Bushra Griffith
Cheddar cheese is a hard cheese variety that is the most popular in the UK, accounting for 51% of the country's annual cheese market. It is also the second most popular cheese in the United States. Cheddar is produced by cutting curds into smaller pieces, causing liquid whey to leak out, and then heating the curd, making the cheese contract and expel its whey. This process, known as cheddaring, results in a harder cheese with a lower moisture content. Cheddar can be produced in blocks or wheels and can be wrapped in plastic or cloth, with the latter resulting in a drier and more crumbly texture. The longer cheddar is aged, the harder and more complex its flavour becomes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Texture | Firm, sharp, nutty, meaty/umami notes, dry, crumbly |
| Taste | Sharp, pungent, earthy, bitter, sweet |
| Colour | Deep to pale yellow (off-white) or yellow-orange |
| Flavour | Celery, toasted nut, caramel, tropical fruit, pineapple |
| Production | Clothbound, cryovac wrapping, cheddaring |
| Ageing | 6-10 months, the longer the drier |
| Origin | Village of Cheddar in Somerset, England |
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What You'll Learn
Hard cheese is lower in moisture and higher in fat content
The moisture content of cheese is a critical factor that influences its texture, flavour, and culinary use. Low-moisture cheeses, such as hard cheeses, tend to have a firmer and crumblier texture and a more intense, concentrated flavour. The longer a cheese is aged, the drier and more crumbly it becomes, and the more its flavour intensifies. This is because, during ageing, moisture evaporates from the cheese, leaving behind a denser, firmer product.
Cheddar, a well-known hard cheese, typically has a moisture content of around 37%. As it ages, it loses moisture and becomes firmer and crumblier. Traditional English cheddar is produced in tall wheels that are wrapped in cloth and aged in open-air caves for six to ten months. This ageing process results in a drier and more crumbly cheese with a complex flavour that is not dependent on acidity.
The process of making hard cheese, including cheddar, involves various methods to reduce moisture content. This is a key factor in the texture and flavour profile of the final product. By reducing the moisture content, hard cheeses develop a firmer texture and more concentrated flavour that improves with ageing. Therefore, the lower moisture content and higher fat content of hard cheeses are a result of specific production techniques and ageing processes, contributing to their distinct characteristics.
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Cheddaring is an additional step in the production of cheddar
Cheddar is a type of hard cheese that gets its name from the process of "cheddaring". While the term "cheddar" is often used to refer to any hard cheese, traditional Cheddar is produced in tall wheels that are wrapped in cloth and aged in open-air caves for six to ten months. The resulting cheese is dry and crumbly, with complex flavours that do not depend on acidity.
Cheddaring is a unique, labour-intensive process in the production of Cheddar that gives the cheese its dense, layered texture. It involves cutting up the curds and pressing them together into slabs or "loaves", which are then carefully stacked and unstacked to press out whey. The weight of stacking the slabs of curds on top of one another presses out even more moisture. Then the slabs of curds are cut up again, pressed into slabs again and stacked again. This process is repeated until so much whey is expelled that, after ageing, the cheese will have a crumbly, layered, dense texture.
The curds are formed by adding rennet to coagulate the milk protein. The amount of rennet added will depend on the amount of milk being used, but in general, 85 to 115 grams of rennet is added per 450 kilograms of milk. The mixture must be thoroughly mixed after adding the rennet to ensure equal distribution. The curds are then cut with stainless steel knives and a milling machine to allow them to be easily salted. Salt helps remove some of the whey from the cheese, which lowers the moisture content, adds to the flavour, and prevents the cheese from becoming too acidic, which would otherwise impart a bitter taste.
After cheddaring, the slabs of curds are placed into moulds that will be used to press the curds and form the blocks of Cheddar. The cheese is then aged for several months or years, depending on the desired type of Cheddar. The longer the Cheddar is aged, the more intense the flavour becomes, and the drier and more crumbly the texture.
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Traditional English cheddar is produced in tall wheels
Cheddar is a type of hard cheese that gets harder as it ages and loses moisture. The best-known cheeses in the world, including Cheddar, Parmigiano Reggiano, and "Swiss" (aka Emmenthaler), are firm to hard in texture.
The process of making traditional English cheddar involves cutting the curds, heating them, and then milling and salting them before they are formed into wheels. The cheddaring process involves cutting the curds into slabs and rearranging them every 15 minutes until the pH reaches 5.4. The slabs are then milled into smaller pieces, and salt is mixed in before the mixture is pressed into a mold.
After the cheese is formed into wheels, it is wrapped in cheesecloth and lard to create a protective barrier that allows the cheese to breathe and protects it from moulds. The cheese is then aged in open-air caves for several months. This method of aging helps to draw out the remaining moisture, contributing to the dry and crumbly texture of the final product.
Some notable examples of complex and delicious traditional English cheddars include Collier's Welsh Cheddar, Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze (Iowa), and Barber's 1833 Vintage Reserve Cheddar (England).
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Cheddar gets extra firm/hard with age
Cheddar cheese is the most popular cheese in the UK, accounting for 51% of the country's annual cheese market. It is also the second-most popular cheese in the United States. Cheddar gets extra firm or hard with age as moisture leaves the block. The longer a hard cheese is aged, the more depth and complexity of flavour it will generally develop.
Cheddar cheese originates from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, southwest England. Cheddar Gorge on the edge of the village contains a number of caves, which provided the ideal humidity and steady temperature for maturing the cheese. Cheddar traditionally had to be made within 30 miles of Wells Cathedral.
The "Joseph Harding method" was the first modern system for cheddar production based on scientific principles. Harding introduced new equipment to the process of cheese-making, including his "revolving breaker" for curd cutting, which saved a lot of manual effort. Harding has been dubbed "the father of cheddar" for his technical innovations, promotion of dairy hygiene, and dissemination of modern cheese-making techniques.
Traditional English cheddar is produced not in blocks but in tall wheels that are wrapped in cloth and aged in open-air caves for six to ten months. The resulting cheese is drier and more crumbly, and has a complex flavour that does not depend on acid. Clothbound cheddars have a much drier and crumblier texture in comparison to standard cheddar, which is generally matured in plastic. This is because plastic is a perfectly impermeable barrier, meaning no moisture can escape the cheese, and no air can get to the cheese.
"Cheddaring" refers to an additional step in the production of cheddar cheese where, after heating, the curd is kneaded with salt, cut into cubes to drain the whey, and then stacked and turned. Strong, extra-mature cheddar, sometimes called vintage, needs to be matured for 15 months or more. The cheese is kept at a constant temperature, often requiring special facilities.
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Clothbound cheddars have a drier and crumblier texture
Clothbound cheddars are wrapped in cotton cloth or cheesecloth and aged in open-air caves for at least seven months, though some are aged for up to three years. This traditional method of aging cheddar has been used for centuries in Britain and the pre-industrialized US. The process of aging in cloth allows the cheese to develop a more complex variety of flavours than its plastic-aged counterparts, and at a younger age.
The unique texture of clothbound cheddars is also influenced by the cheddaring process, which involves milling large blocks of curd, forming the ground curd into slabs, and carefully stacking and unstacking the slabs to press out whey. This process is labour-intensive and contributes to the crumbly texture of the final product.
Clothbound cheddars are typically made by smaller producers due to the lengthy and labour-intensive process of aging. While this means that clothbound cheddars may be more expensive, it also means that they are often made with higher-quality milk from healthier cows and more sustainable producers.
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Frequently asked questions
Hard cheddar cheese is a type of cheese that has been left to mature for longer than soft cheeses, resulting in lower moisture content and a firmer texture. Cheddar gets harder with age as moisture leaves the block.
Hard cheddar cheese is made by first heating and then kneading the curd with salt. The curd is then cut into cubes to drain the whey, and finally stacked and turned. This process, known as "cheddaring", is an additional step in the production of cheddar cheese.
Hard cheddar cheese has a sharp, pungent, and nutty flavour, with notes of meat/umami. It also tends to have a slightly earthy taste.
Hard cheddar cheese can be purchased from speciality cheese shops or online retailers. Some brands that sell hard cheddar cheese include Pitchfork Cheddar, Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, and Barber's 1833 Vintage Reserve Cheddar.
