It’s All About the Cheese!

1. It’s All About the Cheese!

2. Cheese…What is it? A food made from pressed curds of milk.

3. How is cheese made? • Cows, sheep, or goats milk • Rennet or bacteria • Whey • Curd • Drain or press Herbst, 2001

4. Fresh/Unripened Cheese Examples include Cream Cheese, Cottage Cheese, and Ricotta Herbst, 2001

5. Ripened/Aged Curds are cured by the following methods; • Heat • Bacteria • Soaking • Ripening Herbst, 2001

6. Hard Cheeses • Cooked, pressed and turned, aged for about 2 years • Hard and dry • Ideal for grating • Examples include Parmesan, Pecorino, and Gruyere Herbst, 2001

7. Semi Firm Cheeses • Firm but not crumbly • Cooked and pressed but, not aged as long as hard cheeses • Examples include Cheddar and Edam Herbst, 2001

8. Semi Soft Cheeses • Pressed • Cooked or uncooked • Sliceable but soft • Examples include Gouda and Jack Herbst, 2001

9. Soft Ripened/Surface Ripened Cheeses • Not cooked or pressed • Sprayed or dipped in bacteria • Ripens from the outside in • Develops a powdery or golden orange rind • Can range from semi soft to spreadable • Examples include Brie and Port L’Eveque Herbst, 2001

10. Blue Veined Cheeses • Inoculated or sprayed with spores of molds • Sometimes punctured to ensure mold penetration • Results in pockets or veins of flavorful blue or green mold • Examples includeStilton and Roquefort Herbst, 2001

11. Italian Pasta Filata(stretched curd cheeses) • Curds are dipped in a hot whey bath, kneaded, and stretched • Examples include Mozzarella and Provolone Herbst, 2001

12. To Serve Cheese • Serve ripened cheeses at room temperature • Remove from the refrigerator about 30 to 60 minutes before serving • Keep unripened cheeses refrigerated until just before service Herbst, 2001

13. To Properly Store Cheese Wrap cheeses securely so that they will not dry out. Herbst, 2001

14. Herbst, S. (2001). Food Lover’s Companion.