Effect of variation in the composition of milk supply on the composition and quality of farmhouse Cheshire cheese

Abstract

SUMMARYThe composition of the diet fed to cows, the composition and coagulating properties of the milk produced by them and used for cheesemaking, the cheesemaking methods and the chemical composition, texture and grade of Cheshire cheese obtained from four farmhouse producers during the period December to June 1982–83 were investigated. The presence of pockets of loose fat in the cheese structure, which can lead to downgrading in the late winter and spring, was not related to the chemical composition of the milk and may arise from the handling of the milk before cheesemaking. Generally the composition of the forage and the milk varied with date, but not between the different farms, whereas the composition and properties of the cheese were dependent on the manufacturers but were fairly constant during the period of study.