Find Out More About Brine Bath
Depending on the size of the cheese, it can be placed in a bath of brine for between a few hours and two days. The brine bath has a salt content of around 22% and a temperature of approx. 15 °C. The high salt content helps to remove more of the whey and the cheese also absorbs the salt. During this process, the cheese solidifies and a rind forms on the surface. This gives the cheese the protection it requires from external influences and helps to keep the shape of the cheese. The brine bath also prevents the formation of undesired bacteria on the surface. The absorption of the salt improves the taste of the cheese.
Interesting fact: the density of the brine of 1.15 kg / l means that the heavy wheels of cheese actually float in the brine bath.
How Emmenthal Is Made
Raw cow’s milk is gently heated in large copper kettles or vats. Natural whey and rennet are added to trigger coagulation and curd formation. The curd is separated and placed in molds, and the whey is drained. The molds are then brined and aged. A mix of proprietary cultures, including propionic bacteria, is added during the maturing process. The propionic bacteria feeds on the lactic acid and releases bubbles of carbon dioxide during the aging process. The bubbles get trapped in the rind and slowly form holes. While the cheese matures, the temperatures will be kept warm to allow the cheese’s signature holes to form. After two months, the cheese will take on the characteristics of Emmenthal cheese. The cheese is produced in large wheels about 3 1/2 feet wide and approximately 200 pounds.
Emmenthal without the AOP designation is also produced in France and Germany, as well as in the United States, where it is widely available as both Emmenthal and Swiss cheese and is moderately priced. The non-AOP cheese is milder and lacks the flavor characteristics of true Swiss Emmenthal since the milk and cultures used are not the same as those used in the designated areas of the production in Switzerland.
What Is Emmenthal Cheese
Swiss Emmenthal production can be traced back to the 13th century in the valley of the river Emme in the Swiss canton or region of Bern. It is Switzerland’s oldest cheese and considered an integral part of Swiss heritage. Emmenthal produced in the region’s creameries benefits from appellation dorigine protégée or protected designation of origin status, requiring it to be made from fresh raw milk from cows fed exclusively on grass and hay within the designated areas of production, with no additives or genetically modified ingredients.
Emmenthal is a smooth, semihard cheese made from cow’s milk. It has a firm, dense body and a hard, inedible rind. It ranges from smooth and buttery to nutty, fruity, and full-flavored. Young or classic Emmenthal is aged for at least four months and is mild and fruity.
You May Like: What Can Replace Milk In Mac And Cheese
List Of Swiss Cheeses
Switzerland is home to over 475 varieties of cheese.Cow‘s milk is used in about 99 percent of the cheeses produced. The remaining share is made up of sheep milk and goat milk.
The best known Swiss cheeses are of the class known as Swiss-type cheeses, also known as Alpine cheeses, a group of hard or semi-hard cheeses with a distinct character, whose origins lie in the Alps of Europe, although they are now eaten and imitated in most cheesemaking parts of the world. These include Emmental, Gruyère and Appenzeller, as well as many other traditional varieties from Switzerland and neighbouring countries with Alpine regions. Their distinct character arose from the requirements of cheese made in the summer on high Alpine grasslands , and then transported with the cows down to the valleys in the winter, in the historic culture of Alpine transhumance. Traditionally the cheeses were made in large rounds or “wheels” with a hard rind, to provide longevity to the shelf-life.
alpage
Cut Curds & Remove Whey
Once a firm curd has formed, cut the curd mass into 3/8 inch pieces as evenly as possible over 5-10 minutes.
Allow the curds to rest for 5 minutes, then stir gently for another 5 minutes. After stirring allow the curds to settle to the bottom of the vat for another 5 minutes.
Next, carefully remove 1/3 of the whey. This will reduce the lactose, thus slowing down the bacteria and acid production. This step is what makes the elastic texture found in Baby Swiss.
Also Check: Is Cheddar Cheese High In Sodium
Cheese Making Starts At The Source
Most important to makers of genuine Swiss cheese is the care of the cattle that provide the milk. The cows graze in the summer on the rich herbs and grasses of the Alps, which gives their milk an herbal quality. The cheese from summer grazing is referred to as Alpine cheese, and has a yellower color than cheese made from winter milk.
Are Provolone And Swiss The Same
Two commonly confused cheese types are provolone and swiss. So, whats the difference between swiss and provolone? Although similar in color, theyre made in different ways, in different parts of the world. Swiss tends to have a nuttier, more pronounced flavor and provolone is usually more mild and tangy.
Also Check: How To Make Cup Mac And Cheese
How Do The Holes Form In The Cheese
A popular topic and an issue that sparks all kinds of speculation: what are the holes in the cheese all about?
Gas-forming microorganisms create carbon dioxide, or CO2. In solid or viscous cheese, the CO2 cannot escape evenly and slowly out of the cheese. As a result, large, irregular holes are formed or cracks created in the places where there is a heavy concentration of gas.
The CO2 is distributed evenly in soft cheese. This means that a large, even hole can grow gradually in places where the curds have not grown together. CO2 creates good holes due to its high water solubility.
Et voilà! The mystery behind the holes in the cheese has been solved!
Get To Know Your Swiss Cheeses
The Swiss take their cheese seriously and not surprisingly, cheese is big business in Switzerland, where they produce about 180,000 tons of cheese a year and export about a third of all they produce. Most Swiss cheeses are mountain cheesesmade with raw alpine milk. They are firm, long-aged cheeses with pronounced flavor. Today, modern technology is used to produce most of the cheese, yet for the most part it’s still made in hundreds of small dairies using milk produced locally on small farms.
Don’t Miss: How Much Is A Bacon Egg And Cheese Mcgriddle
Why Swiss Cheese Has Fewer Holes Than It Used To
Holey Swiss cheese? These days, not so much. If youve been wondering why your Swiss cheese your Emmentaler or Appenzeller has fewer of its iconic eyes, agricultural researchers in Switzerland have finally brought you your answer: Blame cleanliness.
As far back as 1917, scientists were considering the holes in Swiss cheese and concluding that they were formed by bacteria that produced carbon dioxide, according to Agroscope, the Swiss governments agricultural research institute. Researchers didnt know much, however, about what the bacteria were and how they got there in the first place.
In the past decade or so, as the holes have appeared to be disappearing, scientists took another look. Now they have determined that the holes in Swiss cheese have historically been made by plant microparticles generally teensy bits of hay dust that find their way into cheeses during the cheese-making process. As the old open-bucket-in-a barn methods of milking have been phased out, replaced by closed modern machine milking systems, those foreign particles are less present. Thus the cheese is formed with fewer holes.
The researchers, who used computed tomography to gaze into the cheese during its 130-day refining process, said in a report that they were stunned by their finding. With the use of hay particles, they say, it is possible to practically control the opening of the cheese at will.
So long, holelessness and randomness. Hello, perfectly placed holes?
Ask Not For Whom The Cheese Bell Tolls Especially If Its Expensive
The reason why these Emmental wheels are so big is due to a word you never hear associated with Switzerland cheapness. Long, long ago, this mountainous country had a lot of peaks and rivers that needed bridges to cross. And every bridge had a toll you had to pay. They couldnt just weigh the entire wagon like they do with trucks today. So instead the toll collector calculated your fee by the number of items in your cart. Ten wheels of cheese would result in your being charged ten times. So cheesemakers made just one cheese that was the same weight as 10 smaller cheeses. Et voila, your transport costs dropped almost 90%!
WHAT CAN I PAIR WITH EMMENTALER?
This cheese is sweeter, sometimes nuttier and often has a texture that is more elastic then many other cheeses. Crisp, dry white wines like Rieslings are popular choices since they dont overwhelm the flavor of the fromage. Other chilled wines like Roses or ice wines can also work. With reds merlots, pinots and zinfandels are popular choices. Beer-wise look more towards laegers and pilsners that arent overwhelming in flavor. For Swiss cheese flights, a 12 month Gruyere and a nice Appenzeller are a nice introduction to the mountain pastures they come from. Be careful though, not all Emmentals are alike, and cheaper ones should be used more for cooking then for cheese plates.
Also Check: Is Cheese A Good Snack For Weight Loss
How Is Swiss Cheese Made
Traditional Emmental Switzerland cheese is a cows milk cheese made in large copper kettles. Thermophilic bacterial cultures sprinkled into hot milk produce flavorful acids.
Then, cheesemakers gel the milk with rennet before passing the curds through a series of heating steps. This places Emmental in the category of cooked cheeses. Eventually, cheesemakers drain and press the curds, then soak the pressed young cheese in a salt brine.
Upon removal from the brine, the cheese ages in a cool, high-moisture environment. It will form its distinctive eyes during this aging period, which grow more prominent the longer it ages.
Remove Whey & Form Curds
Next, drain the whey to 1 above cheese surface and place a plate ontop of the curds that’s large enough to cover the curd mass. Add a weight ontp of the place that’s approximately 1/2 of the expected curd weight, 2.5 lbs for 4 gal . This will help consolidate the warm curd nicely and minimize any mechanical holes in the cheese body.
Remove remaining whey and transfer curd mass into cloth and then immediately into a cheese mold for draining. Do this by simply rolling the consolidated curd mass into the cheese cloth and gather it as a single cheese, then transfer this to the cheese mold.
You May Like: What To Use Instead Of Milk For Mac And Cheese
Delicious Swiss Made Cheese Overview
Delicious Swiss made Cheese and elegant looking watches are the synonyms of Switzerland! They dominate the cheese market throughout the world with their exclusive Swiss made Cheese. The Cheese derived from milk. And like other milk products, the original best Swiss Cheese also carries essential nutrition ingredients. They are great for making salad and other cheese dishes.
Whether you are going to make pasta or tasty hand burger, the quality of the cheese can make a lot of difference. This is the reason to make your mean more memorable you must consider best Swiss made cheese. Needless to say, Swiss cheese does come with different varieties and flavors. Thus it is crucial that you must understand the purpose of purchasing the cheese in the first place to make your experience amazing.
Life without a good quality of the cheese is incomplete. And people throughout the world understand that Swiss made cheese not only good, but they are excellent. They are made with the utmost care and best Swiss ingredients. Therefore, you can always get the best taste, nutrition, and aroma out of it.
Swiss Cheese Vs Emmenthal Vs Gruyre
Emmenthal, Switzerland’s oldest and most prestigious cheese, comes from the Emmental Valley in the west-central Bern regionthe town of origin will usually be stamped on the rind. Made from unpasteurized cow’s milk, it ranges in flavor from nutty to fruity to a complexity that makes it taste both subtly sweet and faintly acidic, depending on its maturity. The irregular holes range from pea-sized to the size of a walnut. It comes out of the mountains in wheels that can weigh 200 pounds.
American versions of Emmenthal use pasteurized milk or follow U.S. law and age the unpasteurized cheese at least 60 days. Some cheesemakers produce a reasonable imitation of the Swiss cheese, but the variety commonly found in U.S. grocery stores labeled as “Swiss cheese” does not have the character of a true Emmenthal. The holes also tend to be more consistent in size, and there is no rind.
Gruyère’s namesake is the valley of the same name in the Fribourg region of Switzerland. Also produced with whole cow’s milk, it has similar characteristics to Emmenthal, though it’s generally described as slightly sweeter and more buttery. The rind is brownish gold, the center is pale yellow, and the holes are much smaller and more evenly spaced than those of Emmenthal. During the aging process, the holes may even shrink to a nearly indiscernible size. Gruyère is typically sold by the wedge from wheels that weigh up to 100 pounds.
Don’t Miss: Where To Buy Beecher’s Flagship Cheese
How Is Cheese Made Step By Step: Principles Production And Process
In this article we will discuss about the methods and processes of cheese production. Learn about:- 1. Principles of Cheese-Making 2. Production of Cheddar Cheese 3. Production of Swiss Cheese 4. Production of Surface-Ripened Cheeses 5. Production of Mold-Ripened Cheeses 6. Production of Process Cheese.
Contents:
1. Principles of Cheese-Making:
The basic steps in cheesemaking, as outlined by Kosikowski , are:
Setting milk ,
Cutting the coagulum,
Cooking the cut coagulum ,
Removing whey from the curd,
Allowing curd particles to knit,
Salting ,
Pressing, and
Ripening of the finished cheese.
The various facets of this general procedure will be considered in the following paragraphs:
Milk:
Fresh milk obtained from healthy cows should be cooled rapidly and then promptly delivered to the cheese factory where it should be converted to cheese as soon as possible. The milk should be free from antibiotic residues, other chemical contaminants, and serious off-flavors.
After milk arrives at the factory, it is commonly clarified with a centrifuge to remove small extraneous particles and somatic cells. The milk fat content of the clarified milk may be adjusted, depending on the variety of cheese that is to be made. Some cheese is made from raw milk, but it is more common to use heat-treated or pasteurized milk.
Ripening of Cheese:
What Happens To The Whey
Whey is actually a waste product from the cheesemaking process it is the name given to the green liquid, which escapes from the curd as it is processed. The whey is pumped away and generally spun and then processed into other products. Whey products include whey drinks, whey butter and quark. It is also used in processed foods or cosmetics as whey powder. However, the majority of the whey is used as animal feed.
Note: Molke, Schotte and Sirte are all names used for whey in Switzerland Molke is the most common term in the German-speaking world.
Read Also: Can I Eat Swiss Cheese On Keto
Why Does Swiss Cheese Have Holes
- Article
Swiss cheese has holes because of carbon dioxide bubbles that form in the cheese. Thats the short answer.
But if you really want to know more about the science behind the Swiss, we have you covered.
First, you need to get the lingo right. Cheesemakers dont call those telltale openings holes they call them eyes. Eyes are specific to Swiss and theyre caused by a special bacterial culture called Propionibacteria, or Props, that gets added to the cheese.
Props are found in hay, grasses and soil and find their way into raw milk naturally when cows are milked. The pasteurization process kills the bacteria in milk, including Props, so if pasteurized milk is used as the base for Swiss, cheesemakers add some back in so eyes will form.
After the Swiss is made and brined, the blocks or wheels are placed in warm rooms, which helps the Props produce carbon dioxide and also keeps the cheese at the right consistency.
Plus — props to the Props! — the handy bacteria also help give Swiss its characteristic nutty flavor. And they play the lead role in a number of other cheeses related to Swiss.
For example, while we call it Swiss cheese in the U.S., Swiss cheese made in Switzerland is called Emmental. Other varieties, such as Baby Swiss and Jarlsburg, are types of Emmental, with different amounts of moisture, fat and other bacterial cultures that may have been added along with the Props.
Here are some other fun facts about Swiss:
Dont some other cheeses have eyes, too?
How Long Does Swiss Cheese Last
Properly wrapped in a loose layer of parchment paper followed by plastic wrap, Emmental should last 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator. As with any cheese, check for mold before consuming and discard any moldy pieces by cutting around them without touching the mold spots.
Emmental does not preserve well in the freezer, especially when it is pre-sliced freezing temperatures make this cheese crumbly and bland. Only purchase a quantity you can store in the fridge and consume within a month.
Read Also: Does Whole Foods Sell Burrata Cheese
