Process of Cheese Making
Cheese making is a complicated process which varies extensively with the different types of cheeses available. The basic principle behind all natural cheese production is the curdling and coagulation of milk so that it forms into curds and whey (what Ms. Muffet ate!). Rather than the accidental curdling of un-refrigerated forgotten milk, today’s methods encourage the curdling process by the addition of a starter culture, which is a living colony of microscopic organisms, typically bacterial, that produces lactic acid. Milk will naturally sour and form into an acid curd; however, the addition of the starter culture promotes the acidification of the milk. It is possible to make cheese without a starter, but the starter is one of the components that gives different cheeses their distinctive flavor. A coagulating enzyme, called rennet is also used to speed up the separation of the curds (solid) and whey (liquid). The solid curds are what will eventually become what we know as cheese. In a way cheese is just a tasty way of preserving milk for a long period of time; the cheese-making process solidifies milk proteins and fat and preserves them.
The following diagram shows the basic stages of the cheese making process.
Here the basic process of cheese making will be outlined. However, keep in mind that the cheese making process is diverse and intricate when considering the broad spectrum of cheese varieties.
begin, you need the basis of all cheese – milk.
Variation in the quality of cheese occur
depending on the type of milk used. A
variety of types of milk are used to make different types of cheeses as well,
ranging from cow, goat, sheep, and even buffalo milk. Milk must also be carefully selected to make
sure there are no antibiotic or harmful against that could affect the
process. After the milk is prepared,
usually pasteurized, the starter culture is added. As aforementioned the starter can determine
the distinct taste of the cheese. There
are two basic categories of starter cultures.
Mesophilic starter cultures, the type typically used by amateur cheese
makers, have microbes that cannot survive at high temperatures and thrive at
room temperatures. Cheddar and
The next stage is bandaging where the cheese is wrapped in an absorbent sterile bandage (i.e. cheesecloth) and allowed to ripened. During the ripening stage, bacteria continue to grow in the cheese and change its chemical composition, resulting in flavor and texture changes in the cheese. It is also during this period that the rind of the cheese is formed. The rind’s basic function is to protect the interior of the cheese and allow it to ripen harmoniously. The maturation/ripening period can take only two weeks for some cheese, and as long as 7 years for others. The type of bacteria active at the maturation stage and the length of time the cheese is aged determine the type and quality of cheese being made.
Now all that’s left is to enjoy the variety of cheeses available.