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Cheese Please!

Cheese
Learn more about different types of cheese at from Undeniably Dairy.
Photo: USDA ARS

June 4th is designated as cheese day! For some, that is every day. Cheese provides beneficial calcium and protein into a daily eating plan. Cheese also provides eight essential nutrients to help build healthy bones and support the immune system. There are hundreds of types and flavors to choose from as a snack or added to a recipe.

Have you tried to make cheese at home? A soft cheese can be made from milk and lemon juice. The acid coagulates the milk proteins to form clumps or curds which separate from the whey. Try this easy recipe from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.

Cheese comes in a variety of textures from soft to hard, and many flavors, which allows them to be used in different ways. To store cheese, keep it wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or in a tightly closed container. If unwanted mold appears, remove at least one inch of the cheese as mold grows into the food.

 

Making Homemade Cheese

cheese curdsIf you have goats or dairy cattle, you may want to try making your own cheese at home.

Cheesemaking techniques vary depending upon the intended final use or consumption of the cheese. Cheese can have widely varying characteristics.

Food safety is critical for fresh cheese. There are four major pathogens associated with fresh cheese. These can cause foodborne illness. They are: Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. These pathogenic bacteria are controlled by good sanitation of equipment and food contact surfaces, proper cooking, cooling and handling of cheese curds during processing, and proper hand washing.

For more information, see http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_e/E216/.