08
Aug
Cheese-making process
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Cheese nowadays is a very commonly used food ingredient. It is available in variety of forms. It is a long process and involves the following steps. It may differ in flavor and texture based on the ageing process or the amount of water retained in different varieties of cheese.
- Initially the milk is boiled to remove the raw flavor and avoid microbial spoilage.
- After cooling the milk, a starter culture is added to the milk which allows it to begin to ferment and makes it more acidic.
- Rennet, an enzyme is added to the milk that causes a reaction resulting in curdling of milk, thereby making curd.
- The curd is then cut with knives and heated which helps further in separating the whey and curd.
- Curd is further processed by stirring, cooking and washing which further acidifies and dries the curd.
- The whey is the liquid that separates the milk, keeping the cheese curd in the form of a mat apart.
- The curd mat is cut into sections and repeatedly flipped before milling the mat. It is known as cheddaring of cheese.
- For some cheeses, the next is dry salting, and for others, it is brining or salt solutions.
- Cheese is then shaped in molds.
- Cheese is then kept for aging for days to years.