Cheese: Difference between revisions
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A required step in cheesemaking is separating the milk into solid [[curd]]s and liquid [[whey]]. Usually this is done by acidifying ([[souring]]) the milk and adding [[rennet]]. The acidification can be accomplished directly by the addition of an acid, such as vinegar, in a few cases ([[paneer]], [[queso fresco]]). More commonly [[starter bacteria]] are employed instead which convert [[Lactose|milk sugars]] into [[lactic acid]]. The same bacteria (and the [[enzyme]]s they produce) also play a large role in the eventual flavor of aged cheeses. Most cheeses are made with starter bacteria from the ''[[Lactococci|Lactococcus]]'', ''[[Lactobacilli|Lactobacillus]]'', or ''[[Streptococci|Streptococcus]]'' genera. [[Cheeses of Switzerland|Swiss]] starter cultures also include ''[[Propionibacter shermani]]'', which produces [[propionic acid]] and carbon dioxide gas bubbles during aging, giving [[Swiss cheese (North America)|Swiss cheese]] or [[Emmental cheese|Emmental]] its holes (called "[[Eyes (cheese)|eyes]]"). | A required step in cheesemaking is separating the milk into solid [[curd]]s and liquid [[whey]]. Usually this is done by acidifying ([[souring]]) the milk and adding [[rennet]]. The acidification can be accomplished directly by the addition of an acid, such as vinegar, in a few cases ([[paneer]], [[queso fresco]]). More commonly [[starter bacteria]] are employed instead which convert [[Lactose|milk sugars]] into [[lactic acid]]. The same bacteria (and the [[enzyme]]s they produce) also play a large role in the eventual flavor of aged cheeses. Most cheeses are made with starter bacteria from the ''[[Lactococci|Lactococcus]]'', ''[[Lactobacilli|Lactobacillus]]'', or ''[[Streptococci|Streptococcus]]'' genera. [[Cheeses of Switzerland|Swiss]] starter cultures also include ''[[Propionibacter shermani]]'', which produces [[propionic acid]] and carbon dioxide gas bubbles during aging, giving [[Swiss cheese (North America)|Swiss cheese]] or [[Emmental cheese|Emmental]] its holes (called "[[Eyes (cheese)|eyes]]"). | ||
Some fresh cheeses are curdled only by acidity, but most cheeses also use rennet. Rennet sets the cheese into a strong and rubbery [[gel]] compared to the fragile curds produced by acidic coagulation alone. It also allows curdling at a lower acidity—important because flavor-making bacteria are inhibited in high-acidity environments. In general, softer, smaller, fresher cheeses are curdled with a greater proportion of acid to rennet than harder, larger, longer-aged varieties. | Some fresh cheeses are curdled only by acidity, but most cheeses also use rennet. Rennet sets the cheese into a strong and rubbery [[Wikipedia:gel|gel]] compared to the fragile curds produced by acidic coagulation alone. It also allows curdling at a lower acidity—important because flavor-making bacteria are inhibited in high-acidity environments. In general, softer, smaller, fresher cheeses are curdled with a greater proportion of acid to rennet than harder, larger, longer-aged varieties. | ||
While rennet was traditionally produced via extraction from the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber of slaughtered young, unweaned calves, most rennet used today in cheesemaking is produced [[recombinant DNA|recombinantly]]. | While rennet was traditionally produced via extraction from the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber of slaughtered young, unweaned calves, most rennet used today in cheesemaking is produced [[recombinant DNA|recombinantly]]. The majority of the applied chymosin is retained in the whey and, at most, may be present in cheese in trace quantities. In ripe cheese, the type and provenance of chymosin used in production cannot be determined. | ||
=== Curd processing === | === Curd processing === | ||