How Is Cheese Made? A Closer Look
Are you asking yourself the important question: How is cheese made exactly? Keep reading and learn more about how it works here.
There’s nothing like a big wedge of cheese to tantalize your taste buds. Few foods are as satisfying as eating a deliciously ripe piece of cheese.
However, before picking up that hunk of deliciousness at the store, you may ask yourself, “How is cheese made?”. Without a basic knowledge of how dairy farms and food manufacturing organizations operate, you might not know what to look for when selecting your perfect piece.
So let’s take a look. Below is a simple guide to everything you need to know about the making of cheese.
1. Acidifying the Milk
If you’re wondering how to make cheese, the first thing you’ll need to do is acidify milk. This is done by adding starter cultures to pasteurized milk.
As a result, the milk will start to become more solid and develop the taste we associate with cheese.
2. Coagulating the Milk
While the milk will be more solid at this point, it will need to coagulate to reach its true solid form. The enzyme called rennet is responsible for this.
Rennet will cause milk to turn into solid curds and whey which is liquid.
The cheese company will then choose to cut curds for hard cheeses like cheddar or pecorino. Soft cheeses like Brie or Burrata, on the other hand, will not be cut as much.
3. Salting/Flavoring the Cheese
Salt and other flavorings are responsible for the delicious taste of our favorite cheeses. Not to mention, it keeps cheese freshly preserved without rotting.
The cheese company will either soak the cheese with a brine of salted water or add dry salt directly to the cheese. Harder cheeses will likely be drily salted while softer, wetter cheeses get soaked.
Any other flavorings like spices or herbs are also mixed into the curds.
4. Aging Process of the Cheese
The next step of cheese making is the aging/ripening process. An affineur will be in charge of aging the cheese in a proper environment with a regulated, cool temperature.
This aging/ripening process will bring out the true flavor of the specific cheese and can take between a few months to several years.
Oftentimes, mold will grow on the aging cheese, and believe it or not, it is 100% edible because this mold does not contain mycotoxins that are in other molds.
5. High-Speed Packaging
Now that the cheese is completely ready, it will need to be packaged. There are many high-speed packaging solutions such as vertical form fill and seal machines, flow pack horizontal machines, and multi-head systems.
The way cheese gets packaged all depends on the type of cheese.
Shredded cheese will get packaged in a plastic bag with cellulose to keep the cheese from clumping. Sliced cheese will be packed in strips of plastic wrap, while whole cheese will usually be wrapped in cheese paper or cloth.
Guide – How is Cheese Made?
If you were wondering, “How is cheese made?” this guide should have answered all your questions. With cheese being one of the most popularly consumed foods, knowing how it’s made will be useful to any cheese connoisseur.
If you’re interested in manufacturing food, JSK recruiting is here to help.
Contact us today to get in touch.
