12 Comments so far

1. ©Florida Gator Man on December 26, 2009 4:18 am

   Swiss cheese is the generic name, in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, for several related varieties of cheese, all of which resemble the Swiss Emmental. Some types of Swiss cheese have a distinctive appearance, as the blocks of the cheese are riddled with holes known as “eyes”. Swiss cheese is known for its nutty, bittersweet taste.
   Three types of bacteria are used in the production of Emmental cheese: Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus, Lactobacillus (L. helveticus or Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus), and Propionibacter (P. freudenreichii or P. shermani). In a late stage of cheese production, the Propionibacter consumes the lactic acid excreted by the other bacteria, and releases carbon dioxide gas, which slowly forms the bubbles that develop the eyes. Swiss cheese without eyes is known as “blind.”
   In general, the larger the eyes in a Swiss cheese, the more pronounced its flavor; this is because the same conditions that lead to large eyes—longer aging or higher temperatures—also allow the bacteria and enzymes to produce a stronger flavor. This poses a problem for makers of pre-sliced Swiss cheese, the most popular category in the United States. Cheese with large eyes doesn’t slice well, sometimes coming apart in mechanical slicers. This costs time and money and is one reason why US manufacturers usually produce a product less aged and flavorful than imported cheeses of the same style.
   Baby Swiss is another related cheese, often found in the US. Made by substituting water for the milk’s whey to slow bacterial action, baby Swiss cheese has smaller holes and a milder flavor. Baby Swiss is often made from whole milk.
   Lacy Swiss is a further variety of US small hole Swiss cheese made with low fat milk
   The Largest manufacturer of Swiss cheese in the world is Brewster Dairy, Located in Brewster, Ohio

2. Muschi on December 26, 2009 4:48 am

   A search on “swiss cheese holes” revealed that gassy bacteria are behind all that holey cheese. In order to make cheese, you need the help of bacteria. Starter cultures containing bacteria are added to milk, where they create lactic acid, essential for producing cheese. Various types of bacteria can be used to make cheese, and some cheeses require several different bacteria to give them a particular flavor.
   Propionibacter shermani is one of the three types of bacteria used to make Swiss cheese, and it’s responsible for the cheese’s distinctive holes.
   I love eating the holes lol.

3. grandmas on December 26, 2009 5:26 am

   Don’t feel slow, I didn’t know either.
   A search on “swiss cheese holes” revealed that gassy bacteria are behind all that holey cheese. In order to make cheese, you need the help of bacteria. Starter cultures containing bacteria are added to milk, where they create lactic acid, essential for producing cheese. Various types of bacteria can be used to make cheese, and some cheeses require several different bacteria to give them a particular flavor.
   Propionibacter shermani is one of the three types of bacteria used to make Swiss cheese, and it’s responsible for the cheese’s distinctive holes. Once P. shermani is added to the cheese mixture and warmed, bubbles of carbon dioxide form. These bubbles become holes in the final product. Cheesemakers can control the size of the holes by changing the acidity, temperature, and curing time of the mixture. Incidentally, those holes are technically called “eyes,” and the proper Swiss name for the cheese is Emmentaler (also spelled Emmental or Emmenthaler).
   Swiss cheese has been in the news recently because the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) created new guidelines that regulate the hole size of domestically produced Swiss cheese. The USDA reduced the standard size of the holes by half because new cheese-slicing machinery got caught on larger holes. The Swiss weren’t pleased by the revised guidelines and insist that Emmentaler must have large holes. Considering how iconic those eyes are, we think they have a good point.

4. Philbert on December 26, 2009 6:12 am

   It’s from the bacteria that are used to culture the cheese. They create air bubbles that make the holes.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_chees…

5. Heyy H on December 26, 2009 7:04 am

   hahah good question! idkk srry
   answer mine? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=2…
   thanks!!

6. marie s on December 26, 2009 7:33 am

   Air bubbles in the fermentation process. Don’t feel slow no other cheese bubbles/ It’s not something one usually thinks about

7. iLUV P*I*N*K* on December 26, 2009 8:14 am

   that a very good question. i neva thot about and i guess i kno wut u mean about feelin slow.

8. rosey92 on December 26, 2009 9:06 am

   because the cheese is rotten and they grow holes! haha
   idk.

9. Duke O on December 26, 2009 9:56 am

   slouip

10. Rebecca on December 26, 2009 10:14 am

    Air bubbles!

11. ? Mart .x on December 26, 2009 10:40 am

    perhaps the guy making it was desperate… lol ;]

12. EFG on December 26, 2009 11:26 am

    because ur a scene queen