Kamil Perry
Cheddar cheese is a delicious and popular variety of cheese, but how is it made? The process of making cheddar cheese is a complex and fascinating one, involving a number of steps and specific ingredients. From heating milk and forming curds to pressing, salting, and ageing, there are many stages that ultimately give cheddar its distinctive flavour and texture. The process can be adapted for home cheese-making, but it is a labour of love, requiring time and dedication to perfect the technique and achieve the desired results.
Characteristics and Values of the Cheddar Cheese-making Process
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Milk Type | Raw or Pasteurized |
| Milk Quality | Full-fat, good quality |
| Milk Quantity | 3-6 gallons |
| Additional Ingredients | Cheese culture, rennet, calcium chloride |
| Temperature | 85°F |
| Fermentation Time | 1 hour |
| Stirring Technique | Gentle and regular |
| Cheddaring Phase Temperature | 85-90°F |
| Cheddaring Phase Duration | 2-3 hours |
| Cheddaring Phase Interval | 15-30 minutes |
| Press Cycle | Weight added for consolidation |
| Press Weight | 8 lbs |
| Curd Size | 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch cubes |
| Salt Percentage | 1-3% |
| Aging Time | 2-18 months |
| Finish | Waxed, Clothbound, or Vacuum-sealed |
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What You'll Learn
The cheddaring process
To begin the cheddaring process, the curds are cut into 1-inch strips and placed back into a cheesecloth-lined colander over the warm whey, stacking the curds so that the weight of the top curds presses on the curds beneath. The whey is kept warm, at 100°F (38°C) for the next 2 hours. During this time, the curds are flipped every 15 minutes to ensure they are evenly pressed by their own weight.
After about 1 hour, the curd mass is cut in half and stacked with a drain cloth separating them. A board is placed on top of the draining curds with about 8 lbs of weight to emulate the larger slab mass of the larger producers. During this time, the curds will begin to change shape due to changes in the protein structure.
As the warm curd develops more acid during cheddaring, calcium (responsible for binding the proteins) is washed from the curd by the draining whey, leaving a weaker bond between proteins. At the beginning of the cheddaring process, the curds are much more cubic or round, but if you tear the slabs at the end they will be much more elongated and the slabs will have flattened out considerably.
At this point, you will have the final curd ready for pressing. However, another unique aspect of cheddar is that the dryness and acid have both reached close to their desired level and should not be allowed to continue. If relying on brining or dry salting the surface of the cheese, the acid would continue to increase, causing a very wet and acidic cheese.
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Ingredients and their quality
The quality of ingredients is crucial to making good cheddar cheese. The main ingredients used in the process are milk, cheese culture, rennet, calcium chloride, and salt.
Milk is the most important ingredient in cheddar cheese-making. It is recommended to use good quality, full-fat milk straight from the farm for the best results. The amount of milk used depends on the size of the batch, with 3 gallons being a manageable amount for a home cheese maker and 6 gallons being a more effective amount for ripening due to a better ratio of mass to surface area. The milk is heated to 85°F (29.4°C), and calcium chloride is added if using pasteurized milk to help form the curds.
Cheese culture is added to the milk to initiate the fermentation process, which is key to developing the flavour of the cheese. The amount of culture added can vary depending on the desired strength of the cheese.
Rennet is a crucial ingredient that coagulates the milk protein and forms curds. It is typically added in amounts of 85 to 115 grams per 450 kilograms of the milk-culture mix. The rennet should be diluted with pure water to ensure it spreads easily and maintains its effectiveness.
Calcium chloride is added to the milk, especially when using pasteurized milk, to help form the curds. This is because the pasteurization process can damage the milk's ability to form curds.
Salt is added to the milled curds to enhance the flavour and lower the moisture content of the cheese. The amount of salt added can vary between 1% and 3% by weight, depending on the desired taste and texture.
The quality of these ingredients and the precision in their preparation are essential to achieving the desired texture, flavour, and consistency in cheddar cheese-making.
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Heating and coagulation
As the milk is heating, you can add calcium chloride if desired. Once the milk reaches 85°F, add the culture and stir it in with an up-and-down motion. Cover the pot and let the mixture ferment for about an hour. This fermentation process is key to making cheese.
Next, stir the mixture to homogenize the milk, and slowly add the diluted rennet, continuing to use the up-and-down motion with your spoon to ensure the rennet is evenly distributed. The rennet coagulates the milk protein and forms curds, which are the solid parts of the milk that will become cheese. The amount of rennet added depends on the quantity of milk, but generally, 85 to 115 grams of rennet is added per 450 kilograms of milk. It is important to dilute the rennet with pure water to ensure effective coagulation.
After adding the rennet, the mixture must be thoroughly stirred to ensure equal mixing. At this point, the milk has transformed into curds and whey (the liquid part of milk). The curds need to be handled gently, as over-stirring can cause them to break down, resulting in a dry and crumbly texture. The curds are then allowed to set, and after about an hour, they are cut into small cubes.
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Draining and pressing
During the draining process, it is important to prevent the curds from escaping along with the whey. This can be done by using a gate or a drain cloth to separate the two. Once most of the whey has been drained, the curds are raked to the sides of the vat or pot, allowing the remaining whey to drain down the middle. The curds should be handled gently and not over-stirred to avoid breaking them down too much, which can lead to a dry and crumbly texture in the final cheese.
To further remove whey from the curds and create a firmer cheese, a process known as "cooking the curds" can be employed. This involves heating the curds and constantly stirring them to avoid uneven cooking. After cooking, the curds are cut into strips or cubes and allowed to set without stirring.
The pressing process involves stacking the curds in a way that applies pressure and helps remove additional whey. This is typically done by stacking the curds in a cheesecloth-lined colander or mould, with a drain cloth separating the layers of curds. A weight is often added on top of the stack to increase the pressure and facilitate whey removal. This process, known as cheddaring, is what gives cheddar cheese its unique flavour and texture. During cheddaring, the curds will change shape due to changes in the protein structure, becoming more elongated and flattened.
The pressing and cheddaring processes should be carefully monitored to avoid over-acidification of the curds. If the curds become too acidic, the final cheese may become wet, acidic, and chalky. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain the desired levels of dryness and acidity during these steps.
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Aging
Once the curds are ready, they are placed into moulds to be pressed and form blocks of cheddar. After this, the cheddar cheese will be aged. The aging time depends on the type of cheddar desired. For example, a mild cheddar is aged for two to three months, while mature (sharp) and extra mature cheddars are aged for 12 to 18 months. The aging process can be done by waxing or vacuum sealing the cheese, which prevents the cheese from breathing and helps it age consistently. However, traditional cheddar is clothbound, which allows it to develop a natural rind and a dry, crumbly texture.
The temperature must be constantly monitored during the aging process, as wax can easily reach its flashpoint if left unattended. The dryness of the curd at molding can also cause issues, as the surface is likely to develop cracks as the curd boundaries dehydrate. To prevent this, the cheese can be dried for a few days and then waxed. This helps to maintain moisture and requires less attention during aging.
The size of the vat used during the cheddaring process will depend on various factors, but they are generally oval or rectangular with hollow walls. These hollow walls, or jackets, are filled with warm water to keep the curds at the desired temperature. The temperature should be kept at 85-90°F during the cheddaring process, and the curds should be turned at 15-30 minute intervals for 2-3 hours.
The length of the aging process will determine the type of cheddar produced. For example, a mild cheddar will have a shorter aging time, resulting in a high-moisture cheese. On the other hand, a sharp or extra mature cheddar will be aged for a longer period, leading to a dry and crumbly texture.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need good quality, full-fat milk, cheese culture, rennet, and calcium chloride.
You will need a large pot, a colander, a cheesecloth, a knife, a milling machine, and a cheese vat.
Cheddaring is a unique process in making cheddar cheese that involves stacking "loaves" of curd on top of one another to squeeze out additional whey. The curds are kept warm and flipped every 15 minutes for 2-3 hours.
The aging time depends on the type of cheddar. Mild cheddar is aged for two to three months, while mature cheddar is aged for 12 to 18 months.
