Principles of Cheese Making

When fresh milk is left to become sour, the casein aggregates. If souring occurs\nat not too low a temperature and without stirring or shaking of the milk, a gel\nis formed. When keeping the gelled or clotted milk, some whey separation (syneresis) generally occurs. Syneresis can be enhanced by heating and stirring; the\nmass then separates into curd and whey. By allowing more of the whey to leak\nfrom the curd, e.g., by hanging the curd in a cloth, a primitive fresh cheese is\nobtained (baker&s;s cheese, quarg, or simply "curds").