Andy Montoya
Stilton cheese is a semi-soft English blue cheese with a rich, creamy, nutty, and salty flavour. It is made from pasteurized cow's milk sourced from local farms in the midlands of England. The process of making Stilton cheese involves adding rennet and cheese cultures to the milk, creating curds, which are then cut into small pieces and gently stirred. The curds are further drained and pressed to remove excess moisture, after which the cheese is pierced with needles to facilitate the growth of blue mould. The cheese is then aged for a minimum of three months, during which it develops its distinct flavours and textures. Stilton cheese can only be produced in certain counties of England and must follow specific production methods to be labelled as such.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, England |
| Production location | Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire |
| Milk source | Cow |
| Milk type | Pasteurized |
| Rennet | Animal |
| Mold | Penicillium roqueforti |
| Texture | Semi-soft, moist, crumbly, creamy, spreadable |
| Flavor | Rich, nutty, salty, tangy |
| Aging period | Minimum of three months |
| Shelf life | Several weeks to a couple of months when unopened and refrigerated |
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Curdling and moulding
Curdling is a fundamental step in the production of many cheeses, including Stilton. This process involves using specific bacterial cultures, such as Lactobacillus and Streptococcus, to transform the milk into a semi-solid state known as curds. The type and concentration of the bacterial culture are carefully chosen to achieve the desired texture and flavour. The milk is also heated to a specific temperature to cause the curds to expand and become more manageable.
Once the milk has curdled, it is cut into curds, which are then carefully stirred and heated to expel any remaining whey. This process is crucial in creating the desired texture of the cheese. The curds are then pressed into Stilton hoops or moulds and left to drain for several days at a set temperature and humidity. The hoops of Stilton are turned regularly to allow an even distribution of moisture throughout the cheese.
The moulding process is essential to the unique flavour and texture of Stilton cheese. The moulds are filled with loosely packed curds, which are then pressed and salted. This step introduces the blue veins characteristic of Stilton and gives the cheese its strong, pungent flavour. The moulds are turned several times in the first hour and then twice a day for the next few days. After three to five days, the moulds are removed, and the cheese is wrapped in cloth for another five days.
After the cloth is removed, the cheese is moved to an ageing room with controlled temperature and humidity. At this stage, the blue mould is beginning to develop, and the cheese is still quite moist and pungent. Over the next few weeks, the mould community on the outside dries off, and the blue mould inside the cheese begins to spread and mature. Finally, after about nine weeks, the cheese is ready to be graded and sold.
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Piercing and ageing
After the curds are formed, milled, salted, and transferred into moulds, they are left to age for around five weeks. At this stage, the cheese is pierced with steel or stainless steel needles, allowing the exchange of gases and promoting the growth of the characteristic blue veins. This piercing process is essential to the development of the blue mould, which gives Stilton its unique appearance and flavour.
During the ageing process, the cheese is placed in an ageing room with specific temperature and humidity conditions. Over several weeks, the cheese matures, and its flavours intensify. The ageing period for Stilton typically lasts a minimum of three months, during which the cheese transforms from a quite moist state at the beginning to a drier stage where a multitude of different coloured moulds form on the outside.
By the end of the ageing process, Stilton cheese is ready to be sold and consumed. It has a slightly moist and crumbly texture, with tangy blue veins and a rich, creamy, nutty, and salty flavour. The ageing and piercing steps are key to developing these sensory attributes that make Stilton a sought-after cheese variety.
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Flavour and texture
Stilton cheese is a semi-soft cheese with a rich, creamy texture and tangy blue veins. It has a slightly moist and crumbly texture with a rich, creamy, nutty, and salty flavour. The cheese is made from pasteurised cow's milk sourced from local farms in the English Midlands.
The unique aging process of Stilton cheese gives it its distinctive flavour and texture. The cheese is aged for a minimum of three months, during which time it develops a multitude of different-coloured moulds on the outside and blue veins on the inside. The mould community on the outside dries off, and the blue veins begin to dry out and become more prominent.
The flavour of Stilton cheese is medium-strong and permeates the entire cheese. The texture is very smooth, creamy, and spreadable but cuts cleanly and easily without crumbling. The salty, sharp flavour and pungent aroma of the cheese are characteristic of blue cheeses, which are ripened with cultures of the mould Penicillium.
The traditional recipe for Stilton cheese calls for animal rennet, making it unsuitable for vegetarians. However, modern versions of the cheese may use vegetarian rennet, so it is important to check the label for additional information on ingredients. The shelf life of Stilton cheese varies depending on its age and how it is stored. Unopened Stilton cheese can last for several weeks to a couple of months when properly refrigerated, but it is vital to keep the cheese adequately wrapped to prevent it from drying out or absorbing odours from other foods.
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History
Stilton cheese is a well-known and delicious British cheese with a rich history. It is named after the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, where it has long been sold, though it cannot be made there because it is not in any of the three permitted counties. The cheese was first marketed by Cooper Thornhill, owner of the Bell Inn in Stilton, in 1730. Tradition has it that Thornhill discovered a distinctive blue cheese while visiting a small farm near Melton Mowbray in rural Leicestershire. He made a business arrangement that granted the Bell Inn exclusive marketing rights to Blue Stilton.
The modern Stilton cheese shape and style have been credited to Frances Pawlett (or Paulet), a cheesemaker of Wymondham, Leicestershire, in the 1720s. However, others have also been named. Early 19th-century research published by William Marshall suggests a continuum between the locally produced cheese of Stilton and the later development of a high-turnover commercial industry importing cheese produced elsewhere under local guidance.
Stilton is a semi-soft blue cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk sourced from local farms. The process starts by adding rennet and cheese cultures to the milk, creating curds. The curds are then cut into small pieces, gently stirred, and further drained and pressed to remove excess moisture. After that, the cheese is pierced with stainless steel needles to facilitate the growth of blue mold. The cheese is then aged for a minimum of three months, during which it develops its distinct flavours and textures.
Manufacturers of Stilton received protection under European Law as a protected designation of origin (PDO) in 1996. The cheese retains its PDO status even after Brexit, under EU law and UK law. Stilton can only be produced in certain areas of England, specifically the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire, and it must use pasteurised local milk. By September 2016, just six dairies were licensed to make Stilton, and four of these were based in the Vale of Belvoir, which is considered the heartland of Stilton production.
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Ingredients
The key ingredient in Stilton cheese is cow's milk, which is sourced from local farms in the English Midlands. The milk must be pasteurised and produced in one of three specific counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, or Nottinghamshire. This is a requirement for the cheese to be labelled as "Stilton" under European Law as a protected designation of origin (PDO).
The milk is then poured into large vats, and a blend of cultures and rennet are added to create curds. A special type of yeast is also added to the mixture to encourage the growth of mould. The curds are cut into small pieces and gently stirred, before being further drained and pressed to remove excess moisture.
After this, the curds are transferred into moulds, which are turned daily to prevent the curd from being compressed and to encourage the flaky texture. The curd is then smoothed by hand and left to age for around five weeks, during which time the cheese is pierced with steel needles to allow the blue veins to breathe and grow.
The blue veins are created by the addition of Penicillium roqueforti, which gives the cheese its characteristic smell and taste. The cheese is then aged for a minimum of three months, during which time it develops its distinct flavours and textures.
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Frequently asked questions
Stilton is a semi-soft blue cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk.
Fresh pasteurized milk is poured into large vats, followed by a blend of cultures and rennet. Once the milk has curdled, it is cut, separated, and left for the whey to strain off. The curd is then milled, salted, and transferred into molds. The molds are turned daily, and after almost a week, the curd is smoothed by hand and set to age. After a few weeks, the cheese is pierced with steel needles to allow the growth of blue veins. The cheese is then aged for a minimum of three months.
Stilton has a rich, creamy, tangy, nutty, and salty flavor. It has a moist and crumbly texture.
Stilton cheese is made in the English Midlands, specifically in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire.
