Principle and Methods of Manufacture of Cheddar Cheese

The hundreds of cheese varieties differ very much in size, shape, colour, hardness,texture, odor and taste. However, all cheeses, irrespective of country of origin and method of manufacture possess certain characteristics in common: they are made from the milk of certain mammals or its derivatives, 2) the first stage is souring, 3) the second stage is clotting by rennet or a similar enzyme preparations, 4) the third stage is the cutting or breaking up of the coagulum to release the whey, 5) the fourth stage is consolidation or matting” of the curd, 6) the fifth stage is the maturing of cheese.

The above five stages are common to all cheeses, but the conditions vary considerably. The chief factors responsible for differences in the final cheese are:

1)Type of milk used, 2) the degree of souring and the type of souring organisms added, 3) temperature of renneting and subsequent cooking or scalding of the curd in the whey, 4) the milling and salting of the curd before putting in the hoop or mould,5) the pressure applied to the green cheese, 6)the time, temperature and relative humidity of ripening, 7) special treatments such as stabbing the cheese, bathing in the brine and surface treatment to produce a certain type of coat.