Cheese making is a craft, but it isn’t as complicated as it sounds. The cheese production process can actually be easy and enjoyable, and with the right ingredients, equipment, and procedure, you are well on your way. There are ten important steps in the cheese making process, and in this article, we will talk about each of them.
Step 1: Preparing the Milk
If you are using raw milk, you need to standardise it. This involves pasteurisation to kill any harmful bacteria in raw milk that may cause the cheese to spoil quickly. Milk preparation may also include adjusting the protein to fat ratio, which influences the quality of the finished cheese. Both cow’s milk and goat’s milk can be used as cheese milk, and using fresh milk is essential for most cheeses.
Step 2: Setting the Milk
Acidification
This is the first process in setting the milk. You will acidify it by adding citric acid or a starter culture such as lactic acid bacteria. Starter cultures help convert milk sugar into lactic acid, which encourages the proteins to break down and separate from the water. Milk proteins are hydrophilic and stick to water, so acidification helps them form curds, which is the basis for making delicious cheese.
Coagulation
This is the process of turning the milk from liquid to semi-solid. You do this by adding rennet, which helps curdle the milk and form cheese curd. Rennet cheese relies on this step for structure and texture.
Step 3: Cutting the Curd
While heating milk up to 80 degrees Celsius, you need to stir it for 30 seconds. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the curds to settle. You can tell that your curd is ready when it looks like custard, and you can see clear cheese whey at the sides of the pot.
Using a chef’s knife, cut the curd into 1-inch squares. Be gentle so you don’t break it up too much. Cutting the curd allows it to expel more whey. Since the curds contain casein proteins and most of the milk fat, you will notice it float on top of the whey. Generally, cutting the curds into smaller pieces makes hard cheese, while soft cheeses are barely cut.
Step 4: Processing the Curd
Depending on the cheese types you are making, you can further process the curds after cutting. This could involve cooking and stirring the curds again. The more the curds are cooked and stirred, the drier the cheese will be, resulting in aged cheeses or semi hard cheese. Another way of processing the curd is washing, which involves replacing the whey with water. Washed curds are more elastic and give a mild flavor. Curd processing affects the texture and taste of the finished cheese.
Step 5: Draining the Whey
Line the colander with cheesecloth and gently scoop or pour the curds to the colander to remove the whey completely. You can also use round or square cheese molds or cheese hoops to shape the cheese.
Step 6: Knitting the Curd
As the curds are in the colander, they start knitting together and fusing into one big mass of cheese. Leave the curds on the colander to drain and knit together for another 10 minutes. This step is important for natural cheese and helps develop the cheese surface.
Step 7: Pressing the Curd
If you’re making hard cheese, you need to press the curd to remove the remaining moisture and improve its texture. Pressing the curd creates a firm rind on the outside and a smooth and uniform consistency within the cheese. Pressing also makes the cheese ready for ageing, which is essential for ripened cheeses. For soft cheeses like cream cheese or cottage cheese, simply allow their own weight to press them, keeping some moisture for the desired soft curd texture.
Step 8: Adding the Salt
Salt acts as a preservative to extend the shelf life of the cheese. It also adds flavor. You can add salt directly to the curd, rub it on the outside of the wheel of cheese, or soak the cheese in a brine solution. This step is important for both fresh cheeses and aged cheeses.
Step 9: Special Applications
This step includes anything different you do to make the cheese unique, such as adding herbs, spices, or infusing the curds with dried fruits and mushrooms. You can also add other bacteria, such as propionic acid bacteria for Swiss cheese or specific cultures for blue cheese and surface ripened cheeses, to enhance the cheese’s flavor and texture.
Step 10: Ageing
Ageing or ripening is the most important step in the cheese production process. You store the cheese in controlled conditions so it can develop appearance, texture, and flavor. Ageing may take a few days to several years, depending on the cheese varieties you are making. The way cheese ages contributes to the tangy flavor of blue cheese, the mild flavor of high moisture cheeses, or the natural rind of surface ripened cheeses.
Now that you know the steps in cheese making, you also need to know the materials and ingredients needed.
Essential Cheese Making Equipment
Mixing bowls
Stock pot
Measuring spoons and cups
Slotted spoon
Chef’s knife
Cheese cloth
Gloves
Thermometer
pH meter
Round or square cheese molds or colander
Cheese vat (for larger batches or commercial cheese makers)
Cheese Making Ingredients
Milk (fresh milk, cow’s milk, goat’s milk, pasteurized milk, or raw milk for raw milk cheeses)
Citric acid or lactic acid bacteria (starter cultures or starter bacteria)
Rennet
Salt
Calcium chloride (sometimes added to low fat milk or pasteurized milk to improve curdling milk)
Bringing It All Together
Cheese making is a rewarding blend of tradition, science, and creativity. By mastering each step and using reliable equipment, you can produce delicious cheese for your family or take the first steps toward a thriving business.
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