Making Cheese - Cheddar Cheese
by Katie
Thear
This hard cheese is one of the great cheeses of the
world. It is usually made with cow’s milk, but I frequently made
it from goat’s milk. Goat and ewe’s milk both produce a
slightly softer curd than cow’s milk, and they require slightly
reduced temperatures. The curds from these milks also need slightly
less pressing.
Sterilise all the equipment in hot water and ensure that the
room is not subject to cold draughts. Give yourself plenty of time,
without the possibility of interruptions.
Ingredients
This makes approximately 0.5kg (1lb) of Cheddar. The final weight will
vary depending on the type of milk. For a larger quantity, adjust the
ingredients accordingly. It should be pointed out that it is far more
economical to make a larger quantity than the one stated here because
it takes just as long to make a small cheese as a larger one.
- 5 litres (1gallon) full cream milk
- 1 litre (1.7pints) additional cream (optional)
- 5ml (1 teaspoon) liquid starter or 5ml DVI dry starter
(or half a cup of live yoghurt/live buttermilk although
this is not as reliable as a commercial starter)
- 3ml (half teaspoon) rennet
- 10g salt
Method
Pasteurisation: Pasteurise the milk to destroy unwanted
bacteria. To avoid damaging the subsequent curd, this is normally 66
OC held for 30 minutes. Cool to 21 OC.
Starter:Stir in the starter and leave the milk, covered
in a warm place for about an hour so that it can acidify. Don’t
leave it for much longer than this otherwise the cheese may be too dry
and crumbly.
Rennet: Increase the temperature to 28 OC for goat
or ewe’s milk, or to 30 OC for cow’s milk. Mix the rennet
with two teaspoonfuls of previously boiled and cooled water and then
stir it in. Give it another stir 5 minutes later to stop the cream collecting
at the top. Cover the container and then leave the milk to set in a
warm place.
Setting: (Coagulating): The curd is normally ready
when it is firm to the touch, gives slightly and does not leave a milk
stain on the back of the finger. Note that with vegetarian rennet, setting
takes longer than with animal rennet. It also takes longer in a cooler
environment.
Cutting the curd: This is where the curd is cut in
order to release the liquid whey. Cut down into the curd, from top to
bottom one way then cut it at right angles to form square columns. The
curd is then loosened from around the walls of the pan. Unless a curd
knife is available to make horizontal cuts, a palette knife can used
to make diagonal cuts to break up the curd into pieces that are approximately
pea-sized. Stir gently with the hand for a couple of minutes.
Scalding: Sometimes referred to as cooking, this
is where the temperature of the curds and whey is raised slowly while
occasional stirring of the curds takes place by hand. Gradually increase
the temperature to 38 OC over the next 30-40 minutes.
Pitching: This is the process of giving the whey
a final, circular stir so that it whirls round. The curds then gradually
sink to the bottom and collect at a central point. Turn off the heat
and leave the pan until all movement has ceased in the liquid.
Running the whey: Ladle out as much of the liquid
whey as possible, then place a previously sterilised cloth over a stainless
steel bucket or large basin and tip in the curds. Make the cloth into
a bundle by winding one corner around the other three. This is called
a Stilton knot. Place the bundle on a tray which is tilted at an angle
to let the whey drain away. Leave for about 15 minutes.
Stacking or cheddaring (Texturing):Untie the bundle
and the curds will be seen to have formed into a mass. Cut this into
four slices and place one on top of the other then cover with the cloth.
After about fifteen minutes place the outer slices of the curd on the
inside of the stack, and vice versa. Repeat this process several times
until the curd resembles the texture of cooked breast of chicken when
it is broken open.
Milling: This is the process of cutting the curd
into pea-sized pieces. Traditionally a curd mill was used for this,
but it is easy to do it by hand.
Salting: Sprinkle 10g salt onto the milled curds.
rolling them gently without breaking them further.
Moulding: This is the process of lining the cheese
mould from the press with previously boiled cheesecloth and adding the
curd until the mould is full. The corner of the cloth is then folded
over the top of the cheese and it is ready for pressing.
Pressing: Once in the mould the curds have a wooden ‘follower’ placed
on top so that when the mould is put into the press there is a surface
on which to exert an even pressure.
Pressing cheese is essentially a process of compacting the curds while
extracting the liquid whey. For the first hour, apply a light pressure
so that the fats are not lost with the whey then increase it to the
maximum and leave until the following day.
Next day, remove the cheese from the press, replace the cloth with
a clean one and put the cheese back in the mould, upside down, and press
for another 24 hours.
Drying: Remove the cheese from the press and cloth
and dip it in hot water (66 OC) for one minute in order to consolidate
and smooth the surface. Place it in a protected area at a temperature
of 18-21 OC and leave it to dry for a day or two until a rind begins
to form.
Sealing: Once the rind has formed the cheese can
be sealed to prevent it becoming unduly desiccated while it is maturing.
Large cheeses are sometimes bandaged but it is much easier to use cheese
wax that is available from specialist suppliers.
Using a water bath, heat the wax in a pan and stir it to ensure that
it is melting evenly.
Do not leave the pan unattended in case of fire! Dip the cheese into
the liquid wax and coat thoroughly. It sets quickly, so rotate the cheese
so that the area where your fingers are touching can also be coated.
If preferred, you can paint on the wax with a paintbrush but this will
probably need two coats.
Maturing: The last stage is often the all-important
one. A cheese, which is tasteless and bland when freshly made, is full
of flavour and body after its proper ripening period.
Leave to mature in a cool, dry place at 8 – 11 OC where it should
be turned daily for the first three weeks, then on alternate days after
that. For a large mild cheese, ripening should take place for at least
three months. A longer period of ripening produces a more mature cheese.
Smaller cheeses are usually ready after a month.
© Copyright Katie Thear 2006
Making Cheese Information
Katie Thear is the author of Cheesemaking
and Dairying which
is available post-free (£7.95) from the publishers Broad Leys Publishing
Ltd, 1 Tenterfields, Newport, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11
3UW or directly from this web site -Cheesemaking &
Dairying
Sample chapter from Cheesemaking & Dairying
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