First, the Milk
Animal husbandry is a science all its own and, as with any food, the care of the animals which are milked is paramount in producing quality cheese. Most artisanal cheeses are sourced from small herds of local animals (most common are cow, goat, sheep and water buffalo). Many cultures maintain ancient rituals of when/where/how to milk certain breeds. Most artisanal cheese is unpasteurised, producing cheeses which are richer in both healthy bacteria and flavour, but some pasteurised or thermalised (partially heated) milks can produce good cheese too. The species of animal has an enormous impact on the flavour of cheeses; click here for a guide to our cheeses by milk.
Animal husbandry is a science all its own and, as with any food, the care of the animals which are milked is paramount in producing quality cheese. Most artisanal cheeses are sourced from small herds of local animals (most common are cow, goat, sheep and water buffalo). Many cultures maintain ancient rituals of when/where/how to milk certain breeds. Most artisanal cheese is unpasteurised, producing cheeses which are richer in both healthy bacteria and flavour, but some pasteurised or thermalised (partially heated) milks can produce good cheese too. The species of animal has an enormous impact on the flavour of cheeses; click here for a guide to our cheeses by milk.
Acidification & Coagulation
Milk is gently heated and acid is added to curdle the milk. Many fresh cheeses can be acidified and curdled with common acids like lemon juice. This process separates the curds and whey (yes, just like Miss Muffet's cottage cheese). Much of the whey is then drained off. The most traditional method of acidifying milk is with a substance called rennet. Natural rennet is found in the stomach linings of ruminants (mammals with multiple stomachs). Rennet denaturates the curds, causing them to coagulate into a gel-like substance which can be manipulated in the following processing. Rennet acidification is likely the oldest method of making cheese as ruminants' stomachs (pictured, right) were used as sacks to carry around milk; no doubt someone accidentally found that their fresh milk had "spoilt" to form the first fresh cheese.
Milk is gently heated and acid is added to curdle the milk. Many fresh cheeses can be acidified and curdled with common acids like lemon juice. This process separates the curds and whey (yes, just like Miss Muffet's cottage cheese). Much of the whey is then drained off. The most traditional method of acidifying milk is with a substance called rennet. Natural rennet is found in the stomach linings of ruminants (mammals with multiple stomachs). Rennet denaturates the curds, causing them to coagulate into a gel-like substance which can be manipulated in the following processing. Rennet acidification is likely the oldest method of making cheese as ruminants' stomachs (pictured, right) were used as sacks to carry around milk; no doubt someone accidentally found that their fresh milk had "spoilt" to form the first fresh cheese.
Curds!
Fresh cheeses are basically ready for their manicuring at this stage. They are pressed into moulds or baskets (like ricotta) sprinkled liberally with salt and frequently decorated with fresh herbs or flowers. Some fresh cheeses, like mozzarella, undergo a stretching process (of those gelatinous curds) to align the proteins and create cheese fibres, which accounts for the stringy/stretchy texture. Others, like feta, are brined to preserve them.
Once the curds are pressed into moulds, a variety of processes may occur which will affect the final outcome of the cheeses. These include cheddaring (a multi-step process of cutting, draining and cooking curds), inoculation (the addition of particular moulds and/or bacteria, such as the distinctive penecillium varieties which produce blue cheeses), and washing (brining or bathing the curds in water. salt and usually spirits, wine or beer to encourage bacterial growth). A few cheeses are also dyed with annatto, a seed-derived vegetable dye which turns the curds orange (some cheddars and goudas, Shropshire).
Fresh cheeses are basically ready for their manicuring at this stage. They are pressed into moulds or baskets (like ricotta) sprinkled liberally with salt and frequently decorated with fresh herbs or flowers. Some fresh cheeses, like mozzarella, undergo a stretching process (of those gelatinous curds) to align the proteins and create cheese fibres, which accounts for the stringy/stretchy texture. Others, like feta, are brined to preserve them.
Once the curds are pressed into moulds, a variety of processes may occur which will affect the final outcome of the cheeses. These include cheddaring (a multi-step process of cutting, draining and cooking curds), inoculation (the addition of particular moulds and/or bacteria, such as the distinctive penecillium varieties which produce blue cheeses), and washing (brining or bathing the curds in water. salt and usually spirits, wine or beer to encourage bacterial growth). A few cheeses are also dyed with annatto, a seed-derived vegetable dye which turns the curds orange (some cheddars and goudas, Shropshire).
Ripening & Ageing
While in the first several steps a large variety of cheeses with distinct flavours can be made, the truly staggering array of cheeses available today are made possible by ripening and aging. The treated curds are allowed to age for as little as a few weeks to as much as several years to form rinds (the longer the aging, the harder the rind), gas bubbles (holes in the paste), lactic crystals or gooey pastes (soft-ripened and soft washed-rinds). Blue cheeses turn blue, bloomy cheeses get fuzzy, many are bathed often in secret recipes and a few are covered in wax. They are aged in cheese caves where natural ambient moulds develop and ripen the cheeses further adding their unique flavours to the mix. Many cheese makers age their cheeses in cellars/caves with other producers.
While in the first several steps a large variety of cheeses with distinct flavours can be made, the truly staggering array of cheeses available today are made possible by ripening and aging. The treated curds are allowed to age for as little as a few weeks to as much as several years to form rinds (the longer the aging, the harder the rind), gas bubbles (holes in the paste), lactic crystals or gooey pastes (soft-ripened and soft washed-rinds). Blue cheeses turn blue, bloomy cheeses get fuzzy, many are bathed often in secret recipes and a few are covered in wax. They are aged in cheese caves where natural ambient moulds develop and ripen the cheeses further adding their unique flavours to the mix. Many cheese makers age their cheeses in cellars/caves with other producers.
Distribution
The final step is collecting the fully or partially aged (or fresh) cheeses, packaging them (some countries are better about this than others...) and shipping them out to distributors, whose job it is to convince us to buy them! Ideally, cheese spends a very small amount of time in transit and quickly gets into a new cave or into our cheese case, where the onus falls upon us to care for theses treasures until you take them home. A few need just a little TLC to bring out their best side, but all the cheeses we sell meet a high standard of quality before we sell them.
The final step is collecting the fully or partially aged (or fresh) cheeses, packaging them (some countries are better about this than others...) and shipping them out to distributors, whose job it is to convince us to buy them! Ideally, cheese spends a very small amount of time in transit and quickly gets into a new cave or into our cheese case, where the onus falls upon us to care for theses treasures until you take them home. A few need just a little TLC to bring out their best side, but all the cheeses we sell meet a high standard of quality before we sell them.