Cheese making

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Different types of cheese to mature in a cheese cellar

The cheese-making is the method in which from the milk of cows in particular of cattle and buffalo , from sheep or goats , or from sweet whey by coagulation of the protein components of the end product cheese is prepared. Colloquially, cheese production is also called cheese .

history

The history of cheese production goes back to the early Neolithic in Central Europe. Spectroscopic examinations ( GC-MS ) on sieve vessels of the linear ceramics (5500-4900 BC) from Kujawien prove residues of milk fat and thus their use for cheese production. Vessels with images of goats and sheep are known for the first time from the early Neolithic Körös culture (approx. 6000–5600 BC). Since lactase persistence (the compatibility of animal raw milk) was only proven in very isolated cases in the early Neolithic , fermented milk products (probably cheese) can also be assumed for the vessels of the Körös culture.

The production of cheese from sheep's or goat's milk was also widespread among the Egyptians and Greeks . The Romans promoted cheese culture. They seasoned cheese and refined it with herbs. After the fall of the Roman Empire , the knowledge of cheese making survived in Christian monasteries .

production method

Cheese can be made from both milk and whey.

Basic milk

It is used for cheese-making milk from cattle, buffalo, sheep or goats. Pig milk does not contain enough milk protein casein for cheese production . Untreated milk is used for the production of raw milk cheese .

If milk is used as a raw material for cheese production, the milk protein casein can be precipitated (coagulated) either by rennet or by acidification. The coagulation of casein gives the cheese its firm texture. Accordingly, a distinction is made between rennet cheese (sweet milk cheese) and sour milk cheese .

In the case of rennet cheese, the coagulation takes place using an enzyme mixture of pepsin and chymosin , which is contained in the rennet. In sour milk cheese, casein coagulates due to the lactic acid bacteria . Sour milk cheese is mostly cream cheese . However, there are also matured sour milk cheeses.

Basic ingredient sweet whey

Sweet whey is a by-product in the manufacture of rennet cheese. In whey cheese , the whey proteins albumin and globulin are precipitated from the sweet whey, which serves as the raw material. The precipitation takes place by heating the sweet whey. The curdling of whey cheese is not carried out by enzymes or lactic bacteria.

Manufacturing steps

The milk used to make cheese must meet strict quality requirements. A large part of the cheese is made from cow's milk, in rarer cases from sheep, buffalo or goat milk. For the production of raw milk cheese, preference is given to milk from cows that are fed hay and not silage even in winter . Silo fermentation produces the spore-forming (heat-stable) Clostridium tyrobutyricum , which can lead to incorrect fermentation in cheese.

preparation

Curdling of milk

The curdling of the milk helps determine which cheese is made.

Cutting, shaping, pressing

Thickened, after cutting with the cheese harp (top left)
Industrial cheese production
  • The thickened meat is cut into small pieces with the “ cheese harp ”. (The firmer the cheese should be, the smaller). Even today, the right time to cut is mainly determined by manual testing. This is how you get the " cheese curd ". According to the further processing, this curd is then carefully heated so that the broken grains contract further ( syneresis ) and lose even more whey. This process is known as "burning the break". Depending on the type of cheese, this happens at temperatures of up to 55 ° C. The higher the temperature, the more whey escapes and the higher the dry matter. Further processing affects the water content and thus the firmness and shelf life of the cheese.
  • Then the curd comes in typical forms. The cheese loaves are created.
  • For all types of cheese that are processed into semi-hard or hard cheese, the whey must be pressed. This can be done slowly or quickly using pressing devices or a cheesecloth .
  • Whey cheese can be obtained from the sweet whey by heating it.

Brine bath

Bathing in brine removes more water from the edges of the young cheese wheel and prepares the rind for it. The salt content of the brine is 15–22%, depending on the type of cheese. Salt also migrates into the cheese and thus contributes to the flavor development.

maturation

Cheese storage in a small dairy

Only cream cheese does not need to mature (see Quark production). Otherwise, the development of the aroma typical of the variety requires the cheese to mature for days, weeks or months. Metabolic processes of microorganisms play an important role here. For some standard cheeses, a certain minimum maturing time is required by law. During the ripening process, the loaves are turned, coated, brushed and sometimes rolled in herbs. Brine cheese such as feta is aged in a brine. With so-called noble mold cheese , i.e. ( blue cheese such as Blue Stilton and Gorgonzola or white mold cheese such as Camembert and Brie ), the curd or the cheese wheel is inoculated with special edible molds that shape the taste and appearance and sometimes envelop the cheese instead of a rind.

Finishing

In order to achieve special flavors, some cheeses are refined by so-called affineurs (affinage).

Preservation

Cheese smear machine

Many solid types of cheese are given a protective layer of wax before they mature . Or the cheese is repeatedly rubbed with salt or brine as it matures, which removes water from the outer layers and creates the hard, dry cheese rind . It protects a little against dehydration, pests, dirt and other damage. When treated correctly, the interaction with red smear creates a waxy, semi-soft bark that is still air-permeable. This air permeability enables the cheese to mature properly. Cheese that ripens in wax in the absence of air has less character and tastes correspondingly bland.

To protect against mold, the cheese rind is often treated with the - basically edible - preservative natamycin (E235).

Before shipping, the cheeses are often dipped in paraffin or coated with other plastics. This shell is impermeable to air and is supposed to stop the micro-organic processes in the loaf. Like the corresponding use of synthetic fabrics, it also serves to provide additional protection against dirt and mechanical damage, as well as often the brand identity, a higher quality appearance and thus as a marketing tool. In Germany such a cheese or cheese product may only be placed on the market if the food is labeled with: "Plastic coating not suitable for consumption".

The rind is only eaten with a few types and only with “young” cheeses. Sometimes cheese is placed in olive oil with spices and herbs to improve its shelf life, thereby enriching its taste at the same time. Usually it is cream or soft cheese. Or, like mozzarella , it goes on sale in brine. Some types of cheese are wrapped in leaves of vine or chestnut or rolled in pure wood ash.

Some national kitchens have developed specialties in order to be able to store less durable cheeses such as cream cheese longer. In French cuisine, these include Le Pitchou or Crottin de Berry à l'Huile d'Olive , in which cream cheese made from goat's milk is doused with oil. Remnants of cheese were previously processed in Fromage fort specialties. Today, these recipes, such as the confit d'Epoisses, are made and sold by cheese shops.

The different types of cheese

Hard cheese - extra hard cheese

Traditional cheese production in Switzerland

Natural raw milk is the raw material for the production of extra hard and hard cheese . After the rennet has coagulated, the milk is finely chopped up, as small cheese grains excrete more whey . In order to set the cheese grains well, the cheese grain-whey mixture is warmed up quite strongly and the cheese curd is then pressed for about 20 hours. The salt bath removes water from the cheese, the protein content is now at least 45%. Extra hard and hard cheeses ripen slowly. It takes a few months up to 3 years before they are ready for consumption. It is only full-fat cheeses with at least 45% fat in the dry matter.

Depending on the "age group", there are differences in taste in hard cheeses. The younger a cheese, the milder the taste. Only the fully ripened cheese reveals its full aroma.

A typical and traditional representative of the extra hard cheese is the Swiss Sbrinz. But various alpine cheeses also belong to this "genus".

The most famous hard cheeses are:

  • Gruyère : Ripe for consumption after 5 months, fully ripe after 8–12 months
  • Emmental cheese : Ripe for consumption after 4–5 months, fully ripe after 10–18 months
  • Sbrinz : Ripe for consumption after 18 months, fully ripe after 2–3 years
  • Parmesan : can be eaten after 12 months, fully ripened after at least 2 years

Semi-hard cheese

There are two different types of semi-hard cheese. Depending on the variety, they are made from pasteurized milk or from raw milk. For their coagulation, rennet is added to the milk and the cheese grain-whey mixture is cut into medium-sized cheese grains. The curd is heated and then pressed so that the cheese grains release the whey and solidify. After the salt bath, the cheeses are further treated and lubricated depending on the type.

The protein content of semi-hard cheese varies from 25 to 40%.

The semi-hard cheese is available in four different fat content levels:

The dough structure of the semi-hard cheese is slightly firm to soft-cut.

The same applies here: the "age" also makes them more recent to piquant . The range of semi-hard cheeses is huge. Typical representatives are: Raclette , Appenzeller , Tilsiter , Tête de Moine , Vacherin Fribourgeois , Bergkäse , Gouda , Edamer and Ziger .

Soft cheese

Pasteurized milk is mostly used to make soft cheese . After the rennet has been added, the cheese grains and whey mixture is only slightly heated so that the grains remain soft and large. The curd is then only lightly pressed or simply allowed to drain. The salt bath only lasts a short time. The cheeses have a water content of around 50% and a protein content of around 20%. That is why the ripening period only takes a few weeks.

There are generally two types:

Soft cheese with mold ripening

The dough of these cheeses is smooth, with increasing age it becomes fluid, the taste is mostly mild, but becomes increasingly stronger. Traditionally made cheeses have a sour, chalky core. Today's industrially produced soft cheese no longer has a core due to other acidification cultures (thermophilic). The white rind is also eaten. Brie , Camembert and Tomme are its most famous representatives. The maturation period is only 1–3 weeks.

Soft cheese with red smear

During the ripening period from a few weeks to 3 months, these cheeses are washed or lubricated with salt water. This is how they get their brownish rind. The dough is fine, soft and creamy. The mild taste becomes more pronounced and strong with age. Typical representatives are: Reblochon , Münster , Romadur, Limburger and Vacherin Mont-d'Or .

cream cheese

Whey by a Etamin - cheesecloth pressed; here at home production of cheese.

When making cream cheese , pasteurized milk is coagulated by adding little or no rennet and lactic acid bacteria. The whey is traditionally separated with a cheesecloth , in this case the thick mass is placed in a cloth and squeezed out.

Today's industrial methods for separating whey are centrifugation (with separators) or ultrafiltration . The separated cheese mass is enriched with cream up to the desired fat content level . Different additives are added depending on the type of cream cheese. The ingredients and additives are listed in the food label. Cream cheeses are rindless, unripened cheeses that are ready to eat immediately after their production. They are available in very different fat levels. Cream cheeses are quark-soft and spreadable, little or no salt, with a very delicate aroma.

The higher their fat content, the creamier and finer they are.

The best-known types are: Quark , cottage cheese , Formaggini , Petit-suisse , cream and double cream cheese .

Holes in the cheese

The ripening process that creates the holes is propionic acid fermentation . Certain propionic acid bacteria are added to milk . This build during the fermentation of lactose by lactic acid bacteria resulting lactic acid further decreases to propionic acid, acetic acid and CO 2 . At the beginning of the lactic acid breakdown, the CO 2 binds with water. If the water in the cheese is saturated with CO 2 , the CO 2 is released in gas form. Due to the formation of the crust in cheese, the gas can no longer escape; it collects in poorly overgrown areas in the cheese dough and forms cavities - the holes in the cheese. Depending on how many bacteria get into the milk and how the cheese is stored, there are more or fewer, smaller or larger holes.

The size, shape and distribution of the holes provide precise information about the process of ripening and thus about the quality of the cheese. The Emmentaler , for example, is known for its holes .

The smaller holes, for example in Tilsiter , appear before ripening and differ from the above. Here, the cheese is distributed in molds before maturing and only lightly pressed. The loose layering of the curd then creates the small holes.

The largest cheese producers

In 2014, 18.7 million tons of cheese were produced from whole cow milk worldwide. By far the most important cheese producer is the USA , followed by Germany and France , which are almost on par; Italy and the Netherlands follow . The largest cheese factory is also in the United States, in Gooding , Gooding County , Idaho . 120,000 tons of barrel cheese , the raw material for processed cheese, are produced there every year .

The biggest cheese producers in 2014
rank country Production
(in tons )
1 United StatesUnited States United States 5,221,857
2 GermanyGermany Germany 1,890,996
3 FranceFrance France 1,778,365
4th ItalyItaly Italy 1,176,020
5 NetherlandsNetherlands Netherlands 771.941
6th PolandPoland Poland 744,000
7th ArgentinaArgentina Argentina 558.907
8th Czech RepublicCzech Republic Czech Republic 548,000
9 RussiaRussia Russia 494,000
10 United KingdomUnited Kingdom United Kingdom 410,000
...
18th SwitzerlandSwitzerland Switzerland 185.336
19th AustriaAustria Austria 177.202

France is particularly known among cheese-producing countries for its large number of cheeses. The French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée distinguishes between the four production categories Fermier , Artisanal , Coopératives and Industriel .

See also

Web links

Commons : Cheese Making  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Mélanie Salque et al .: Earliest evidence for cheese making in the sixth millennium bc in northern Europe. Nature (2012) doi: 10.1038 / nature11698 , December 12, 2012, accessed on December 13, 2012 (English).
  2. 7,500 year old cheese. Der Standard, December 12, 2012, accessed December 13, 2012 .
  3. ^ J. Burger, M. Kirchner, B. Bramanti, W. Haak and MG Thomas: Absence of the lactase-persistence-associated allele in early Neolithic Europeans. In: PNAS , Volume 104, No. 10, March 6, 2007, pp. 3736-3741 (published online February 28, 2007), doi : 10.1073 / pnas.0607187104
  4. ^ Gianaclis Caldwell: Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking: The Ultimate Guide for Home-Scale and Market Producers . Chelsea Green Publishing, September 19, 2012, ISBN 978-1-60358-333-6 , p. 75.
  5. Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety : Natamycin in cheese rind - everything safe? , Statement of the BfR January 2012: The area of ​​application of natamycin as a food additive should not be expanded.
  6. Section 15 (5) of the Cheese Ordinance . According to Section 30 Paragraph 4 Cheese Ordinance with Section 59 Paragraph 1 No. 21 LFGB a criminal offense with the threat of up to 1 year imprisonment.
  7. a b Cheese Production. FAOSTAT, accessed on May 27, 2018 .
  8. "Zuivelzicht" 25 April 2007