Andy Montoya
Cheese is a dairy product made from the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep. The milk is acidified and then enzymes are added to cause the milk protein casein to coagulate. The curds are then separated from the whey and pressed into cheese. There are over a thousand types of cheese, which vary in flavour, texture and form. Some cheeses are made from the whey leftover from the cheese-making process, such as ricotta and gjetost.
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What You'll Learn
- Fresh cheeses, such as cottage cheese, are young, soft and weak-bodied
- Hard cheeses are re-combined with oils, proteins and emulsifiers
- Processed and flavour-added cheeses, such as Wensleydale with cranberries
- Lactic natural rind cheeses are drained, dried and aged
- Halloumi is made from goat or sheep milk, or cow's milk
Fresh cheeses, such as cottage cheese, are young, soft and weak-bodied
Fresh cheeses are made by reheating the leftover whey after making cheese, which coagulates the proteins. Sometimes salt or acid is also added. Ricotta and Gjetost are the most famous examples of this.
Fresh cheeses are usually soft and spreadable, with a mild flavour. They are often used as an ingredient in cooking, or as a topping for dishes such as pizza or pasta. They can also be enjoyed on their own, spread on crackers or bread.
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Hard cheeses are re-combined with oils, proteins and emulsifiers
Hard cheeses are made by reheating the leftover whey after making cheese, which coagulates the proteins. Salt or acid is sometimes added to this mixture. Hard cheeses are then re-combined with oils, proteins and emulsifiers to make cheese slices. Other ingredients such as fruit can be added to hard cheeses, for example, Wensleydale with cranberries.
The process of making hard cheese is similar to that of other types of cheese. Cheese is made by coagulating the milk protein casein. This is done by acidifying milk and then adding enzymes from rennet or bacterial enzymes with similar activity. The solid curds are then separated from the liquid whey and pressed into finished cheese. Some cheeses have aromatic moulds on the rind, the outer layer, or throughout.
There are over a thousand types of cheese produced in various countries. Different types of cheese are made from varying milk, methods, and ageing times and processes. For example, fresh cheeses are mainly young, soft, weak-bodied cheeses, made by acidifying milk and then draining off the whey. A classic example is cottage cheese. Fresh cheeses can also be drained slightly more, dried and then allowed to age. Natural yeasts, moulds and bacteria then grow on the rind. Examples of these include small French goats’ milk cheeses like St Maure.
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Processed and flavour-added cheeses, such as Wensleydale with cranberries
Processed and flavour-added cheeses are made by reheating the leftover whey after making cheese, which coagulates the proteins (sometimes salt or acid is also added). Hard cheeses are re-combined with oils, proteins and emulsifiers (for cheese slices) or ingredients such as fruit (e.g. Wensleydale with cranberries). Each type of cheese has its own particular best method of making and ageing. For example, washed-rind cheeses generally need a more humid, higher-temperature and ammonia-rich environment for the characteristic 'orange bacteria' to grow.
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Lactic natural rind cheeses are drained, dried and aged
Lactic natural rind cheeses are made from whole milk. They are drained slightly more than fresh cheeses, dried, and then aged. During the ageing process, natural yeasts, moulds, and bacteria grow on the rind. Classic examples of lactic natural rind cheeses include small French goats' milk cheeses like St Maure.
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Halloumi is made from goat or sheep milk, or cow's milk
Whole milk is the best choice for making cheese because it's high in fat and protein. It’s a good option for making soft cheeses, such as cream cheese and cottage cheese. It contains about 3.5% fat, which is what gives it a creamy texture when cooked.
Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese made principally in Cyprus from sheep or goat milk or a mixture of the two. Sometimes, it is also made with cow's milk. The raw milk is coagulated as for feta cheese. The blocks of the cheese are heated at 92-95°C in the whey extracted during draining. They are then folded in half and sprinkled with a mixture of coarse salt and finely chopped mint. The fresh product has a characteristic aroma that is unique to this cheese. If not sold immediately, the cheese is stored in salted whey (10-12% NaCl).
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Frequently asked questions
Ricotta and gjetost are made from reheating the leftover whey after making cheese. Halloumi is made from goat or sheep milk, but cow's milk may also be used.
Yes, ricotta, gjetost and halloumi are all made from whole milk.
Ricotta is made from reheating the leftover whey after making cheese.
Halloumi is usually made from goat or sheep milk, but cow's milk may also be used.
Gjetost is made from reheating the leftover whey after making cheese.
