Andy Montoya
The world of cheese is a fascinating one, and the TV show How It's Made gives us an insight into the production process of mozzarella cheese in one of its episodes. The show, which aired in 2001, is a documentary that also covers the making of compact discs, pantyhose, and fluorescent tubes. For those interested in learning more about cheese, Will Studd, an international cheese specialist, has been working with artisan and farmhouse cheeses for over four decades. He has also promoted a greater understanding of specialist cheeses and has been an executive producer and presenter of Cheese Slices, a TV series exploring the history and traditions of traditional cheeses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Episode Name | "How It's Made" |
| Year | 2001 |
| Type of Program | Documentary |
| Episode Contents | How compact discs, mozzarella cheese, pantyhose, and fluorescent tubes are made |
| Cheese Type | Mozzarella |
| Cheese Base | Cow's milk, buffalo milk, or goat's milk |
| Cheese Making Process | Milk is acidified and either the enzymes of rennet or bacterial enzymes are added to cause the casein to coagulate; solid curds are then separated from the liquid whey and pressed into finished cheese |
| Cheese Shaping | Molds |
| Cheese Aging | Days or years |
Explore related products
![How to Make It in America: Season 1 [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91n8QP7iM2L._AC_UY218_.jpg)
![How the Earth Was Made [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51U1Egj3JdL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
What You'll Learn
- Mozzarella cheese is made using cow's milk, which is widely available and has optimal fat and protein content
- Rennet, a milk-curdling enzyme derived from animal stomachs, is added to milk to make cheese
- The milk is then cooled to a specific temperature to prepare it for the addition of starter cultures
- Salt is added to cheese to preserve it, improve texture, and draw moisture from the curd
- The final step in making cheese is to shape it, which is often done using moulds
Mozzarella cheese is made using cow's milk, which is widely available and has optimal fat and protein content
Mozzarella is a semi-soft, non-aged cheese with a smooth, slightly elastic texture and a mild, milky flavour. It is made from cow's milk, which is widely available and has optimal fat and protein content. The process of making mozzarella cheese is known as the pasta filata or 'stretched-curd' method.
To make mozzarella cheese, you will need four ingredients: citric acid, rennet, water, and milk. The milk can be raw or pasteurized, but the fresher the better. If you are using pasteurized milk, you will need to heat and stretch the cheese for longer than with raw milk.
The first step is to place an ice cube in the bottom of your room-temperature pan and let it dissolve. Then, take your milk and heat it to 90° F. Once it reaches this temperature, add the rennet, stirring gently for 30 seconds. Cover the pan with a lid and do not touch it for 5 minutes. The curds and whey will separate during this time.
After 5 minutes, take a knife and check the solidity. You are looking for a "clean break". Once you can poke your knife through the surface and it starts to firm up enough to slice through, cut a grid-like pattern into the mixture, cutting all the way to the bottom of the pan. If the mixture isn't quite firm enough to cut, put the lid back on for another 1-2 minutes.
Next, put the pan back on the burner and heat it to 105° F. Scoop the curds into a mesh strainer and pour off the whey. Microwave the curds for 1 minute, then squeeze them again to remove more whey. Continue to microwave in 30-second increments until the cheese can be stretched at least 12 inches without breaking.
Finally, add salt and knead it into the cheese. Form the cheese into a ball and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Covering it with whey will give the best results.
The Artisans Behind Cheese: Masters of Dairy Craft
You may want to see also
Rennet, a milk-curdling enzyme derived from animal stomachs, is added to milk to make cheese
The use of rennet in cheesemaking is thought to have been discovered accidentally when milk was stored in containers made from animal stomachs. The rennet present in the stomach lining would cause the milk to curdle and separate into curds and whey. This ancient technique has been traced back to 5500 BCE in Kuyavia, Poland, where archaeologists found strainers coated with milk-fat molecules.
Today, rennet is still used in cheesemaking, though it is now typically derived from microbial sources or genetically modified fungi and bacteria. Animal-derived rennet is obtained from the stomachs of young ruminant animals, such as calves, lambs, or kids, which are animals that regurgitate their food to aid digestion. These stomachs contain enzymes that coagulate milk, making it ideal for the cheesemaking process.
The type of milk used in cheesemaking also plays a crucial role in the final product. Cow's milk, for example, is commonly used due to its wide availability and optimal fat and protein content. However, sheep's milk, goat's milk, and even buffalo milk are also used to create distinct varieties of cheese.
The process of making cheese involves several steps beyond simply adding rennet to milk. The milk is often standardized by manipulating the protein-to-fat ratio and may undergo pasteurization or mild heat treatment to prevent spoilage and promote the growth of starter cultures. After adding rennet, the milk curdles, and the curds are cut into small cubes to drain excess water. The curds are then heated, affecting the taste and texture of the cheese. Finally, salt is added to preserve the cheese, enhance its flavour, and firm its texture.
Cheese Sauce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making It
You may want to see also
The milk is then cooled to a specific temperature to prepare it for the addition of starter cultures
Milk is usually sourced from cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. In the case of making cheese, milk is typically sourced from cows due to its wide availability and optimal fat and protein content. Sheep's milk is also used, but less commonly as it is high in lactose. Goat's milk lends a tangy flavor to cheeses, and buffalo milk is the traditional choice for mozzarella, although most mass-produced mozzarella is now made with cow's milk.
Once the milk has been sourced, it is pasteurized or mildly heat-treated to kill off any organisms that could cause spoilage. This process also primes the milk for the addition of starter cultures. After heat-treating or pasteurizing, the cheesemaker will cool the milk to a specific temperature, usually between 35-55°C (95-131°F), to prepare it for the addition of starter cultures.
The starter cultures are bacteria that convert milk sugars into lactic acid, playing a large role in the flavor of aged cheeses. The specific bacteria used will depend on the type of cheese being made. For example, Swiss starter cultures include Propionibacterium freudenreichii, which produces propionic acid and carbon dioxide gas bubbles during aging, giving Emmental cheese its distinctive holes.
The addition of starter cultures begins the process of coagulation, where the milk protein casein is caused to curdle and separate into solid curds and liquid whey. The curds are then cut into small cubes to allow water to drain, and the mixture is heated to force more whey out of the curd. This step also impacts the taste of the finished cheese, as it affects both the bacterial culture and the milk chemistry.
Who Invented Cheesecake? A Historical Mystery
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Salt is added to cheese to preserve it, improve texture, and draw moisture from the curd
Salt is added to cheese during the cheesemaking process to preserve it, improve its texture, and draw moisture from the curd.
Cheese is made from milk, which is typically sourced from cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. The milk is acidified and either the enzymes of rennet or bacterial enzymes are added to cause the milk protein casein to coagulate. The solid curds are then separated from the liquid whey. At this stage, the cheese has set into a moist gel, and some soft cheeses are then drained, salted, and packaged. Salt is added to cheese to draw out moisture from the curd and improve the texture by firming up the cheese in interaction with its proteins.
Salt also plays a role in preserving cheese and preventing it from spoiling. This preservative quality of salt has been known since ancient times, and the earliest evidence of cheesemaking in the archaeological record, dating back to 5500 BCE in Kuyavia, Poland, suggests that cheesemaking may have begun with the pressing and salting of curdled milk to preserve it.
Some cheesemakers salt their cheese, while others brine it in a salt solution. After salting, the cheese may be shaped using molds and then aged for days or years. The aging process further develops the flavour of the cheese, with the same bacteria and the enzymes they produce playing a significant role in the final flavour of aged cheeses.
Vegan Cheese at Pizza Hut: What's in It?
You may want to see also
The final step in making cheese is to shape it, which is often done using moulds
Cheese is a dairy product made from the milk of various animals, most commonly cows, but also including sheep, goats, and buffalo. The process of cheesemaking typically involves curdling milk, separating the solid curds from the liquid whey, and then pressing and shaping the curds into the desired form. The shaping step is crucial in determining the final texture and appearance of the cheese.
Moulds used in cheesemaking can be made of various materials, such as plastic, metal, or wood, and they come in different shapes and sizes depending on the type of cheese being produced. Some cheeses, like Camembert and Brie, are formed into wheels, while others, like cheddar, may be shaped into blocks or slices. The moulds help to compact the curds and remove excess moisture, affecting the final texture and moisture content of the cheese.
In addition to the basic shape, moulds can also impart specific designs or patterns on the surface of the cheese, such as the eyes or holes found in Swiss cheese. These holes are created by microscopic bits of hay dust in the milk, along with bacteria that produce bubbles of carbon dioxide gas during the ageing process. The moulds used for these types of cheese have small indentations or perforations that encourage the formation of the holes in the final product.
After shaping, the cheese is typically aged for days, months, or even years, depending on the variety and desired flavour profile. During ageing, the cheese continues to develop its unique flavour and texture, influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, and the type of bacteria or mould present.
History of Red Leicester Cheese: When Was It Created?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The first step in the process of making cheese is to separate the milk into solid curds and liquid whey.
Cheese is usually made with cow's milk because it is widely available and has optimal amounts of fat and protein. Sheep's milk, goat's milk, and buffalo milk are also used to make cheese.
The final step in the process of making cheese is aging the cheese. Cheesemakers age the cheese for days or years, and the aging process affects the cheese's texture and taste.
