Cheesemaking

Cheese is probably the first convenience food; acidity, salt and drying are used to preserve a high proportion of the protein, fats and minerals found in milk. Cheesemaking goes back into early middle eastern civilisations, there is evidence that cheese was made in Mesopotamia; the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans certainly made cheese. Cheese may have been brought to Britain by the Romans, however there is some evidence that curd draining vessels were being used before that date. During the mediaeval period sheep milk was a valuable resource and a lot of sheep cheese was made; the development of agricultural techniques which allowed more winter fodder to be conserved, meant that cows became more important as milk providers and their milk gradually replaced sheep milk for cheesemaking.

Milk for cheesemaking is pasteurised, we do this because a significant number of our customers are very young, elderly or pregnant. Starter culture, a mixture of lactic acid bacteria is added to the milk, they use lactose (milk sugar) to obtain energy and release lactic acid which eventually makes the milk sour. Hard cheese cannot be made with milk that is already sour (the cheese would be very hard and bitty): the souring takes place during the cheesemake, and skill is needed to make sure that the curd is the correct texture when it is sufficiently sour (acid). Next, vegetarian rennet is stirred into the milk, after an hour the milk will have set as a solid curd (junket) and the curd is cut. After cutting, whey, a lemon yellow liquid appears and the curds and whey are stirred while the temperature is raised slowly. The whey is drained and the curd is manipulated to produce the correct texture, it is broken or cut up, salt is added and mixed in, the curd is put into a mould and then pressed.

Many cheeses are matured in vac-packs, however we are gradually changing over to maturing the cheese on the rind.

We are soon expanding the dairy, when we have more room, I will start making some soft cheese.