How is cheese made?

Depending on the type of cheese, it can be made from pasteurised or raw milk. There are two main categories of cheese, based on the method by which the solid curds are separated from the liquid whey: acid-curd cheese (e.g. Quark, Cream and Cottage cheese) and rennet-curd cheese (e.g. Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss-type, Brie, Camembert and Blue cheese).

For both of these the first step involves the addition of bacterial starter cultures to the milk, which ferment the lactose (milk sugar) into lactic acid. This causes the milk to acidify, curdle and adds flavour to the cheese. For rennet-curd cheeses, rennet, a natural enzyme, is also added causing the milk to further solidify, thus forming a more solid curd. The curd is cut and separated from the liquid whey.

Further whey removal can be achieved by applying heat to the vat. The cheese is then strained and the solid curds are pressed together, forming a fresh soft cheese. To further develop the cheese, salt is added to give flavour, texture and to preserve it. The cheese is shaped, cut and chilled for 24 hours. It then undergoes the cheese ripening process where it is stored in a cool, dry room. This final step is crucial in the development of different varieties, flavours and textures of cheese and maturation usually ranges from a 2 week to a 2 year period.