Cheddar cheese is commonly used in everyday life; we add it to hot macaroni and top delectable burgers with it. It may be among the cheeses we are most accustomed to.
In the United Kingdom and the United States, cheddar cheese is the most popular cheese, respectively.
Continue reading to discover more details about this well-known cheese.
The Origin of Cheddar Cheese
It’s difficult to imagine a time before cheddar cheese, but it did exist. In fact, nobody had tasted this cheese until the 12th century!
According to historians, the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England, is where this popular golden cheese was first produced. Some claim that a milkmaid misplaced a pail of milk and discovered a pail of cheddar when she went back, but this origin myth is unfounded. No matter the case, once cheddar cheese was created, it quickly took off.
Once English nobility learned about the cheese, it was a must-have at many royal banquets. In fact, King Henry II purchased more than 10,000 pounds of cheddar in 1107, declaring it the best cheese in Britain. Cheddar cheese was still provided during royal affairs by Prince John, the son of Henry.
How Cheddar Cheese is Made
Like all other cheeses, cheddar starts with milk in the production process. Cheesemakers heat milk before adding rennet (enzymes from the stomachs of mammals like goats and sheep) or an acidic ingredient like citric acid or lemon juice. Curds start to form as a result of this. Cheesemakers separate the curds from the whey to create a mass of solids by continuing to heat the mixture a little longer.
At this point, cheddar takes a turn away from many other cheeses. To allow extra whey to drain, cheesemakers block the curds and stack them on top of one another. By restacking and turning the blocks over time, all of the curds are able to dry out equally. This stacking and drying process is known as cheddaring.
The process of milling involves chopping and combining the curds once they have reached the desired level of dryness. To enhance the cheddar flavor at this stage, cheese makers also add salt.
The curds are then molded into the desired shape, such as a wheel, block, or another shape. The cheddar’s original exterior was butter-coated after being heavily salted. In addition to keeping extra moisture out, this preserved the moisture in the cheese. Cheesemakers started forming cheddar into wheels and wrapping it in lard-coated cheesecloth once cotton became widely available. While some small-batch cheesemakers still wrap their wheels in cheesecloth, wax or plastic are now used more frequently.
After the cheddar is properly sealed, it’s left to age. The cheese’s sharpness and any complex flavors are influenced by the amount of time it spends maturing. Mild cheddar is typically aged for a few months while extra-sharp cheddar can be aged for over a year!
Types of Cheddar
The amount of aging a cheddar cheese has an impact on its sharpness. Mild varieties age two to three months, while premium extra sharp cheddars are left to mature for one to five years. Medium and sharp fall in between. The longer the cheese ages, the more intense the flavor becomes. Long-aged cheeses acquire a crumbly, crystallized texture.
Yellow/Orange Cheddar Vs. White Cheddar
Depending on what the cows were eating, the breed from which it came, and even the percentage of cream still present, the color of the milk can vary from white to a deep yellow. In order to regulate the consistency of color in their cheese, cheese producers began adding vegetable dyes to their milk as early as the 17th century. Nowadays most New England cheddar producers favor the natural white, whereas cheesemakers in the Midwest and elsewhere tend to use annatto, a plant extract of the achiote tree, to give their cheese the characteristic orange color many Americans associate with cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and, of course, macaroni and cheese.
Because annatto does not change the cheese’s flavor, consistency, or aroma, a sharp white New York cheddar can match a deep orange Wisconsin cheddar in all respects except appearance.
Substitutes for Cheddar
When a mild cheddar is called for in a recipe, it is simpler to replace it than on a cheese board, where the distinctive flavors of the various varieties are more important. The closest match is cantal, a French cheese that is regarded as cheddar’s cousin. Edam, a semifirm but still creamy cheese from the Netherlands that slices, shreds, and melts well, can also stand in for a mild to medium cheddar. Look for an aged Gouda to replicate the cheddar’s sharper end.
How to Use Cheddar
Because Americans adore cheese, cheddar can be found in a wide variety of foods, including cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos, macaroni and cheese, as well as numerous pasta dishes and casseroles made with potatoes. Chili aficionados can’t imagine eating a bowl without shredded cheddar on top. A warm slice of apple pie with a hunk of sharp cheddar is a country classic.
Cheddar that has already been shredded saves time in preparation, but cornstarch is added to the packages in the dairy section of the grocery store to keep the cheese from clumping. By using a box grater or food processor, you can improve the cheese’s flavor and meltability.
Aside from common dishes, extra-sharp cheddar pairs well with hearty red wines like pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon, while mild cheddar tastes great with merlot or a dry white wine like chardonnay.
How to Storage Cheddar
Opened blocks of cheddar keep well in the fridge when wrapped in parchment or wax paper and then covered with plastic wrap. The cheese should remain edible after you bring it home from the store for up to a month if stored in this manner. If mold is present, remove it by leaving a 1-inch margin of cheese surrounding it; the remaining cheese should be fine. Cheddar slices or shreds that are packaged should be consumed within a week of opening. Throw away the entire package if you notice any mold.
You can freeze cheddar in the original unopened store packaging or tightly wrapped in plastic; for best quality, use it within six to eight months. Due to the texture change in the freezer, thawed cheddar is preferable for cooking. For ease of use, shred the cheese beforehand and package it in recipe-sized portions.
Like most cheese, the flavor improves when you bring cheddar to room temperature before you eat it.
Conclusion
Now you have known the history of cheddar. As one of the most popular cheeses around the world, cheddar goes well with many recipes. And if properly stored, cheddar cheese can last for a very long time.
Related Reading
Muenster Cheese: All You Want to Know
All You Want to Know About Parmesan Cheese
Everything You Should Know About Gouda Cheese
Cheddar Cheese FAQs
Is Cheddar British or American?
Cheddar cheese originates from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, southwest England. Cheddar Gorge on the edge of the village contains a number of caves, which provided the ideal humidity and steady temperature for maturing the cheese.
Where is Most Cheddar Cheese Made?
It has to be made on a farm in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, or Somerset, the British Cheese Board says, and from locally produced milk and using traditional cheddar-making techniques. Other, bigger dairies across Britain also produce cheddar, of course.
