CHEESE

  1. Cheese
  • Introduction
  • Processing of Cheese
  • Types of Cheese
  • Classification of Cheese
  • Curing of Cheese
  • Uses of Cheese

The students will be able to:
  • Define cheese.
  • List down the composition of cheese making.
  • Draw the flow chart of making cheese.
  • List down various cheese as per classifications.
  • List down the curing process of cheese.
  • List down various technical terms associated with cheese making
  • List down various milk sources of making cheese with corresponding name of the cheese.
  • Know and justify the cooking technique associated with cheese.
  • List the famous cheese from different countries with their specialities.

Ancestors probably discovered cheese when they first used animal stomachs to carry milk. An enzyme in the stomachs called rennet would have caused the milk to curdle and separate into cheese and a watery liquid called whey.

People have been tinkering with that basic recipe ever since then, and there are now hundreds of different kinds of cheeses. Cheese-makers impart different flavors and textures into their cheeses by using different milks, adding various bacteria and molds, aging for different lengths of time, and so forth.

Archaeologists have discovered that as far back as 6000 BC cheese had been made from cow's and goat's milk and stored in tall jars. Egyptian tomb murals of 2000 BC show butter and cheese being made, and other murals which show milk being stored in skin bags suspended from poles demonstrate a knowledge of dairy husbandry at that time.

It is likely that nomadic tribes of Central Asia found animal skin bags a useful way to carry milk on animal backs when on the move. Fermentation of the milk sugars would cause the milk to curdle and the swaying motion would break up the curd to provide a refreshing whey drink. The curds would then be removed, drained and lightly salted to provide a tasty and nourishing high protein food, i.e. a welcome supplement to meat protein.

Cheese making, thus, gradually evolved from two main streams. The first was the liquid fermented milks such as yogurt, koumiss and kefir. The second through allowing the milk to acidify to form curds and whey. Whey could then be drained either through perforated earthenware bowls or through woven reed baskets or similar material.

Roman Cheese making

Learning these techniques, the Romans with their characteristic efficiency were quick to develop cheese making to a fine art. Written evidence shows clearly how far the Romans had changed the art of cheese making

With the collapse of the Roman Empire around AD 410, cheese making spread slowly via the Mediterranean seas to Southern and Central Europe. The river valleys provided easy access and methods adopted for production were adapted to suit the different terrain and climatic conditions. Cheese makers in remote mountainous areas naturally used the milk of goats and sheep.

In the fertile lowlands of Europe dairy husbandry developed at a faster pace and cheese making from cows' milk became the norm. Hence, the particular development of cheeses such as Edam and Gouda in the Netherlands.

The Development of Some Cheese Varieties with the Date

First Recorded Cheese Variety Year(AD)

Gorgonzola 879

Roquefort 1070

Grana 1200

Cheddar 1500

Parmesan 1579

Gouda 1697

Gloucester 1697

Stilton 1785

By the beginning of the 18th century, developments such as the iron plough, threshing machine and underground tile drainage were to change forever the farming landscape, especially in the south and west of Scotland. Individual farm holdings progressively enclosed the land, crop rotation was practiced, a start was made on the selective breeding of cattle from which was to develop the Ayrshire cow.

WHAT IS CHEESE ?

Cheese is the curd of or the fresh or matured product obtained by enzyme activity and subsequent separation of whey by drainage, after coagulation of milk, cream, partly skimmed milk, butter milk or a combination of these bases.

The present word cheese is derived from the old English word "Cese" and "Chiese" from the Latin "Caseus". The equivalent words in German" Kase", and French "Fromage", in Spain it is called "Queso", and in Italy "Fromaggio"

The ingredients used for the manufacture of cheese making are Milk, starter, colour, added chemicals, coagulates, salt.

COMPONENTS OF CHEESE MAKING

Milk - The various cheese of the world first owe their character and taste to the type of milk used - double cream, toned, or skimmed milk. The character also greatly depends on the what animal the milk came from - cow, goat, ewe, or water buffalo.

Milk as Basic Material

Milks from different species of mammals have been used for the manufacture of cheese

Chemical Composition (%) of Milks of Selected Species of Mammals.

Animal FatProtein Milk Sugar Minerals

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Cow 3.8 3.0 4.8 0.75

Goat 6.0 3.3 4.6 0.84

Sheep 9.0 4.6 4.7 1.00

Buffalo 6.0 3.8 4.5 0.75

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As a result, variations in the quality of cheese do occur, depending on the type of milk used. For example, milk containing high total solids (sheep) increases cheese yields, and conversely, milk high in fat produces softer cheese, but improves the mouth-feel of the product. Thus, the cheesemaking process has to be modified in relation to the type of milk used.

Fat

The fat in the milk helps to produce flavour, aroma and body in mature cheese. Cheese made from skimmed milk is hard in body and texture, and lacks flavour. However, only a small amount of fat (as low as 1%) can produce a background flavour, and today's makers exploit this with their 'low-fat cheese' for which there is a growing demand.

Protein

Protein exists in two forms in milk as a suspension/colloidal (casein) and in a soluble form (whey proteins). As long as the milk remains sweet, the structure of the first protein is unaffected and the milk remains totally fluid. However, if the milk acidifies (i.e. goes sour) without the presence of coagulating enzymes the structure changes quite suddenly, and a fragile curd is formed that collapses with the slightest agitation into tiny fragments. A typical example is the fine mass we see when milk sours naturally. By adding rennet, at just the right time before the milk would go completely sour, the structure of the casein is changed radically to form a solid curd called para-casein. This can then be cut with knives and saved to be collected as grains of curd for subsequent processing.

The second fraction of protein is called albumen. This as described above passes out with the whey and is usually lost, though it can be recovered by specialised and expensive filtration methods. When hot milk is allowed to stand still for any time, whey proteins appear as a 'skin' on the surface.

Enzymes

In milk different enzymes may arise from the cow herself. In this case, these enzymes, which occur naturally in the milk or which are sometimes supplied by the indigenous bacteria in the milk and the added starter culture, can change the milk fats and proteins in the process of ripening the cheese to produce the delicate flavours and aromas.

Vitamins

Milk fat holds the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and the water soluble vitamins are the B complex and C which are in the whey. They also play an important part in encouraging bacteria to grow in the cheese ripening process.

Lactose

This is the main sugar in the milk. It provides the energy source for the starter cultures to produce lactic acid, and so helps to modify the milk for cheese making. About 10% of the lactose is used by the starter bacteria to make lactic acid, and the rest is drawn off with the whey.

Minerals

Those substances are present in milk and consist of metallic components (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper) and non-metallic elements such as sulphur, chlorine, phosphorous.

Calcium is probably the most important mineral for the coagulation of milk, and together with the protein is an excellent source of food

Starter

If left in a warm place, milk will sour by itself. This souring is due to the action of bacteria on the milk sugar, lactose, and its conversion to lactic acid or sour milk. To speed up the process of souring and to prevent the milk from becoming bitter and unpleasantly sour, a little warm sour milk from the previous day’s milk is added to this batch. This speeds up or starts the process of coagulation, and is known as the starter or starter culture. In the case of pasteurized milk, all bacteria is killed, and hence the starter consists of a combination of cultures grown in the lab.

Rennet

Although the starter culture speeds up the process of souring milk, and would eventually cause it to curdle, it produces quite a sharp, acidic taste. The use of rennet, which is an enzyme from the inner lining of young hoofed animals like lambs and calves, significantly improves the product. Rennet also helps break down the curd into a smooth, even consistency, contributing to the texture and flavor.

Salt

By this term we the common salt used at home for cooking and seasoning food. Four main methods are used depending on the type of cheese that is being made.

HISTORY OF RENNET

As discussed earlier the first cheese was produced by accident when the ancients stored milk in a bag made from the stomach of a young goat, sheep or cow. They found that the milk would curdle in the stomach, yielding curds (solid chunks) and whey (the liquid portion).

At some point, someone discovered that the most active portion of the stomach which caused this curdling was the last stomach of the four chambered stomach of a ruminant animal (in sequence: rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum.) In particular, the abomasum from a suckling kid or calf was especially active. They dried the abomasum, cut it into strips, and would add a piece to milk in order to turn it into curds. At some point, the Germans began calling this material rennen; to cause to coagulate (or to run together.)

MODERN RENNET:

Modern rennet may be produced the old fashioned way (from abomasums), from various "vegetable" rennets (purified secretions of various bacteria), or by the

products of genetically engineered bacteria.

JUNKET RENNET TABLETS:

Junket Rennet tablets because they are readily available and inexpensive. They are easily measured out (1 tablet will coagulate 5 gallons of inoculated milk) are stable because they are in dry tablets

"Junket Rennet Tablets" come in a packages of 8 (6.5 g) or 12

USE OF JUNKET TABLETS:

They come packaged sealed in foil. One tablet will clabber 5 gallons of inoculated milk. To use it, you dissolve the tablet in a small amount of water

(1 tablet in 1/4 cup fresh clean water).

The solution will be slightly cloudy. Look for undissolved chunks at the bottom of the glass. The dissolved rennet is then stirred into the inoculated milk.

TYPES OF CHEESE

The type of cheese produced by the cheese maker depends on the amount of moisture he wishes to eliminate and the size of the cheese. The amount of moisture in the cheese will also determine what kind of rind or mould will grow on the cheese.

1. Fresh Cheeses

Fresh cheeses are usually made by setting the curd with starter and rennet and are high in moisture. The young curd is placed in sacks or perforated containers and drained slowly without pressure for a few hours so that the curd retains much of the whey. Once sufficient whey has been drained off, the curds are either mixed or sprinkled with salt. They are now ready to be eaten. For some cheese, like fromage frais, the rennet is not added. Such cheese are called ‘lactic cheese’. Some fresh cheeses are allowed to mature and grow either a white or bluish grey mould.

Fresh cheeses are always mild and high in moisture and therefore low in fat. They have a slightly acidic or lactic taste. Most are used for cooking but some may be wrapped in leaves or dusted with paprika or fresh herbs for serving as a table cheese.

2 .Soft Cheeses

The curd is ladled gently into perforated moulds and left to drain in an atmosphere of high humidity so that the curd does not lose too much whey. After a few hours, the cheeses are turned out of their moulds and left to mature for a few weeks. Their high moisture content, coupled with high humidity, attracts and encourages the growth of classic white pencillium mould, which helps to break down the curd and contribute the flavour and texture of the cheese. The result is a creamy, smooth, interior that looks as though it is almost ready to run

3. Semi-hard Cheeses

To obtain a firmer cheese, the curd is cut up to release some of the whey before the curd is placed in the moulds. It is then often lightly pressed to speed up the draining. After a day or so, the cheese is turned out of its mould and washed in brine. This seals the rind before the cheese is placed in cellars or ripening rooms where moulds are encouraged to grow.

The lower moisture content means the fermentation process is slower, producing cheeses with a round, full bodied, rather than strong flavour. Their taste often seems to be embodied with the oils and esters of the wild mountain flowers of Europe. When young, semi-soft cheeses have a firm yet springy, school eraser texture, becoming elastic and supple.

4. Hard Cheeses

To make a hard cheese, the curd must be cut more finely - from small cubes to rice-sized pieces. - The smaller the pieces the more whey will be lost from the curd. The curds are then gently heated in a vat to force out more moisture before the whey is drained out. Salt is then added to the curd, which now resembles rubbery, lumpy cottage cheese. They may be cut again before being placed in large, perforated moulds that are frequently engraved with the unique symbol, logo, pattern or name to identify the finished cheese or its maker. This is then sealed and left to mature for weeks or even years.

Hard block cheeses are pressed into shape and then matured in special plastic wrap that allows the cheese to age without the development of either mould or rind. The moisture that would normally be lost during maturation is also retained.

5. Blue Cheeses

Blue cheeses are neither pressed nor cooked. Most frequently the curd is crumbled, eliminating much of the whey, then scooped into stainless steel cylindrical moulds, each with a wooden disc on top. The curd remains in the moulds for one to two weeks and is churned frequently to let the weight of the curds to press out more of the whey. Once the cheeses can stand up on their own, they are removed from the moulds, rubbed with salt, and returned to the cellars.

The blue mould is a strain of pencillium that is added to the milk before the rennet is added. For the blue mould to grow however, it needs to breathe, and this is aided by piercing the cheese with rods. The blue then grows along the tunnels and into the nooks and crannies between the loose curd producing shattered porcelain look that typifies blue cheese. Most blue cheese are normally wrapped in foil to prevent them from drying up.

MATCHING WINE AND CHEESE

CHEESE / WINE
Fresh Cheese / Fresh light, crisp white wines like Sauvignon or Chenin Blanc
Frascati, Soave or Loire whites
Soft cheese / Slightly sweet wine with the mild, slightly sharp or salty cheeses
Fruity wines with rich, sweet and creamy cheeses
Sauvignon blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Semi-hard Cheese / Full bodied gusty whites or light, fruity reds
Chianti
Rioja
Merlot
Hard Cheese / Mild - fruity reds like Merlot
Medium - Cotes du Rhone, Cabernet Sauvignon
Strong - Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Extra strong - Port or Madeira
Blue Cheese / Mild - fruity whites or Rose wines like Vouvray, Chenin Blanc
Piquant - Cotes du Rhone, Shiraz
Roquefort - Sauternes
Stilton - Port

MAKING OF CHEESE