How is organic cheese made

Cheese is one of the most popular dairy products. It comes in several types which can be grouped into 2 categories: regular cheese and organic cheese. It is interesting to opt for the latter.

Indeed, organic cheese is a product made from organic milk. It contains no additives or preservatives. It offers balanced nutritional value and is much more beneficial for health. Furthermore, the manufacturing process completely respects the environment. In this article, let’s take an overview of organic cheese making.

The particularities of organic cheese

The ingredients making up organic cheese come 95% from the farm meeting the specifications of organic farming. The 5% are ingredients that cannot obtain the organic label. These include: salt (a non-agricultural product), rennet and lactic ferments (microorganisms). These are useful for the fermentation of cheese.

Thus, organic milk, the base of organic cheese, must meet certain conditions:

It must come from a cow born and raised on an organic farm.
The building and the environment in which the animal is raised must promote the well-being of the animal, particularly in terms of hygiene, ventilation and light
The number of animals must be limited to avoid overgrazing, erosion, pollution and soil compaction
The cows benefit from preventive treatments and are treated with alternative medicine (homeopathy), which limits the use of antibiotics
The cows’ feed must come from organic farming (fodder and grains) and must not contain GMOs
The cows must have access to the outdoors for as long as possible, particularly when weather conditions and soil conditions permit. They must go to pasture at least 120 days a year

The benefits of organic cheese

Organic cheese contains a high level of conjugated linoleic acid and omega 3 fatty acid. Its various components and its bacterial flora are balanced.

Furthermore, it is characterized by a high concentration of vitamin A, vitamin E and antioxidants, compared to conventional cheese. These antioxidants are very effective in the prevention of cancer as well as cardiovascular and degenerative diseases.

Rich in digestive enzymes, organic cheese guarantees better digestion of sugars, fats and proteins present in milk. The nutritional qualities of organic cheese help maintain healthy teeth, build strong bones, and lower blood pressure.

The products and equipment necessary for making organic cheese

To make organic cheese, you need: organic milk, fine salt, animal or microbial rennet and lactic ferments (made cheese whey, fromage blanc, whole milk yogurt or commercially purchased ferment).

The equipment needed for making organic cheese differs, whether it is industrial production or homemade. In all cases, you must bring together: a container such as a salad bowl or a bowl, a saucepan, a cooking pot, fine cloths, a towel, a strainer and a deep plate.

The steps in making organic cheese

The production of organic cheese is carried out in 4 main stages:

Treatment and curdling of milk: first, you can treat the milk in two ways: either it is processed raw, or it is heated to an ambient temperature between 20 and 22° C. Subsequently, add the ferments lactic. Then, heat the milk in the saucepan to 30°C, add the pressure, mix and cover everything. This step coagulates and transforms the milk into a homogeneous and smooth gel, called curd
Shucking, draining and molding: slice, fragment and put the curd in a fine cloth to place in the colander, above the salad bowl in order to drain it for a period varying between 12 and 48 hours. Once finished, place the dough in the molding pot
Salting: unmold the cheese and place it on another clean cloth. In a ventilated room, salt the cheese on all sides and repeat the operation after resting for 24 hours
Maturing: for a month or more, turn and salt the cheese every day. The longer the maturation period, the better the cheese will be. This step helps standardize the texture, color, rind and flavors of the cheese