Cheddar

America’s and Britain’s favorite cheese, developed on English West Country farms during the Middle Ages, Cheddar is a versatile cheese, excellent both cooked and uncooked. It is now mass-produced throughout the world. Made from pasteurized cows’ milk, it owes its hard dense texture and slow-ripening properties to the special “cheddaring” process: before pressing, the drained curds are cut into blocks which are stacked on top of each other and then turned frequently to squeeze out even more whey. Cheddar has a cream to deep yellow color, depending on age, and a flavor that evolves from fresh and sweet in a young cheese to rich and nutty when mature. Factory-produced Cheddar is available at various stages of its maturity, ranging from “mild” – sold between three and five months old, to “sharp” – ripened for at least five months, often more. Farmhouse Cheddar, still made in Britain’s West Country, may be aged for as long as eighteen months and has-a full flavor quite unlike the younger cheese.