How is Cheddar Cheese Made from Cheese Curds?

Cheddar cheese is usually known to be somehow hard. It can have yellow or off white color as well. It actually originated from Cheddar village in Somerset. Today, Cheddar is considered as one of the most popular cheese in the whole of UK. In the US, it’s also very popular. It comes second after Mozzarella which is also a very wonderful cheese widely eaten in the US.
The Cheddar Making Process

Cheddar Cheese is made from cheese curds. The production process begins by the gathering of the food ingredients needed. The basic ingredients needed include milk and rennet. The milk used is allowed to ripen before the rennet is added. The ripening of the milk allows lactose to be turned into lactic acid by the resident bacteria. This lowers the pH and also contributes to making the milk to coagulate. This is very important for the making of quality cheese curds which are then turned into cheddar.

The Rennet usually added is an enzyme which is normally gotten from the belly of milk fed calf. The rennet contributes to the coagulation of the milk proteins which helps in the production of curds. In most cases, rennet contains bovine pepsin and chymosin. These two elements help in making the curds come out well.
In most cases, 3 or 4 oz of rennet is usually added per 1000 lb of mix. This helps the milk protein to coagulate and then form nice curds. The Vat is usually mixed after the rennet has been added. This ensures equal mixing and also helps in diluting the rennet for easy spreading. At this point, clean water will be added to dilute the rennet.

Meanwhile, there are also basic equipments required when making cheddar cheese from curds. A stainless steel knife is usually used to cut the curds in a uniform manner during the production process. A stainless steel frame that has stainless steel wires is also needed to slice the curds well.
Vats are also needed during the production process. They can be in rectangular or oval shapes. They may also have nice hollow walls which will be used for accommodating warm water necessary for keeping the curds at required temperatures.
A quality milling machine will then be used to slice the matted curds which are formed as the cheddaring process continues. This will then allow the curds to be salted easily.
Now, curd setting is the next stage. Once the rennet has been added, the entire mixture is allowed to settle in order to form curds. The right temperature must also be set to control the process. Usually, a flat blade is inserted into the curds to make it set. This will be raised up slowly. If the curd breaks, it’s set for cutting. Usually, the curd is sliced into tiny cubes with the help of a stainless steel wire knife. The sliced curds will then be handled well to avoid the loss of protein and fat.

The next stage is the cooking of the curds. After that comes the draining of the curds. Then the curds will be stacked during the cheddaring process. The milking process commences. Usually, the curds can be milked using the hand. The salting process will then follow. After that, the curds are then packed and pressed. They will also be weighed into moulds. After this, the cheddar cheese will then be allowed to age. The aging process may last for one or two months. However this can also last for 1 or more years depending on the type of cheddar needed.