture, and appearance. The type of milk used (like cow, sheep, or goat milk), the kind of bacteria, how the cheese is stored, and how long it is aged for can all change the way cheese tastes and looks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Host | LeVar Burton |
| Topic | How cheese is made |
| Starting material | Milk straight from the cow's udder |
| Process | Milk is poured into a large tank and stirred, ingredients are added for flavor and texture, curds are cut and cooked, salt is added, curds are pressed into balls, and finally, the cheese is pressed into wheels and stamped with a date |
| Nutrients in milk | Protein, calcium, thiamine, vitamins, and minerals |
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What You'll Learn
Milk turns to cheese with bacteria or acid
Milk is a nutritious drink that gives our bodies lots of good things to help us grow and stay strong. But did you know that milk can be turned into cheese? It's true! Milk can be changed into cheese with the help of bacteria or acid.
Milk comes from animals, like cows, goats, and sheep. It has lots of water in it, as well as proteins, fats, and other things that are good for our bodies. But when milk gets old, bacteria start to grow in it and eat up the sugars in the milk, which are called lactose. This process produces lactic acid, which causes the milk to curdle and gives it a sour smell. Curdling is when the milk separates into lumps.
Cheese is made in a similar way, but the curdling is done on purpose! To make cheese, milk is poured into big tanks and warmed up. Then, a "starter culture" of bacteria is added to the milk, which converts the lactose into lactic acid. This lowers the pH of the milk, creating a more acidic environment that stops harmful organisms from growing. An enzyme called rennet is added next to help the milk curdle. The curds are then cooked, and the liquid that separates from them is called whey.
The cooked curds are what cheese is made from! They look like scrambled eggs or popcorn. Salt is added to the curds to make them tasty, and then they are formed into balls using cheesecloth. The whey is squeezed out, and the balls are put into a press to be flattened into wheels. The cheese is then aged for a certain amount of time, which can be a few months for softer cheeses like Brie and Camembert, or decades for harder cheeses. During this time, the bacteria break down the proteins in the cheese, creating more complex and intense flavours.
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Rennet makes milk coagulate
Milk is made up of four proteins that form the casein group. These four proteins attach to each other within the milk in little groups called micelles. Micelles are naturally inclined to stick together as a solid, but they don't, which is why milk is a liquid. One of the four casein proteins, kappa-casein, produces hair-like structures that rise from the surface of each micelle and attract water molecules.
Rennet is an essential tool for making most cheeses. It is made by taking chymosin from the fourth stomach of a calf and refining it. Rennet coagulates milk by rapidly removing the kappa-casein hairs from the casein micelles in the milk. Once the kappa-casein hairs are gone, the micelles can no longer resist grouping together, and they coagulate the milk into a gel-like substance. This gel is then cut into curds and whey.
Rennet evolved in cows, sheep, and goats to help unweaned calves, lambs, and kids solidify their mother's milk in their stomachs. Thankfully for vegetarian cheese makers and eaters, there are alternatives to rennet from a calf's stomach. Vegetable rennet can be sourced from plants such as thistles, nettles, and melons, among others.
The process of coagulation can also be affected by acid and heat. Acid can contribute to whey coagulation when whey proteins are denatured (unraveled) by heat, exposing "sticky" portions of their structure. These sticky ends can bond to each other across whey proteins or bond to casein proteins. The result is a matrix of coagulated whey protein, and if casein is present, a matrix of coagulated whey/casein.
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Curds and whey are separated
Milk is made up of lots of different things, like protein, calcium, vitamins, and minerals. When we drink milk, our bodies know how to use all of these things. For example, calcium helps to build strong teeth and bones, and protein helps our muscles grow.
To make cheese, you need to start with fresh milk. Cheese makers add an ingredient to the milk to give it flavor and make it into a sort of jelly. This milk is then cut into lots of little pieces called curds. Curds are made when you add an acid, like lemon juice or vinegar, to milk. The milk gets tangly and forms into solid clumps.
The curds are then cooked, and this is when the curds and whey separate. The liquid that is separated from the curds is called whey. The cooked curds look like scrambled eggs or popcorn. They are what will become the cheese!
To separate the curds and the whey, you pour them over a cheesecloth-lined strainer and into a large container. The curds are then left to drain, and salt is added. The curds are then placed in a dish and microwaved for short bursts, stirred, and microwaved again. The curds are then stretched, folded, and formed into a ball. This ball of curds is then dropped into cold, salted water, and the process is repeated with the remaining curds.
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Ageing changes flavour and texture
Ageing changes the flavour and texture of cheese. After the cheese is made into wheels, it is left to age. The cheese is stored in special rooms that have the right temperature and humidity to allow the cheese to age properly. This ageing process can last for several months to several years, depending on the type of cheese. During this time, bacteria in the cheese break down some of the curds, making the cheese softer and giving it a stronger flavour. The longer the cheese is aged, the sharper the flavour becomes.
Different types of cheese will have unique textures and flavours after ageing, due to variations in ingredients, bacteria, and production methods. For example, a young cheddar cheese will have a mild flavour and a crumbly texture, while an aged cheddar will have a sharper flavour and a more solid, crystalline texture.
The ageing process also affects the colour of the cheese. Some cheeses, like cheddar, start off white and then turn a deeper yellow colour as they age. This is due to a compound called annatto, which is produced by the bacteria in the cheese. Other cheeses, like Brie, start off white and develop a thin, fuzzy layer of mould on the surface as they age. This mould is completely safe to eat and gives Brie its distinctive flavour and texture.
Cheesemakers carefully control the ageing process to produce cheeses with the desired flavour, texture, and appearance. They may adjust the temperature, humidity, and ventilation of the ageing rooms, or even introduce specific types of bacteria or moulds to the cheese to achieve the desired results.
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Blue cheese gets poked for mould
Blue cheese is made using a type of mould called Penicillium. This is added to the cheese after the curds have been drained and shaped into wheels. The blue cheese is then left to age for 2–3 months before it is ready to eat.
Penicillium is responsible for the distinct taste, smell, and appearance of blue cheese. It gives the cheese its signature blue and green veins and spots. The mould also triggers a process called lipolysis, which creates free fatty acids and releases methyl ketone, giving the cheese its distinct blue look, smell, and sharp flavour.
The use of Penicillium mould in blue cheese is safe for human consumption. Unlike other types of mould, Penicillium does not produce toxins and is considered safe to eat. However, blue cheese can still go bad if it is not stored properly. It should be wrapped and refrigerated, where it can last 3–4 weeks. If there are any changes in its appearance, smell, or if it develops fuzzy white, green, pink, or grey spots, it should be discarded.
The discovery of blue cheese is believed to have been a happy accident over a millennium ago. According to the legend, a shepherd in the Rouergue region of southern France settled into a cave for a picnic lunch of rye bread and sheep's milk cheese while tending to his flock. The damp limestone caves in this region are filled with naturally-occurring Penicillium roqueforti mould spores, which are safe and non-toxic to humans.
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Frequently asked questions
Cheese is made from milk. This milk usually comes from cows or goats, but it can also be milk from sheep, buffalo, camels, or other mammals.
To make cheese, you add bacteria or something acidic to milk. This makes the protein in the milk clump together into what are called curds, and the liquid that is left behind is called whey. The curds and whey are then separated, and the curds are pressed into shape to become cheese.
There are hundreds of different types of cheese, each with a unique flavor, texture, and appearance. The type of cheese depends on the kind of milk used, what bacteria is added, how the cheese is stored, and how long it is left to age.
The color of cheese depends on the kind of milk used, what bacteria is added, and how long it is aged for.
Cheese is a great source of nutrients, including protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins. It is also a good way to preserve fresh milk, which spoils quickly.
