HIRAM TRUST BOOKLET ON CHEESE MAKING

Upper Grange Food Education and Garden Project

Introduction Three years ago, in 1996, the Upper Grange property in Stroud, which is owned by the Hiram Trust, was made available to Ruskin Mill with the aim of doing research into experiential food and nutrition education. In the first year a substantial beginning was made in the development of the property. Ruskin Mill students joined the tutors in building a rainwater system that includes a 20,000 litre underground storage tank, an overflow pond and soakaway. Also, during this year, the beginnings of a newly designed kitchen garden began to take shape as part of the work that the students and tutor, Michael Frosch, did in gardening lessons. Helen Bermingham began a course in food preparation, which involved Ruskin Mill students in handson cooking, bread making and preserve making. From the outset, our goal was to develop a program that would involve young people in a holistic experience of food; that would so to speak, take them from the sowing of the seed through the harvest to the preparation of a meal with fresh vegetables picked from the garden. In the second year of the programme at Upper Grange, Helen and her students, many of whom had already worked in the garden with me, were able to step out of their kitchen door into the garden and harvest fresh vegetables from which they then prepared a midday meal that would feed 10 to 15 students and tutors. The first goal of our research had been achieved. Also in the second year a new line of research into food education was developing using the theme of food preservation and fermentation. It is one thing to use and prepare fresh food but how can we preserve, for later use, the vegetables and fruit that we harvest? One of the traditional methods of food preservation is using fermentation processes, such as alcoholic and lactic acid fermentation. So the students and I began making wine, cider, cheese, sauerkraut and sourdough bread. All of these processes involve a substantial and visible transformation of substance using naturally occurring bacteria and yeast. It is a kind of kitchen alchemy that not only captures the students interest but also provides plenty of opportunity for learning practical skills, not to mention the ultimate enjoyment of tasting the final product. Ruskin Mill Further Education Students and Tutors have carried out the development of these experiential education activities for the Hiram Trust. The Hiram Trust supports this research with the aim to encourage and inspire other educational facilities, such as Rudolf Steiner Schools and mainstream schools, to take a more specific interest in the importance of experiential learning in education.

What follows is meant to serve as a resource outline for the experiential food activities that have been developed at Upper Grange.

Why use basic food technology as part of science education?

Science education, especially in classes 6 to 10, benefits from hands on experiences which allow pupils to learn basic knowledge and practical skills at the same time. Experiential learning also provides the opportunity for the students to learn while having fun and being active. If the approach is planned appropriately, within an historical context, the student can also be given the opportunity to learn traditional skills that are now nearly forgotten but were once, not so long ago, known and practised by many people, especially those living in a rural setting. Fermentation: What is it and where is it used? Fermentation is a process involving microbes, that transforms raw food substance, preserving it, giving it distinctive flavour and in many cases enriching it with vitamins and proteins. Fermentation was, and still is, used by traditional societies to preserve and improve the nutritional value of some foods. In the West people are most familiar with the fermentation products of sourdoughs, yoghurt, cheese and beers. In other parts of the world, however, fermentation is used to preserve vegetables, i.e. cabbage as sauerkraut, gherkins as pickles etc. and soya beans as tofu, soya sauce and miso. In addition to food technology, fermentation is also used in other ways that benefit human beings, such as: in agriculture to make silage and composts in the process of extracting dye from plants. Interestingly, industrial fermentation and its products is one of the largest in the world, next to motor vehicle manufacturing (New Scientist, 4 September 1986). The range of products include, beer, wine, cheese, soured milk products, bread soy sauce, miso and sake.

Ferments food

The microorganisms used in fermentation include yeast, bacteria and fungi. Most often the microorganisms needed for fermenting a specific food are found on the food or in the location where the food in question is grown or processed. For instance, the yeast that will ferment grapes into wine is found on the skins of the grapes. The mould that is typical of a Camembert cheese was originally found in the caves where the cheese was matured in the area around Camembert in France. Raw milk will also sour by itself because of the resident lactosebacteria that it contains. As in all these cases, however, it is easy for the useful microorganisms to be contaminated with different bacteria, which will change the favourable outcome of the fermentation process, usually changing the taste of the desired product. Consequently, for industry and modern home scale fermentation processing, packaged cultures of pure strains of the desired microorganism are available from suppliers. 2

Most of the useful bacteria, for the fermentation of food, are the lactic acid forming ones, These are the bacteria that are used to produce cheese, yoghurt, and sauerkraut etc. Many cheeses receive their distinctive flavour from the mould or fungus that grow on the cheese during the maturation time, i.e. Roquefort and Camembert. In the case of sourdough bread the starter culture contains a complex combination of natural occurring yeast and bacteria. The yeast provides the leavening agent and some taste whereas the bacteria gives the sourdough its distinctive sour taste.

Ferments drink
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Yeast transforms sugar, either pure or in carbohydrate form, into carbon dioxide and alcohol. In aerobic conditions (open to the atmosphere) the yeast primarily produce carbon dioxide while metabolising the sugar. This factor is used to rise the dough in bread baking. Under anaerobic conditions (not open to the atmosphere) the yeast predominantly produces alcohol while metabolising the sugar. The factor is used to produce alcohol, i.e. wine, beer, and sake etc. When alcoholic fermentation takes place in the open the fungus Mycoderma aceti turn the ferment into vinegar. Reference The Permaculture Book of Ferment and Human Nutrition, Bill Mollison, 1993, Tagari Publications. ISBN 0908228066

A Guide to the possible use of Fermentation in the Rudolf Steiner School Curriculum Grains and Breads Class 7

Cheese Making

Class 8 Class 10
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Chemistry of the carbohydrates Nutrition and Health (see Hiram Bread Baking Booklet) Chemistry of fats, oils proteins Biology of microorganisms
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Wine and Beer making Class 9 Plant chemistry fermentation and distillation

Cheese making A Brief History Cheese making is an ancient art, practiced by people with dairy animals from time immemorial. Nomadic tribesmen, who carried milk in bags made from young animal skins, may have discovered the effect of rennet and its ability to curdle the milk. There are biblical references to Cheese of Kine in Samuel and 10 slices of cheese were presented to the captain of the army against Saul in Samuel 18. Greece exported cheese in the 1st century AD and in Rome it was appreciated to such an extent that a Roman would use the word caseus (cheese) to describe a lady of his choice. The Romans understood the principles of renneting, draining, salting, storing and general dairy hygiene in cheese making to an advanced degree. 3

At one time cheese making was undertaken by each farmhouse to convert the summer flush of milk into something which would last into the leaner winter months. The type of cheese produced, which depended on the pasture, time of year and time in the lactation, was different for different regions and often differed from farm to farm in the same area. Hygiene has always been an issue connected with milk and historically many problems occurred while making cheese due to the lack of a clear understanding of the need for cleanliness and proper storage. With the development of science the biological and chemical processes in cheese making became more clearly understood. This created the possibility of using weights and measurements, as well as a thorough knowledge of hygiene to produce a repeatable and reliable cheese. This development came hand in hand with the industrialisation of cheese making which required that a product is repeatable and standardised. Consequently, for many years during this century in England, the farmhouse cheese was near to extinction, and at one point there were as few as 50 farmhouse cheese producers, whereas there had been hundreds previously. More recently there has been a revival of farmhouse cheese making in England. In other countries like France and Switzerland, however, farmhouse cheese making has remained a vibrant and respected craft despite industrialisation.

The composition of milk:

Milk is considered a complete food. It contains 87% water, 3_% protein and 3_4% fats and carbohydrates. It also contains trace amounts of the minerals, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and iron and vitamins A and D, fat and carbohydrates are the three basic forms of nutrients in food, and in milk they are found in unique forms that are not found in other foods. Milk protein is called casein. It gives milk its white colour and is very important in milk processing because it is the substance that coagulates when the milk sours. Interestingly, before the development of the plastic industry casein was used industrially to make buttons. It is now dried and used as a tea and coffee creamer. Milk fats consist of some 60 complex fatty adds. These together, known as butterfat, exist in the milk as finely dispersed globules. Different breeds of milkgiving animals produce milk with different sized globules of fat. The larger the globules the more suitable the milk is for butter making and cream production, but the less suitable for digesting. It is for this reason that goat milk, which has small finely dispersed globules of fat, is more easily digested. Milk sugar is called lactose. It is less sweet than sucrose (which derives from sugar cane and sugar beet) and fructose (derived from fruit and a constituent of honey). It is the lactose that is changed to lactic acid by bacteria that sours the milk. 4

Processing
Why process? Milk is a nutrient rich fluid that when placed in a warm environment is a perfect habitat for microorganisms to grow in. Consequently, milk goes off (sours and then putrefies) very quickly. Prior to the advent of the refrigerator, farmers had to find ways of preserving their excess milk, especially in the late spring, summer and early autumn. Making cheese is a very good way to preserve milk. What would otherwise spoil in a matter of days, can be changed into a substance that will last anywhere from a week to years, depending on the method of processing. Of course there are other ways, in addition to making cheese, to preserve milk and these include pasteurisation and sterilisation, both of which are used extensively in the dairy industry and make the modern consumption of milk very easy. These two methods, however, do destroy some of the nutritional value of the milk and because, in addition, they also destroy or minimise the desirable bacterial flora of the milk it is best to make cheese from unpasteurised milk if it is at all possible. Souring The first step in processing the milk is called souring. This involves warming the milk to a temperature that is optimal for bacterial growth. The bacteria that predominate in healthy milk are the lactobacteria. These microorganisms convert lactose into lactic acid. The presence of lactic acid causes the milk protein, casein, to precipitate or coagulate. As it does this it entangles fat particles and phosphates and forms what is known as curd. The remaining fluid (water, some fat, minerals and vitamins) is called whey. If the souring process is left too long the bacteria continue to work and they oxidise the lactic acid decreasing the acidity, of both the curd and whey, causing it to become alkaline and putrefy. Casein can also be coagulated by the action of different enzymes, the one best known being rennin, which is found in rennet. Rennet was originally only made as an extract from the lining of the calfs stomach. It is now possible to obtain vegetarian rennet, which is produced by bacteria.

Two basic types of cheese When casein is coagulated to form curd by the action of lactic acid it becomes what is known as soft cheese. Soft cheese does not keep for much longer than 5 to 7 days depending on the temperature at which it is stored. When casein is coagulated to form curd by the action of the enzyme rennin, found in rennet, the curdling process is more complex and the curd includes fat, serum and sugar. This curd needs time to ripen and depending on the method of processing, once mature, will keep for several months to years.

Soft cheese Milk + Lactic Acid

Casein is precipitated to form curd (will not ripen) Whey (byproduct)

Hard cheese
Milk + Rennet + Lactic Acid

Curd (casein, fat serum and which will ripen) The Starter

Whey (byproduct)

Although the natural bacteria found in unpasteurised milk will sour milk, there is no guarantee that all the bacteria in the milk will be beneficial for cheese making. For this reason it is best, when cheese making, that the milk is soured, prior to renneting, with an inoculation of a prepared culture. This culture is called a starter and consists of several desirable lactic acid producing bacteria, which when added to the heattreated milk, provides the right start for the cheese making process. The milk is heattreated, i.e. heated to 930C and then cooled quickly to the optimum temperature for bacterial growth, namely 200230C. How to make a mother culture The starter culture can be purchased in a dry powder form from a dairy or smallholder supplier (see reference list). Follow the directions for making a mother culture. They should be similar to the following: Heat 1 litre of milk, in a sterilised stainless steel pot, to 930C, and then cool it quickly to 230C. To avoid contamination, when not stirring, keep the lid of the pot on. When cooled to the correct temperature add the package of dry starter to the milk, stirring it in well. Put the lid back on the pot. Cover the pot in a thick towel and place it in a warm spot next to the AGA or in an airing cupboard is fine (it needs to be close to 200 C), for 1220 hours, depending on the culture. After the prescribed time span the culture is ripe and can be used to sour milk straight away or can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. How to make a subculture from the mother culture To make using prepared starter cultures economical; it is best to make subcultures from the mother culture. Practically this means that instead of only making one cheese from a package of starter it is possible to make many cheeses from one package. 6

Half way through the process of making the starter, the exact amount of time will depend on the instruction for making the starter, but if the instructions indicate a 12 hour ripening period then at 6 hours, remove as many 50-lOOmi portions of unripe starter as there are, leaving one portion to ripen fully if you will be making cheese in the next 2-3 days. Place these portions into new food grade plastic storage bags and seal them (tying the opening in a knot, or taping it up etc.) and then put the bagged portions directly into the freezer. These are now subcultures of the mother culture and can be individually thawed and used to make a new culture according to the same method described for making a mother culture.
Subculture Package and freeze 50-100 ml protions after half of the prescribed incubation time

Start, Mother Culture

Keep back a 50-lOOmI portion of culture and fully incubate it to use immediately

Basic cheese making equipment

3 Different methods to press cheese

Cheese Recipes
GOUDA CHEESE RECIPE 1. Make 250m1 of the cheese culture 24 hours prior to cheese making, follow the instructions on the package. Heat the entire batch of milk up to 300C (without heating any milk above 300C). Add starter @ 50 75m1 per 10 litres of milk. Allow it to stand for 515 mins.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Bring milk temperature back up to 290C if it has dropped. Add rennet @ 30m1 per 100 litre. Mix rennet in a portion (100m1) cool water and add to milk slowly while stirring.

Let stand for 30 minutes until curd is ready i.e. like pudding and pulls away from the edge of the container easily. (When using pasteurised milk setting time is longer). Begin to cut the curd. First slowly and then more quickiy until the curd pieces are the size of a pea. Let curd settle for 10 inns. Drain off the whey: approximately 1/3 of the original volume. Slowly and gradually add hot water (not over 48 C) to warm the curd and whey up to 350C stir continuously while adding water. Continue to stir so that the total stirring time is approximately 30 minutes.

7.

8.

9. 10.

Drain whey off so that its level is just below the curd. Fill the nets by first placing them upside down on the curd and gently pressing them into the curd, similar to when one uses a cooking cutter to cut out cookies from dough. Place a hand under the cut out curd and turn the curd and net over. Then continue filling the net with pieces of curd. When the mould is full press down firmly on the curd with both hands. Put the follower on the mould and turn upside down for 1015 inns. Turn the pressed curd over and begin to press with _ the final weight (4 kgs for 2 kgs mould) for _ hour and then press with full weight for further 3_ hours. Turn cheese approximately once every hour. After 4 hours under the press take the cheese out of the net and turn. Return it to the mould and let sit overnight. Put in a salt bath (15 25 Baume) for 24 hours turn cheese at 12 hours. (Half this time for 1 kg cheeses).

11. 12.

13. 14.

15.

Dry on the drain table for _ a day.

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Store in a cool dark room (140C ideal) Rub with salt for 3 consecutive days (20g/kg cheese).
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17. 18. 19.

Turn every 2 days for the first 2 weeks and rub with salt water to clean off mould. Cover the cheese with cheese wax after 1 week of drying. Eat after 46 weeks.

Basket Cheese

Ingredients:
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5litresof milk 3/4 cup of yoghurt 5 tablespoons of natural vinegar 2 tablespoons of coarse salt 2 small baskets

Instructions:
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Boil the milk and then remove it from the heat for 5 minutes. Then return it to medium heat. Leaving the pan on the heat, remove 1 cup of milk and stir the yoghurt into it. Pour this mixture back into the pan of milk and stir it in. Without stirring, pour the vinegar over the surface of the milk and raise the temperature a little. Check the consistency of the milk by running a wooden spoon gently around the edge of the pan. The milk should be curdling getting flaky and the water, which separates, should be greenish yellow. Turn off the heat. Wait 5 minutes and skim off the milk, building _ inch layers in the baskets. Sprinkle the coarse salt between each of the layers. For a small basket (3 or 4 inches diameter) use only 1 tablespoon of salt all together. At this point it is also possible to add other spices such as rosemary and chives etc. The finished cheese can be coated with cracked pepper and other herbs.

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Resources:
Supply Companies: Smallholding Supplies, Pikes Farmhouse, East Pennard, Shepton Mallet, Somerset. BA4 6RR, UK Telephone/Fax: 01749 860688 good for equipment and culture.

Dairy Cultures, Unit 7 Torbay Rd. Castle Cary, Somerset. Telephone: 01963 350933 cultures and testing.

Gebr. Rademaker BV, Oostzijde 30, 1426 AE De Hoef, Holland, Telephone: 00 31 297 593213 or Fax: 00 31 297 593261 A supplier of excellent cheese making equipment Ask for the English catalogue.

Books Make your own cheese, butter and yoghurt at home. This is available through Gebr. Rademaker. Making cheeses, butters, cream and yoghurt at home. Patricia ClevelandPeck, Thorsons Publishers Ltd. 1980. This an excellent resource that, unfortunately, may be out of print. Cheesecraft, Rita Ash, Tabb House, 1995. This is also a very thorough and good book on cheese making that is available through the Smallholding Supplies.
Wntten and prepared by Michael Frosch for the Hiram Trust 1st Draft 19/07/1999. Please direct questions etc. to Bernard Graves, the Hiram Trust Office Tel/fax 01453 764065