cheesemaking
Curd into wheel
Cheesemaking is the craft of transforming milk into cheese through controlled processes of curdling, draining, pressing, and aging.
The practice dates back thousands of years and ranges from industrial-scale production to artisanal methods passed down through generations.
A cheesemaker manipulates variables like temperature, humidity, and bacterial cultures to produce everything from soft fresh cheeses to hard aged varieties.
She learned traditional cheesemaking techniques in the Swiss Alps.
Coagulated milk solids
- wheyLiquid from curdled dairy
- rennetMilk-curdling enzyme complex
- coagulationLiquid solidifying into mass
- curdlingSeparating into lumps
acidification · pressing · brining · salting · molding · draining · cutting · stirring
Open-weave straining fabric
- vatLarge liquid container
- hoopsCircular bands or rims
- moldsHollow shaping containers
- pressApply force downward
thermometer · pH meter · forms · bandages · wax · ladle · brine tank
Made manually, not machined
- small-batchProduced in limited quantities
- farmsteadFarm with residence
- cave-agedMatured in underground chambers
- terroirGeography's influence on taste
traditional · handmade · local · seasonal · grass-fed · organic · unpasteurized · natural
Anaerobic metabolism byproduct
- enzymesReaction-speeding proteins
- culturesCollective human practices
- starter cultureMicroorganisms initiating fermentation
- lactobacillusAcid-producing beneficial bacterium
bacteria · microorganisms · fermentation · pH balance · inoculation · probiotics · coagulant · calcium chloride
Brine-cured cheese style
semi-soft · brined · smoked · flavored · bandaged · waxed · clothbound · farmstead
Of high elevations
- monasteryReligious seclusion dwelling
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- regionalRelating to an area
appellation · time-honored · old-world · generational · provenance · terroir · AOC · DOP
curds
Coagulated milk solids
- wheyLiquid from curdled dairy
- rennetMilk-curdling enzyme complex
- coagulationLiquid solidifying into mass
curdling · acidification · pressing · brining · salting · molding · draining · cutting · stirring · hooping
cheesecloth
Open-weave straining fabric
press · thermometer · pH meter · forms · bandages · wax · ladle · brine tank
handcrafted
Made manually, not machined
- small-batchProduced in limited quantities
- farmsteadFarm with residence
- cave-agedMatured in underground chambers
terroir · traditional · handmade · local · seasonal · grass-fed · organic · unpasteurized · natural · heritage breeds
lactic acid
Anaerobic metabolism byproduct
- enzymesReaction-speeding proteins
- culturesCollective human practices
- starter cultureMicroorganisms initiating fermentation
lactobacillus · bacteria · microorganisms · fermentation · pH balance · inoculation · probiotics · coagulant · calcium chloride · lipase
washed-rind
Brine-cured cheese style
soft · semi-soft · brined · smoked · flavored · bandaged · waxed · clothbound · farmstead
alpine
Of high elevations
regional · appellation · time-honored · old-world · generational · provenance · terroir · AOC · DOP
- dairyingdairy farms, dairy cows, milk production, dairy farming, creameries
- dairy craftscoagulation, rennet, curds, whey, cultures
- craftssewing, knitting, painting, glue, scissors
- farmworkharvesting, farmworkers, planting, farm labor, crop farming
- handicraftssewing, knitting, pottery, weaving, embroidery
- old tradesblacksmith, blacksmithing, cooper, carpentry, cobbler
cheesemakingbutter churning
Converting cream mechanically
buttermaking · yogurt making · ice cream making · milk pasteurization
cheese, making, cheesemaker, casein, cheesemonger, cheesemongers, cheesemakers