The Cheese Making Process

Cheese is older than Christianity. Legend goes that its discovery was a happy accident. Many centuries BC a nomad carrying milk across the desert in a saddlebag made from an animal’s stomach, reached his destination to discover that the milk had separated into liquid (whey) and solid (curd). Cheese was unwittingly born and the world's taste-buds rejoiced. While Britain has no deserts, it does boast a rich history of cheese making. Traditionally cheese was made on the farm, but now 90% of cheese production takes place in modern creameries. However, the basic principles of the cheese making process remain the same.

Cheese Making Made Simple

STAGE ONE - Aim: To produce curds from the protein found in milk

• Milk is pasteurised and a bacteriological starter is added to ‘sour’ and thicken the milk.

• A renneting agent is added to the milk to form curds. Nowadays, most British cheese produced uses a non-animal renneting agent, making the cheese suitable for vegetarians.

• The curd is left to set.

STAGE TWO - Aim: To concentrate the curd.

• The curds are cut so that the whey is released (soft cheeses are cut lightly while hard cheeses are cut finely).

• The curds are either ‘cooked’ or are piled on top of each other (the process known as ‘cheddaring’), and further cut to expel whey.

• The curd is milled and salt is added (in some recipes salt is included by immersing the moulded cheese in a bath of brine for several days).

• The curd is pressed into moulds.

STAGE THREE - Aim: To ripen the cheese.

The cheese is placed in storage rooms where temperature and humidity are controlled and varied according to the cheese being produced (Cheddar was originally stored in Somerset’s Cheddar Gorge caves). Mild Cheddar is generally stored for around three months, whilst Mature Cheddar is stored for up to a year. Cheeses have very individual storage processes that create their distinctive flavours and textures. During the first week of Blue Stilton’s storage, it is turned daily to ensure an even distribution of moisture throughout the cheese.