How Are Cheese Curds Made?

Although cheese curds are only popular in certain areas of the country, they are slowly growing in popularity and now you can find them at specialty stores and online retailers among other gourmet or high quality cheeses. If you really love this “squeaky cheese” you may be wondering how it is made, especially when compared to other types. It turns out that despite their lack of widespread popularity, they are actually fairly simple to make with not too many steps involved (and very little time consumed, especially when compared to other cheeses that need to age).

The Milk

The first step in making cheese curds is the same as making any other sort of cheese; selecting the right milk. To make the best varieties such as those found at specialized cheese retailers you need to start with high quality milk and all producers will ensure they have the highest quality possibly by screening their milk. They will check for both quality and purity. Cheese curds require a great deal of milk, needing an amazing ten pounds for just one pound. Before going any farther in the cheese curd making process, the milk must be standardized which involves it being weighed then pasteurized or heat treated to ensure it is safe and uniform.

Additions

In order to get the milk to become cheese, you need to add a starter culture. This starter culture will vary slightly between factories and will help determine the texture and flavor of the curds. After adding the starter culture, they will add a coagulant. This is an enzyme that helps clot milk which means that it will be responsible for changing the milk into the solid cheese that you expect.

Cutting

The next step in the process of making cheese curds is called cutting. This is a process that involves separating the curds from the whey, which is the liquid portion of the mixture. After this process begins, both parts (the curds and the whey) are placed in a vat and stirred and heated up until the curds are the desired consistency. This should be both the right firmness and the right temperature. After the heating is complete and the curds are at the right consistency, the whey is drained out, finishing the separation process.

Finished Product

After that entire process is complete and the whey is drained out, you are left with the cheese curd. In some cases these are salted before being packaged. The important thing with cheese curd manufacturing is that as soon as the product is done, it must be shipped quickly. This is because they are one of the types of cheese that are best when fresh. Ideally, they should be slightly firm and should squeak when you eat them. If too much time passes before you eat your cheese curds, you can always put them in the microwave very briefly to help reinvigorate them and add back some squeakiness.