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Cheese
Making Principle
By
Soyoung Scanlan |
Cheese is the curd or substance
formed by the coagulation of the milk of certain mammals by rennet or
similar enzymes in the presence of lactic acid. Lactic acid is produced
by added or adventitious micro organisms, from which, part of moisture
has been removed by cutting, warming and/or pressing, which has been
shaped into a mould and then ripened by holding for some time at
suitable temperature and humidity.
If you think cheese making as preservation of fresh milk, it’s easy
to understand the principle of cheese making. When you want to preserve
any seasonal fresh products, what do you do?
Traditionally we reduce water activity by drying, salting, and
adding sugar, or, increase acid content by pickling. We use the same principle to make cheese.
Cheese is from the milk of certain mammals, which has almost 80% of
water plus protein, sugar, fat and minerals. To concentrate those solid
components (or to remove excess water), we need to curdle the milk
first and to drain the liquid (whey). To drain the whey effectively,
cheese makers use many different methods separately or combined like
cutting and cooking the curd.
Here are essential steps for cheese making:
-Milk
preparation: pasteurization (optional)
-Milk
curdling by acid or/and rennet
-Cutting
and cooking of curd
-Draining
of whey
-Salting,
Hooping and Pressing
-Aging
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