Patrick Oconnell
Cheese is a dairy product made from the milk of various animals, most commonly cows, but also buffalo, goats, and sheep. The process of making cheese involves coagulating the milk protein casein, separating the solid curds from the liquid whey, and pressing the curds into the finished cheese. The earliest evidence of cheesemaking dates back to around 5500 BCE in what is now Poland, and cheese has since become a widespread and popular food, with over a thousand types of cheese produced worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Main Ingredient | Milk (usually from cows, buffalo, goats or sheep) |
| Milk to Cheese Ratio | 10 pounds of whole milk to make 1 pound of cheese |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk is the main constituent of cheddar cheese |
| Other Ingredients | Salt, spices, herbs, rennet |
| Rennet Source | Calf stomach |
| Rennet Composition | Two enzymes: chymosin and bovine pepsin |
| Rennet Use | Rennet is not listed as an ingredient but is used in the process |
| Rennet and Vegetarianism | Rennet-made cheese may not be suitable for vegetarians |
| Milk Pasteurization | Milk is pasteurized or treated with heat to kill harmful bacteria |
| Starter Culture | A starter culture is added to the milk to help it break down |
| Milk Coagulation | Milk is acidified and enzymes are added to cause coagulation |
| Solid and Liquid Separation | Solid curds are separated from liquid whey |
| Draining Whey | Draining whey can be done naturally or using a mould or press |
| Cheddaring | A step to remove moisture from curd by cutting and stacking slabs of curd |
| Shaping | The cheese is shaped after adding all ingredients |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Milk, usually from cows, buffalo, goats or sheep
Cheese is a type of dairy product that is made from milk. The milk used is usually from cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. In the United States, most cheese starts with cow's milk, but goat's milk, sheep's milk, and buffalo milk are also popular worldwide. Pliny's Natural History (77 CE) mentions Ligurian cheese, which was made mostly from sheep's milk, and goat's milk cheese, which was a recent taste in Rome at the time.
The process of making cheese involves coagulating the milk protein casein, which comprises proteins and fat from milk. During production, milk is typically acidified, and enzymes from rennet or bacterial enzymes are added to cause the casein to coagulate. Rennet is a key ingredient in cheesemaking, derived from the stomach of a calf or young animal. It causes the milk to clump up into curds, which are then separated from the liquid whey. The curds can be big or small, depending on how finely the cheesemaker cuts them.
To separate the whey, cheesemakers can let it drain off naturally or use a mold or press for harder cheeses with lower moisture content. Applying pressure to the curd forces out more whey, and the curd forms a large slab. For some cheeses, further moisture removal is achieved through cheddaring, where the curd mat is cut into sections, stacked, and pressure is applied again to force out more moisture.
Once the whey is drained, cheesemakers add salt to the cheese to enhance flavor and extend its shelf life. They may mix salt into the curd pieces or submerge them in a brine solution, as is done with mozzarella. Additional flavors can be added with spices and herbs, such as horseradish, garlic, paprika, or rosemary. The final stage involves shaping the cheese, which can still be soft and malleable at this point.
Cheese Made with Water Buffalo Milk: A Guide
You may want to see also
Rennet, a key ingredient derived from animal stomachs
Rennet is a key ingredient in cheese-making, derived from the stomachs of ruminant mammals, such as calves, lambs, and goats. It is a complex set of enzymes, with chymosin as its key component, which curdles the casein in milk, separating it into solid curds and liquid whey. This process is essential in the production of cheese, as it provides a way to separate the liquid and solid parts of milk.
The traditional method of extracting rennet involves taking the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber (abomasum) of young, nursing calves, which is a byproduct of veal production. The stomachs are cleaned, dried, and diced, then soaked in a solution of salt water or whey, sometimes with vinegar or wine added, to lower the pH. After a few days, the solution is filtered, leaving crude rennet that can be used to coagulate milk. However, this traditional method has largely been replaced by a more modern process, where the stomachs are deep-frozen, turned into powder, and then placed in a special solution with added acid to activate the enzymes.
The use of animal rennet has limitations due to the limited availability of mammalian stomachs, and ethical considerations for vegetarians and those keeping kosher or halal. As a result, cheese makers have sought alternative sources of enzymes, including microbial, vegetable, and genetically engineered rennet. Microbial rennet is produced by genetically modifying microorganisms such as fungi, yeast, or mold with the genes that produce the specific enzymes found in the stomach of a ruminant animal. This results in a product that is functionally identical to animal rennet but is more efficient and suitable for vegetarians.
Fermentation-produced chymosin (FPC) is a commonly used alternative to animal rennet in contemporary cheesemaking due to its cost-effectiveness and reliability. It is made through genetic engineering, by isolating rennet genes from animals and introducing them into bacteria, fungi, or yeasts to produce recombinant chymosin during fermentation. FPC does not contain any GMO or GMO DNA and is commercially viable, as the quantity needed per unit of milk can be standardized.
Cheese Jokes: Backwards Humor for Foodies
You may want to see also
Salt, to add flavour and extend shelf life
Salt is an essential ingredient in cheese-making. It is added to cheese for several reasons, including enhancing flavour, extending shelf life, and altering texture.
Flavour
Salt not only gives cheese a salty taste but can also help enhance other flavours present or cover up unpleasant ones. The saltiness of the cheese is generally highly appreciated. Salt also contributes indirectly to the flavour of the cheese by influencing microbial and enzymatic activities, which in turn affect the formation of flavour compounds.
Extending Shelf Life
Salt acts as a preservative, increasing the osmotic pressure of the aqueous phase of foods, causing dehydration of bacterial cells, killing them or preventing their growth. This process can also allow more salt-tolerant microbes to grow. Salt also helps to kill harmful bacteria and other fungi growth when used as a brine for salting after pressing or as a simple wash during maturation.
Texture
Salt can directly affect the cheese's texture by altering protein structure or indirectly by removing moisture. Salt encourages moisture loss, drawing whey (moisture) out of the cheese. This dries the cheese's body and has pronounced effects on its texture and stability.
Methods of Salting
Cheese makers employ several methods to introduce salt into cheese. These methods include dry salting, milling, and saturated salt brine solution. Dry salting involves rubbing salt over the entire surface of the cheese or sprinkling the cut-up curds with salt. Milling involves adding approximately 2% salt by weight to the curds before adding them to the mould or basket and pressing. In a saturated salt brine solution, a mixture of salt and water is prepared, and the cheese is left submerged for a given length of time.
Cheese and Pus: What's the Real Story?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Herbs and spices, for added flavour
Cheese is a dairy product, typically made from the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. The process of making cheese involves coagulating the milk protein casein, separating the solid curds from the liquid whey, and pressing the curds into the finished cheese.
Cheese is often flavoured with herbs and spices to enhance its taste and add health benefits. The type of herb or spice added depends on the variety of cheese being made and the desired flavour profile. For example, fresh herbs like basil, thyme, and rosemary can be incorporated directly into the cheese during the making process, while dried herbs are typically used to coat the exterior during aging, adding visual appeal and a deeper flavour.
When adding herbs and spices to cheese, it is important to consider the intensity of the herb or spice and the natural characteristics of the cheese. Delicate herbs are better suited for mild cheeses, while stronger herbs can complement more robust varieties. It is also crucial to use clean, high-quality ingredients and add them at the appropriate stage of the cheese-making process to ensure proper flavour development and avoid any contamination issues that could impact aging.
Some popular combinations of herbs and spices with cheese include:
- Thyme and fig with goat brie
- Za'atar spice blend with goat feta
- Herbes de Provence with Bucheron
- Chives, dill, and parsley with goat cheese
- Grated cheese with fresh garlic
- Sage with mac and cheese
- Cumin seeds with Farmhouse Cheddar
- Oregano and thyme with Parmesan
Provolone Cheese: A True Taste of Italy
You may want to see also
Factory-made cheese overtook traditional cheesemaking in the World War II era
Cheese is a type of dairy product made from milk, usually from cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. The process of making cheese involves coagulating the milk protein casein, separating the solid curds from the liquid whey, and then pressing the curds into the finished cheese.
The history of cheese-making dates back thousands of years, with evidence of cheese-making in ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean region. However, it was during World War II that factory-made cheese overtook traditional cheesemaking methods. The first factory for industrial cheese production opened in Switzerland in 1815, but large-scale success was achieved in the United States by dairy farmer Jesse Williams, who began making cheese in an assembly-line fashion using milk from neighbouring farms in 1851.
Within decades, hundreds of dairy associations were formed in the US, and the mass production of rennet began in the 1860s. By the turn of the century, scientists were producing pure microbial cultures, allowing for standardized cheese production. This made cheese readily available to the masses, and it became a staple food for the poorer classes. The efficiency and standardization of factory-made cheese, coupled with the demands of wartime rationing, likely contributed to its overtaking of traditional cheesemaking methods during World War II.
Since then, factories have been the primary source of cheese in America and Europe. In 2021, world production of cheese from whole cow milk reached 22.2 million tonnes, with the United States as the top producer, followed by Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. The mass production of cheese has also led to environmental concerns, with the carbon footprint of a kilogram of cheese ranging from 6 to 12 kg of CO2eq, depending on the amount of milk used.
King Island Cheese: A Local Tasmanian Delicacy
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Cheese is a type of dairy product made from milk, usually from cows, buffalo, goats or sheep.
During production, milk is usually acidified and either the enzymes of rennet or bacterial enzymes with similar activity are added to cause the casein to coagulate.
Rennet is a key ingredient in cheesemaking. It is an animal product derived from the stomach of a calf.
The milk coagulates and separates into solid curds and liquid whey. The whey is drained off, leaving only the solid chunks of curd.
The curds are then pressed and formed into the final cheese product. Salt is often added to add flavour and extend shelf life.
