Growing up in Wisconsin, I have
become well versed in the many flavorful cheese varieties available in the
Dairy State. Before working as a science writer, however, I had no idea that cheesemaking
was such a highly scientific process. So, today I want to take a moment to
share some of the things I’ve learned with our Curious Community. After reading
this you’re sure to appreciate that next piece of cheese even more!
*Special Note: This is a fun
overview of the cheesemaking process, but this list in no way covers all of the
necessary steps or science involved in cheesemaking. Those interested in making
their own cheese should contact a professional or a research center for
guidance.
Also, while it is appropriate
to use cheesemaking or cheese making, have decided to use “cheesemaking” as
that is the form preferred by my sources.
The Process:
Cheesemaking is a fairly complex process. From
the addition of starter cultures and rennet to the monitoring of moisture,
temperature, pH and more, cheesemakers are both chemists and artists. Though
there are a few basic steps required in the cheesemaking process, the possible
variations at each step make an exact outline of the process nearly impossible to
create. So, instead of exploring each and every step of the cheesemaking
process, we will be exploring some of the more interesting scientific processes
involved in each of the basic steps of cheesemaking.
Quality Milk:
If we’re going to talk about cheese
we have to talk about milk. Every cheesemaker will tell you that the secret to a
great cheese is starting with quality milk. That means selecting milk from
farms that are passionate about animal care and good sanitation practices.
Once the milk arrives at the
cheesemaking facility, many cheesemakers will choose to pasteurize the milk to
minimize the number of potential pathogens which might contribute to spoilage
down the road. The pasteurization process is generally accomplished through
High Temperature Short Time (HTST) processing where the milk is held at
temperatures around 161 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 seconds. For more on
this see: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=133.3
Some cheesemakers do choose to
utilize raw milk for their cheese. This may be done for a variety of reasons,
but regardless of the reasoning, every raw milk cheese made in the United
States must be labeled as such and be aged for a minimum of 60 days to ensure
food safety. For more on these regulations please see the section on Cheddar
Cheese at: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=133.3
Step 2: Addition of the Starter and the Coagulant
Once the milk is ready for the
cheesemaking process it will be transferred into vats and various additions
will be made to aid in flavor development, color and coagulation. We won’t go
into all of the details here as there are many combinations of enzymes,
cultures and such that can be added to create each cheese, but one thing
remains the same for all cheese, a coagulant must be added.
So what is a coagulant? Well, the
terminology is a bit confusing but essentially, a coagulant is something that
causes clotting. In the case of cheese, the term for a clotting agent is rennet.
Rennet is then used as an overarching term for all of the enzymes that aid in
coagulating milk. While rennet can come from a number of sources, the most
common enzyme, or rennet, used in the coagulation of U.S. milk is fermentation
produced chymosin.
Chymosin is traditionally known as one
of two enzymes that help calves to process their mother’s milk. As ancient
cheesemakers looked for ways to preserve milk (i.e. the cheesemaking process),
they noticed the clotting power of this enzyme and began using it to jumpstart
the processes of preservation. While
chymosin was originally discovered in the stomach of calves, scientists have
discovered that by inserting the chymosin gene into bacteria, yeast or fungi
cells and then extracting, purifying and standardizing the chymosin enzyme,
chymosin can be produced without involving calves. Today it is estimated that
95 percent of American-style cheese is made with this form of fermented form of
chymosin. There are, however, several styles of plant rennet that do not
involve chymosin at all. The most popular plant-based coagulant or rennet comes
from a thistle variety called Cynara
cardunculus.
For more on rennet, see this article I wrote on page 2: https://www.cdr.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/pipelines/2012/pipeline_2012_vol24_03.pdf
Annatto:
Another fun fact I’ve learned
during my time in the food world is that cheese varieties such as Cheddar get
their signature orange color from a tropical plant extract called annatto. While
the exact reasoning or origins behind the use of annatto are not clear to
experts, we do know that annatto has been referenced in the cheese business for
more than 200 years. Naturally, cheese is white or yellow in color. In the
winter months when cows are not grazing cheese tends to have a pale white tint.
In the summer, a yellow tint emerges thanks to the carotenoid in the grass that
many cows consume while grazing. Therefore, some people believe that annatto
was used as a colorant in order to create a uniform color for the cheese rather
than allowing the color to shift with the seasons. Others believe that the
colorant was added as a marketing tactic to differentiate cheese in one region
from cheese in another. Regardless of the reason, the use of annatto has
certainly caught on in the U.S.
So what is
annatto? Annatto is derived from the seed of the plant Bixa Orellana L. The seeds
of this plant are naturally covered in a reddish pigment which is what is extracted
and used to create annatto. The amazing thing about annatto is that despite its
strong color, it has no flavor, so adding it will not impact the flavor profile
of the cheese. Annatto is also very stable so a brand new Cheddar and a seven
year old Cheddar colored with annatto should have the exact same coloring
assuming that the cheese has not sustained light damage or oxidation.
In terms of regulations, annatto is a natural product but
because it is not naturally found in cheese it cannot be labeled as a natural
colorant. In terms of safety, annatto has a long history of good food safety
and has not been tied to significant allergen issues though in rare cases
people do have an allergy to this colorant.
There’s a lot more to learn, so check out page 6 for an
article I wrote on the topic: https://www.cdr.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/pipelines/2012/pipeline_2012_vol24_04.pdf
The Final Steps:
Cutting, Heating, Draining and Salting
After the
addition of the colorant, starters and coagulants, the cheese is left to gel or
set. Once the cheese reaches the proper texture, a cheesemaker will begin
cutting the curd in order to break the now large coagulated mass of milk into
tiny pieces called curds. This curd will then be heated.
During this process the curd will shrink
and water will be expelled from the curd.
At the end of this process the curd will be separated from the liquid
which is now called whey. At this point, the curd will go on to be further
processed per its varsity’s requirements. So, what happens to the whey you
might ask?
Have a question about
cheese? Let me know in the comments
section and I will try to find an expert to answer your question.
Want to learn more
about cheesemaking?
·
Read an
article:
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Take a
class:
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