Ramiro

TRADITIONAL CHEESEMAKING MANUAL
by Charles O’Connor

International Livestock Centre for Africa Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Correct citation: O’Connor C B. 1993. Traditional cheesemaking manual. ILCA (International Livestock Centre for Africa), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

ISBN 92--9053--273--4

Table of Contents
List of figures Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Milk composition Clean milkproduction Cheese and cheesemaking Cheesemaking Milk coagulants Whey utilisation Cheesemaking in Africa Cheesemaking recipes Ayib Wara, Woagachi White cheese Other cheese varieties Lactic curd cheese Halloumi Gybna beyda Scamorza Cheddar Mysost Useful references

List of Figures
Figure 1. Eating yoghurt Figure 2. Cleaning a cow’s udder Figure 3. Milking a cow using a clean utensil Figure 4.Horizontal and vertical curd-cutting knives Figure 5. Some moulds used in cheesemaking Figure 6. Preparation of rennet Figure 7. Separating curds from whey Figure 8. Ladling curds and whey into a cheese mould Figure 9. Whey draining and, in the foreground, cheese pieces in cool water Figure 10. Wara cheese moulds Figure 11. Checking the temperature of the milk Figure 12. Adding lemon juice andstirring the milk Figure 13. Curd formation Figure 14. Stirring the curds and whey Figure 15. Separating the curds from the whey using a muslin cloth Figure 16. Adding salt to curd Figure 17. Wooden cheese mould with holes for whey drainage Figure 18. Adding curd to a muslin-lined mould Figure 19. Covering the curd by folding over the muslin Figure 20. Pressing cheese Figure 21. Adding starter to milkFigure 22. Adding rennet to milk Figure 23. Removing the coagulum from the pot Figure 24. Ladling the coagulum into muslin for whey drainage Figure 25. Mixing salt and curd Figure 26. Finished product—Paté fraîche type cheese Figure 27. Compacted curd removed from the cheese mould Figure 28. Cutting the curd mass Figure 29. Pieces of Halloumi cheese Figure 30. Slicing the cheese pieces Figure 31.Floating cheese pieces Figure 32. Rubbing salt on the cheese Figure 33. Cheese pieces folded over after salting Figure 34. Heating milk indirectly in cheese container Figure 35. Testing the curd for stretchability Figure 36. Cheese curd mass Figure 37. Working and folding the curd after removal from hot water Figure 38. Cheese in mould placed in cool water

Figure 39. Cheese placed on woodenshelves for ripening Figure 40. Checking the coagulum before cutting Figure 41. Cutting the coagulum with a vertical knife Figure 42. Cutting the coagulum with a horizontal knife Figure 43. Separating curds from whey Figure 44. Cheese curd Figure 45. Cutting the cheese curd Figure 46. Checking the temperature of the curd Figure 47. Covering the curd with cheese cloth to keep it warm during CheddaringFigure 48. Adding salt to the cheese pieces Figure 49. Putting the cheese into a muslin-lined mould Figure 50. Wooden lid (follower) placed in the cheese mould Figure 51. Cheese ready for pressing Figure 52. Ripened Cheddar cheese

Preface
Throughout the world and particularly in countries with a developing dairy industry the milk of several mammals is processed by traditional methods into avariety of products for immediate consumption or for later use during times of reduced milk production. In many countries there exist several traditional milk products whose processing techniques and technologies are handed down from generation to generation through demonstration and experience. However, most of these products have a comparatively short shelf-life and loss of valuable milknutrients often occurs particularly during periods of high milk production. The need, therefore, to manufacture products with a long shelf-life is evident and a number of cheese varieties exist which provide the ideal vehicle for the preservation of the milk nutrients. This manual contains recipes for a number of cheese varieties which can and are being made by traditional methods at smallholder level....