Cheesemaking

Milling, Salting and Moulding

The curds are mechanically milled, or on small scale can be broken by hand. This enables the salt to be mixed and the curds pressed into a shape. Salt is added to the curd to enhance the flavour, inhibit further acid development and improve the keeping quality. Salt may be added in the dry form before moulding or rubbed into the surface of the cheese after moulding and pressing. Caerphilly is traditionally brined, although in some of the old recipes dry salt was mixed with the curd. Untextured cheese of the Gouda and Edam type are salted by immersing in brine after pressing. This again is an area of the recipe where there are many varietal differences. Tradition, ease of handling of the final cheese, as well as the desired end product, have all played a part in deciding on the shape and size of the various varieties. Supermarkets and the need for prepacked cheese portions, have influenced the need for rindless fixed weight block cheese. The modern blockformer relies on vacuum to draw the curd together rather than the more traditional pressing. The blockformer gives a more dense cheese, with little if any of the mechanical openings of a traditional cheese.

The development of modern creamery manufacture has given an added dimension to cheese textures. This, combined with the resurgence of traditional cheesemaking, is now providing the consumer with an even greater choice.

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