How Is Cheese Made From Milk Without The Milk Spoiling Since The Cheese Has To Age Esp. Cottage & Rocatta????
Filed in Category Cheese Milk
I don’t understand me and my fiance can’t figure out if cheese is aged milk, and when milk ages it spoils, then why is cheese not spoiled milk? or how do they get to make the cheese without the milk spoiling in the process? Especially Cottage and Rocatta Cheese?
2 Comments so far
Technically, the milk does spoil. Cheese is made by curdling (or spoiling) the milk through the addition of enzymes (such as rennet), bacteria, or mold.
This is different from spoiled milk because spoiled milk is has been fermented (the process which curdles the milk) by wild bacteria which live in the air, whereas in the making of cheese very specific fermenting agents are used to create a desired flavor.
Cheese cannot actually spoil since it is already “spoiled.” It can grow mold from the same wild sources if it is left for too long, but this is usually not harmful, and if the texture or flavor of it is undesireable, the outer layer of cheese can simply be cut off.
Refrigeration of course hinders such growth, but in many countries, cheese is not refrigerated, but rather kept on the counter, covered by a damp towel to prevent it from drying out. This is expecially done with ged cheeses, which are less susceptible to wild bacteria and mold.
YES.