Frederic Melton
Cheddar cheese is one of the oldest varieties of yellow cheese, usually characterized by its bright orange colour. But is this orange shade natural? The answer is yes and no. The colour of cheddar cheese depends on the diet of the cows producing the milk. Cows that graze on grass produce milk with higher levels of beta-carotene, resulting in a more yellow cheese. However, the popular orange shade associated with cheddar is often achieved through the addition of annatto, a natural dye derived from the annatto tree.
Is Cheddar Cheese Naturally Yellow?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Natural Colour | Yellow to deep yellow |
| Colour Affected By | What cows are fed |
| Colour Affected By Specifics | Grass or grain feed |
| Colour Variation | Yellowest in Spring |
| Colour Variation Reason | Higher levels of beta-carotene |
| Colour Variation Reason Details | Cows eat better grass in Spring |
| White Cheddar | Produced by grain-fed cows |
| Orange Colour | Created by adding annatto seeds |
| Annatto Seeds | Ground into a red powder |
| Annatto Seeds Used For | Colouring foods |
| Annatto Seeds Used For Details | Used to dye cheese for more than 200 years |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The natural colour of cheddar cheese ranges from pale to deep yellow
Beta-carotene is a pigment found in grass that is responsible for the orange colour of carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. While beta-carotene does affect the colour of cheese, it is important to note that no breed of cow produces enough beta-carotene in its milk to make a naturally orange cheese. The natural variations in the colour of cheddar range from pale yellow to deep yellow.
In the early days of cheddar cheese, cheese lovers preferred the flavour of yellow cheddar over white cheddar. This created an incentive for cheese makers to add dye to their white cheese, tricking consumers into thinking they were getting authentic cheddar cheese. The addition of dye also created a more consistent product and made the cheese look better.
Today, most cows are not grazing on the same kinds of grasses, and their diets have changed due to mass dairy farming practices. As a result, the milk used to make cheddar cheese is not as yellow as it once was. However, the habit of dyeing the cheese orange has remained because it is what consumers are used to seeing.
Cheddar Cheese: Raw or Pasteurized?
You may want to see also
The diet of cows affects the colour of their milk and cheese
The colour of milk and cheese is influenced by the diet of the cows that produce it. Milk is naturally white, but it can take on a yellow hue if the cows that produce it are fed grass, which contains beta-carotene. The beta-carotene content in the grass is higher in spring, resulting in milk and cheese with a more yellow colour.
Cows that are fed grain feed, on the other hand, will produce milk and cheese that is whiter in colour. This is because grain feed does not contain the same levels of beta-carotene as grass.
In the early days of cheddar cheese production, which dates back to at least the 12th century, cows were often allowed to graze on grass, which was sometimes of higher quality and included certain field flowers. This resulted in milk with a higher beta-carotene intake, giving it a more yellowish colour. The resulting cheese, therefore, tended to be more yellow and was considered higher quality and priced higher.
Over time, cheese makers realised that they could increase their profits by skimming the fat off the milk before turning it into cheese, as well as by adding food colouring to create a more consistent and aesthetically pleasing product. This practice of adding dye to cheese became widespread, and even today, most cheddar cheese is still coloured orange using annatto seeds, which are ground into a red powder.
However, the diet of cows can still have an impact on the colour of their milk and cheese, even if it is not as noticeable due to the addition of food colouring. For example, a Vermont cheese maker has observed that there is a noticeable change in the colour of the cheese when cows start eating grass in early May.
Cheddar Jack and Monterey Jack: What's the Difference?
You may want to see also
Grass-fed cows produce more variable, yellower cheese in spring
The colour of Cheddar cheese is influenced by the diet of the cows from which the milk is sourced. Grass-fed cows produce more variable, yellower cheese, particularly in spring, due to higher levels of beta-carotene in their diet. Beta-carotene is a pigment that gives grass its green colour and is converted into vitamin A in the body. The resulting cheese can range from pale yellow to deep orange, depending on the breed of cow and the season.
Historically, the colour of cheese was an indicator of its quality, with yellow or orange cheese being considered superior to white cheese in terms of flavour. This perception led to the practice of adding dye to white cheese to make it appear more like the higher-quality, yellow cheese. However, the actual colour of the cheese was a result of the cows' diet, specifically, whether they were grass-fed or grain-fed.
Grass-fed cows produce cheese with a more diverse flavour profile, reflecting the seasonal and regional variations of the pasture they graze on. The cheese can have floral, herbal, nutty, fruity, or earthy notes, depending on the type of cheese and the time of year. In addition to beta-carotene, other compounds transferred from the grass to the milk include carotenoids, terpenes, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and possibly phenols, each contributing to the unique flavour and colour of the resulting cheese.
Today, most cows are not grazing on the same kinds of grasses due to the prevalence of mass dairy farms. As a result, the milk produced is less yellowish, and the cheese made from it has a different colour and flavour profile. However, some cheese producers still prioritise grass-fed milk for its perceived health benefits, sustainability, and contribution to a more complex and diverse flavour profile.
Cheddar Cheese: Natural or Processed?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Grain-fed cows produce whiter cheese
The colour of cheddar cheese is influenced by the diet of the cows from which the milk is sourced. Cows that are fed grain produce milk that yields whiter cheese, while cows that graze on grass produce milk that results in cheese of a more variable colour, with a yellower hue in spring. This is due to the higher levels of beta-carotene in the grass-fed cow's milk.
In the past, cows that grazed on higher-quality grass, including certain field flowers, produced milk with a more yellowish tint due to the increased beta-carotene intake. This milk was considered to be of superior quality and flavour, and the resulting cheese was priced higher. As a result, lower-quality cheese makers began adding dye to their white cheese to make it appear more like the coveted yellow cheese.
Today, most cows are no longer grazing on the same types of grasses, and their milk does not naturally produce the same yellowish colour. However, the tradition of dyeing cheese orange has persisted due to consumer expectations. Annatto seeds, which come from the annatto tree in tropical regions of Central and South America, are commonly used to achieve the orange hue.
Some cheese enthusiasts believe that cheese from grass-fed cows has a broader flavour profile and is more humane, healthier, and environmentally friendly. Grass-fed dairy has significantly higher levels of omega-3 and CLA fatty acids than grain-fed milk. It also reflects seasonal and regional variations in the pasture, resulting in a more complex and diverse flavour.
Cheddar and Mozzarella: What's the Difference?
You may want to see also
Annatto seeds are used to dye cheese orange
Cheddar cheese is not naturally orange. The colour of cheese can vary from white to pale yellow to deep yellow, depending on the diet of the cows providing the milk. In the early days of cheddar cheese, people associated the yellow colour with better flavour and higher quality. As a result, cheese producers started adding dye to their white cheeses to trick people into thinking they were getting authentic, higher-quality cheddar cheese.
One theory suggests that annatto was initially introduced to cheese by unscrupulous cheesemakers who wanted to achieve the yellow hue associated with high-quality milk without actually having to feed their cows fresh grass. Over time, cheesemakers may have started adding more and more annatto to make their cheeses oranger, until it became more of an aesthetic statement than an attempt to disguise the quality of the milk.
Today, annatto is used to create a visual impact and to standardise the colour of cheese, rather than as a way to deceive consumers. It is important to note that annatto does not noticeably affect the flavour of the cheese for most people, although some die-hard cheese lovers may detect a slight change in taste.
Cheddar Cheese: Ultra-Processed or Not?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
No, cheddar cheese is not naturally yellow. The yellow colour comes from the grass cows eat, specifically beta-carotene, which is found in grass and certain field flowers. The colour of the cheese can vary from pale yellow to deep yellow, depending on the diet of the cow.
Cheddar cheese is yellow because of the addition of food colouring. The custom of adding food colouring to cheddar cheese spread throughout the world. The colouring is derived from annatto seeds, which are ground into a red powder and have been used to dye cheese for over 200 years.
The addition of food colouring to cheddar cheese began because people associated the yellow colour with higher quality cheese. Lower-quality cheese makers started dying their white cheese yellow to trick people into thinking it was authentic cheddar cheese.
