Title:​ Just in Queso: The Tasty Science of Cheese
Description: ​Participants will work in pairs to create a simple cheese (queso fresco) and learn
about the basic fundamentals, history and science of cheesemaking. Participants will also taste
common types of cheese and learn about their history and types of bacteria used.
Marketing Blurb: Cheese
​
is not just a delicious ingredient, but a way of preserving milk protein
for long lengths of time. Come learn about the science and history of cheese making, all while
making your own queso fresco.
Estimated Length: ​1 hour
Target Age: ​12-18 years
Max Group Size: ​20 (2 groups of 10)
Suggested Staffing:​ 2
Materials​ (1 per group):​
● Hotplates
● Cheesecloths
● Large pots (must hold half-gallon of milk)
● Large mixing bowls
● Fine mesh colanders
● Dairy thermometers or any thermometer with pan clip
● Slotted spoons
● Plates to use for pressing
● ½ Gallons of whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized
○ ½ gallon should yield a half pound of cheese. Recipe can be adjusted for less or
more.
● ⅓ cup white vinegar
● Kosher salt
Cheese Tasting (choose one from each category):
● Semi-soft/Washed Curd: havarti, fontina, gouda
● Bloomy Rind: brie, camembert
● Hard/Semi-Hard cheese: parmesan, cheddar
● Blue cheese: roquefort, gorgonzola
Measurable Outcomes: ​Participants will understand the basic fundamentals, history and
science of cheese making and have collaborated in a group to create their own queso franco.
Learning Objectives:
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.3: Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when
carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks; analyze the
specific results based on explanations in the text.
​
Instructions:
Prep:
1. Make a pound of queso fresco in advance to use in taste testing
2. Supplies should already be set out at each station before beginning
Making the Cheese:
1. Ask: Does anyone like cheese? What are your favorite types of cheese?
2. Working in pairs, each group will be making their own fresh cheese
a. Known as “queso fresco” in Latin America and as ”paneer” in India
b. It is a mild cheese used in a variety of dishes
3. Heat milk in a large pot over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until it
is between 165 to 180°F.
a. While milk is heating share the history of cheese making (see external
​
resources)​
4. Reduce the heat to low. Add white vinegar 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring gently after
each addition. Stop adding vinegar when the curds separate from the whey. The curds
will look like white lumps. The whey is the white opaque liquid arounds the curds.
5. Let sit uncovered for at least 5 minutes and up to 20 while the separation finishes. Watch
carefully, the longer the curds cook the more chance they have to become rubbery.
6. Line colander with four layers of cheesecloth and set over large bowl (preferably Pyrex).
7. Using slotted spoon, transfer curds to prepared colander and rinse lightly with water and
allow to drain completely over the bowl (approximately 20 minutes). Be sure to press
down to get out any excess water. Gently stir in two teaspoons of kosher salt.
8. While curds are draining start the cheese tasting (see external
resources)​
​
a. Taste types of cheese while discussing the bacterial and aging process for each
b. Questions to ask: How do you think different enzymes and bacteria affect the
taste of certain cheeses? Why do you think the preservation of dairy is so
important in a wide variety of cultures?
9. Gather curds into a ball in the middle of the cloth and tie the cloth closed around the
cheese. Place the bound cheese back in the colander and place plate on top to press (it
might need something heavy to keep it down).
10. Let cheese sit for at least an hour before moving it into the fridge.
Additional Resources:
● History of Cheese Making (included in this workbook)
● Cheese Tasting Worksheet (included in this workbook)
● Queso Fresco Recipes:
● How to Make Queso Fresco, the World's Easiest Cheese
● The Easiest Way to Make Quick Cheese at Home
● Cheese It! Start Making Cheese At Home Today by Cole Dawson
Just in Queso: The Tasty Science of Cheese
Demonstrator’s Reference Guide
History:
Source International Dairy Foods Association:
http://www.idfa.org/news-views/media-kits/cheese/history-of-cheese
According to ancient records passed down through the centuries, the making of cheese dates
back more than 4,000 years.
No one really knows who made the first cheese. According to an ancient legend, it was made
accidentally by an Arabian merchant who put his supply of milk into a pouch made from a
sheep's stomach, as he set out on a day's journey across the desert. The rennet in the lining of
the pouch, combined with the heat of the sun, caused the milk to separate into curd and
whey. That night he found that the whey satisfied his thirst, and the cheese (curd) had a
delightful flavor which satisfied his hunger.
Travelers from Asia are believed to have brought the art of cheesemaking to Europe. In fact,
cheese was made in many parts of the Roman Empire when it was at its height. The Romans,
in turn, introduced cheesemaking to England. During the Middle Ages-from the decline of the
Roman Empire until the discovery of America-cheese was made and improved by the monks
in the monasteries of Europe. For example, Gorgonzola was made in the Po Valley in Italy in
879 A.D., and Italy became the cheesemaking center of Europe during the 10th Century.
Roquefort was also mentioned in the ancient records of the monastery at Conques, France as
early as 1070.
Cheesemaking continued to flourish in Europe and became an established food. In fact, the
Pilgrims included cheese in the Mayflower's supplies when they made their voyage to America
in 1620. The making of cheese quickly spread in the New World, but until the 19th century it
remained a local farm industry. It wasn't until 1851 that the first cheese factory in the United
States was built by Jesse Williams in Oneida County, New York.
As population across the United States continued to grow dramatically, the demand for
cheese increased and the industry gradually moved westward, centering on the rich farm
lands of Wisconsin. In 1845, a band of Swiss immigrants settled in Green County, Wisconsin
and started the manufacturing of foreign cheese in America. Most Wisconsin farmers began
to believe that their future survival was tied to cheese and their first factory was a Limburger
plant which opened in 1868.
The wholesale cheese industry was thus born and showed phenomenal growth during the
latter half of the 1800s. By 1880 there were 3,923 dairy factories nationwide which were
reported to have made 216 million pounds of cheese that year valued at $17 million. This
represented almost 90 percent of total cheese production that year. By the turn of the
century, farm production of cheese had become insignificant. The 1904 census reported only
factory output, which totaled over 317 million pounds. As cheese demand continued to grow
and spread rapidly, manufactured and processed cheese production increased dramatically.
Total natural cheese production grew from 418 million pounds in 1920 to 2.2 billion pounds
by 1970. Rising demand for cheese throughout the 1970s and 1980s brought total natural
cheese production to more than 6 billion pounds by the beginning of the 1990s. Processed
cheese also experienced a surge in consumer demand with annual production exceeding 2
billion pounds a year by the beginning of the 1990s.
Currently, more than one-third of all milk produced each year in the U.S. is used to
manufacture cheese. Recent increases in the overall demand for farm milk have in large part
been due to the continued growth of the cheese industry. As consumer appetites for all types
of cheese continue to expand, so will the industry.
The Science:
Have you ever seen milk curdle? If you have, then you have seen the most basic element to
the start of the cheese making process. All cheese starts with some kind of milk whether it be
cow, goat, water buffalo, etc. Cheese in its most basic form is a way of preserving and
solidifying milk proteins and fat by using naturally occurring bacteria, enzymes, and acids.
Source How Stuff Works: Cheese Making
http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/food-preservation7.ht
m
●
First, milk is inoculated with lactic acid bacteria and rennet. The lactic acid bacteria
convert the sugar in milk (lactose) to lactic acid. The rennet contains enzymes that
modify proteins in milk. Specifically, rennet contains rennin, an enzyme that
converts a common protein in milk called caseinogen into casein, which does not
dissolve in water. The casein precipitates out as a gel-like substance that we see it
as curd. The casein gel also captures most of the fat and calcium from the milk. So
the lactic acid and the rennet cause the milk to curdle, separating into curds (the
milk solids, fats, proteins, etc.) and whey (mostly water). A gallon of milk (about 8
pounds) yields only about 1.25 pounds of cheese -- the weight that is lost is all the
water in milk.
●
The curds and whey are allowed to soak until the lactic acid bacteria create a lactic
acid concentration that is just right. At that point, the whey is drained off and salt
is added.
●
Now the curds are pressed in a cheese press -- lightly at first to allow the escape of
the remaining whey, then severely (up to a ton of pressure) to solidify the cheese.
●
Finally, the cheese is allowed to age (ripen) for several months in a cool place to
improve its taste and consistency. A sharp cheddar cheese has been aged a year or
more. During this time, enzymes and bacteria continue to modify proteins, fats
and sugars in the cheese. The holes in Swiss cheese occur during ripening -- Swiss
cheese is ripened in a cool place for several weeks, then put in a warm place (70
degrees F, 21 degrees C or so) for four to six weeks, where special bacteria
ferment the remaining lactose and produce carbon dioxide bubbles in the cheese.​
Just in Queso: The Tasty Science of Cheese
Cheese Tasting Worksheet
Cheese at its most basic level is a way of preserving dairy protein. Through most of human history
meat protein has been expensive and scarce, making cheese is the perfect way of getting long lasting
fat and protein. Unlike the cheese we created today, which is meant to be eaten within a few days of
being made, most cheeses have additional bacteria and enzymes added to help with the preservation
process. Below is more information on the four types of cheeses you will be sampling today. Use this
information to help write down your thoughts on the Cheese Tasting Worksheet.
Semi-soft/Washed Curd:
Havarti
Gouda
Fontina
Unlike the fresh cheese we are making today, the majority of cheeses (other fresh cheeses
included) must have the addition of some type of bacteria to acidify the milk. These bacteria are
cultures that have been used for millennia and were more than likely found naturally in the regions
where these cheeses originated. Semi-soft cheeses, because they are made at a low temperature
80-86 Fahrenheit, they use a​ starter called ​Mesophilic. Starter bacterias help fight harmful bacteria
that want to spoil the milk. This is an example of a good bacteria.
Semi-soft cheeses have a milder flavor than semi-hard and hard cheeses, because they are
aged minimally. A semi-soft cheese is ready to be consumed after only two-three months of aging.
Almost all cheeses are aged with the exception of fresh cheeses like Paneer and Queso Fresco.
Bloomy Rind Cheese:
Brie
Camembert
Bloomy rind cheeses refer to cheeses that have a soft, white, edible rind surrounding a gooey
buttery cheese. These incredible tastes and edible rind are made by introducing different bacterias in
t​ he cheesemaking process. ​ ​Penicillium Candidum and ​Geotrichum Candidum are two bacterias used
in this process. Sometimes to grow the rind, cheesemakers spray the cheese with bacteria in addition
to adding it to the milk.
The introduction of these bacterias not only flavor the cheese, but allow it to grow its edible
rind. These are bacterias which simply existed in the atmosphere of cellars and caves of medieval
France, which is why Brie and Camembert are named after the regions of France where they
originated. Today cheesemakers used commercially available bacterias to the milk and they can be
produced anywhere.
Hard/Semi-Hard Cheese:
Cheddar
​
​
Parmesan
Cheddar is probably the semi- hard cheese Americans with which they are most familiar. The
sharpness of a cheddar cheese has to do with the aging process. Much like a semi-soft cheese,
cheddar is also made with the starter bacteria Mesophilic
​
(to help it ripen) and a rennet (a protein
enzyme to help curdle the casein). In addition cheddar will need to be either bandaged or dipped in
wax for the aging process, because it does not have its own rind. Cheddar is aged for a minimum of six
months, sharp cheddar 1 year, and extra sharp cheddar at least 18 months.
Parmesan, the most known of hard cheeses, goes through a similar aging process like cheddar.
Unlike cheddar, it has its own natural rind to protect it during the aging process. Also hard cheeses
are not ripened by mold growth, to discourage mold growth and promote dryness parmesan and
other hard cheeses are cooked at a high temperature. The bacteria starter for hard cheese is
Thermophilic and parmesan also receives an additional enzyme, ​lipase, to gives it the distinct Italian
flavor. Most parmesans are aged for at least two years.
Blue Cheese:
​
Roquefort
Gorgonzola
Blue cheese has the honor of being a cheese that is either universally loved or despised. Its
distinct pungent flavor, aroma, and color comes from the bacteria ​Penicillium roqueforti. In France,
where blue cheese has been made for over 1,000 years, cheesemakers still harvest this bacteria off of
moldy bread and add it to milk. Most everywhere else blue cheese is made with commercial bacteria.
Since the distinct color of blue cheese comes from when ​P. roqueforti touches air, the cheese
must be poked during the aging process (usually with a knitting needle) to let air inside. Blue cheese
also has a very salty flavor. Unlike other cheeses a large amount of salt is added to blue cheese during
the aging process to encourage P.
​ roqueforti and kill other types of bacteria. Blue cheese does not
have a long aging process and depending on the type you are making is ready to eat within a few
weeks to two months.
Source:
Dawson, Cole. Cheese
​
It! Start Making Cheese At Home Today. Irvine, Calif: Hobby Farm Press, 2012.
eBook
Collection (EBSCOhost).
Cheese Tasting Worksheet
Cheese
Appearance
What does the
cheese look like? Is
it hard or soft?
Does it look dense,
dry, gooey, smooth,
etc?
Aroma
What does it smell
like: nutty, earthy,
etc? Does it smell
pleasant or
unpleasant?
Texture
Is it chewy, rubbery,
creamy, sticky,
crumbly?
Overall Impression
Do you like or
dislike this cheese?
Had you tried it
before? Would you
eat it again?
Semi-Soft
Bloomy Rind
Hard/Semi-Hard
Blue