Hard cheese
Cheddar
England — Cheddar, Somerset. Named after the Somerset village; made worldwide today.
PDOWest Country Farmhouse Cheddar. PDO for traditionally made cheddar from Somerset, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall; 'cheddar' alone is generic.
Profile
- Milk
- Cow's milk.
- Pasteurisation
- Mostly pasteurised; some farmhouse cheddars use raw milk.
- Texture
- Firm, smooth; crumbly and crystalline when aged.
- Flavour
- Mild to sharp, nutty, tangy.
- Aroma
- Buttery, brothy.
- Rind
- Cloth-bound (traditional) or rindless block.
- Typical maturation
- About 3 months (mild) to 2 years or more (vintage)
Tasting & pairing
Taste mild, mature and vintage: notice crystals and sharpness. Use the tasting wheel.
Food
- Apples
- Chutney
- Crusty bread
- Pickled onions
Drinks (non-alcoholic)
- Apple juice
- Strong tea
Optional, if you drink alcohol: Ale, Cider.
Storage: Wrap in paper; refrigerate. Hard cheeses with a spot of mould: cut at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) around it (USDA FSIS).
How it's made
- Method
- After cutting and cooking, the curd is 'cheddared': slabs are stacked and turned so they knit, acidify and become stringy, then milled, salted and pressed.
- Cultures
- Mesophilic cultures.
- Coagulation
- Rennet
- Curd handling
- Cheddaring (slabs stacked and turned), then milling.
- Pressing
- Heavy pressing, often overnight.
- Salting
- Salt mixed into milled curd.
- Ageing
- Bandaged or vacuum-packed and aged cool.
At home: Advanced home make
Several hours of work plus months of ageing.
Recipes on FriendsPantry that use it
Sources
- Cheese Making Technology e-book — University of Guelph, Food Science
- Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- eAmbrosia — EU geographical indications register — European Commission
Guidance changes: check the source for current wording. Original text; figures quoted from the sources where stated.