How Cheese is Made | The Art of Cheesemaking

Summary

Wisconsin’s unique combination of soil, topography, and climate creates the ideal environment for producing the world’s best milk, making it the home of over 1,200 award-winning cheese makers. The video takes viewers through the five essential steps of cheese-making: sourcing fresh milk, culturing and coagulating the milk, cutting and cooking curds, salting and forming, and finally aging the cheese. With more than 600 different types of cheese produced, Wisconsin’s rich tradition of cheese-making continues to produce flavors that are cherished worldwide, blending time-honored techniques with modern innovation to create masterpieces of taste and texture.

Takeaways

• 😀 Wisconsin is known as America's Dairyland, producing the world's best milk and over 600 varieties of cheese.
• 😀 The five essential steps in cheese making are: milk selection, adding cultures and enzymes, cutting and cooking the curd, salting and pressing, and aging and finishing.
• 😀 Freshness and quality of milk are crucial for creating high-quality cheese, with each step in cheese making designed to preserve and enhance its properties.
• 😀 Master cheese makers in Wisconsin, such as Kari Henning, Bruce Workman, and Sid Cook, use specialized techniques to ensure the best flavor and texture in their cheeses.
• 😀 Coagulation is a key process in cheese making where the addition of enzymes and bacteria causes the milk to thicken and form curds.
• 😀 The curds are cut into different sizes depending on the type of cheese being made: smaller curds for harder cheeses like Parmesan, and larger curds for softer cheeses like mozzarella.
• 😀 Salting is an essential step in cheese making that enhances flavor, helps preserve the cheese, and aids in moisture control.
• 😀 The aging process is where the magic happens—cheese ripens in temperature and moisture-controlled rooms, with different cheeses requiring different aging times.
• 😀 Wisconsin cheese makers use traditional methods, such as hand-flipping cheese and scrubbing the rind, to ensure the perfect finish on cheeses like brick and Gouda.
• 😀 Wisconsin’s unique terroir, combining its soil, topography, and climate, makes it an ideal place for producing world-class dairy products.

Q & A

What makes Wisconsin the perfect place for cheese production?

Wisconsin's soil, topography, and climate combine to create the ideal terroir for producing high-quality milk, which is essential for making some of the world's best cheese.

How do Wisconsin cheese makers ensure the milk used is of the highest quality?

The milk is lab-tested for freshness, safety, and to ensure there are no antibiotics present. Afterward, it is pasteurized at 161 degrees for 15 seconds to optimize the milk for cheese production.

What is the role of pasteurization in cheese making?

Pasteurization ensures the milk is safe and its fat content is optimized for the specific type of cheese being produced.

What does the term 'DEP' refer to in cheese making?

DEP stands for 'standardization,' a process that adjusts the fat content of milk to suit the type of cheese being made.

Why does it take about 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese?

Cheese production concentrates the milk, meaning the flavors and proteins are concentrated 10 times in the final product compared to the original milk.

How does the starter culture influence the flavor of cheese?

The starter culture consists of bacteria that convert milk sugars (lactose) into lactic acid. By changing the starter culture, cheese makers can influence whether the cheese will be sweet or bitter.

What is coagulation in cheese making?

Coagulation is the process where the milk proteins bind together, turning the milk into curds and whey, which is a critical step in making cheese.

How does the size of the curds affect the final texture of the cheese?

Smaller curds release more whey, resulting in a firmer, drier cheese, while larger curds retain more moisture, resulting in a softer cheese.

Why is salt used during the cheese making process?

Salt enhances flavor, develops the texture, draws moisture from the cheese, and acts as a natural preservative. It is incorporated in various ways, such as sprinkled on curds or added to brine.

What happens during the aging process of cheese?

Aging allows the cheese to develop its flavor and texture. Fresh cheeses are ready quickly, while harder cheeses may take weeks or even years to fully ripen. During this time, the cheese's bacteria and molds evolve, affecting its taste and consistency.