After 30 minutes the curd is ready to be cut.  At this point the whey is released. The whey is extracted and used again for feeding puposes.

The last part is a process of heating and stirring, before it is finally time for moulding.  The cheese granules are poured into the moulds and compressed. The moulds are transferred onto the tables and left over night.

The next day, the cheese is marked and put into the salt bath. The following day, the cheese is then stored in a humid cold room, where it is washed and turned every 2nd day until it reaches its desired taste and texture.

Some of our cheeses are matured up to 12 months before they are ready to enjoy.

LOW FAT CHEESES

Traditional cheeses, such as Parmesan and Single Gloucester, were made with skimmed milk. The cream was skimmed off to use for cooking or to make butter. Today, with the growing obsession with low-fat foods, increasing numbers of cheeses are being made in low-fat versions. The fat, however, is what gives the cheese its texture and depth of the flavour. Consequently low-fat versions of traditional cheeses tend to lack both body and texture. It is far better to use a smaller amount of a traditional cheese than a large quantity of a bland, low-fat substitute.

Try using a soft cheese as they have a higher moisture content and therefore a lower percentage of fat than a harder cheese. Or, simply use less of a more mature, stronger-tasting hard cheese.

Information courtesy of The World Encyclopaedia of Cheese by Juliet Harbutt, Published by Lorenz Books.