• Question: how do you make cheese

    Asked by deano to Ailsa, Evan, James, Kath, Ryan on 22 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Evan Keane

      Evan Keane answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      As far as I know you acidify milk and it separates into curds (solid bits) and whey (liquid). You ever hear of little Miss Muffit? The curds are then what becomes the cheese. And I think you heat and add salt and flavourings and stuff to the curds too before it is finished. Mmmm cheese. 🙂

    • Photo: Ailsa Powell

      Ailsa Powell answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      Mmmm, cheese, one of my favourite foods 🙂

      Evan is pretty much right there. The curds are pressed into moulds to get rid of all the excess moisture and then stored in cool places to mature. Different cheese occur due to differences in the milk used (not just different animal milk but what the cows were feeding on can affect the flavour) and differences in the storage environment.

      Here’s a website that will tell you how to make cheddar: http://www.allotment.org.uk/allotment_foods/cheese-making/making-cheddar-cheese-home.php

      And here’s a good one telling you about the cheese making process and how Wensleydale is made:
      http://www.wensleydale.co.uk/cheeses/wensleydale-cheese-making-process

    • Photo: Ryan Ladd

      Ryan Ladd answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      It’s actually pretty easy to make soft cheeses like goat’s cheese. Here’s some instructions!

      http://www.shesimmers.com/2010/05/how-to-make-fresh-goat-cheese-at-home.html

    • Photo: James Hargreaves

      James Hargreaves answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      I’ll let the other scientists answer this!
      but they have the process pretty spot on!

      things change when they want to make other cheese like dairylea or philly!! 🙂 it can get very tasty in the lab when making these kind of things!!

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