Cheddar cheese curds are the building blocks of cheddar cheese. Like the process of kneading dough, small curds are allowed to stick together in loaves which are turned and stacked first two high then three, four and six high. This cheddaring process removes air and water from the cheese and gives it a dense smooth texture. Typically the purpose of cheddaring is to prepare traditional cheddar for extensive periods of aging. The milled slabs leave large curds that are pressed into blocks and put into refrigeration.
People in the vicinity of cheese plants quickly learned that the fresh curds had a delightful flavor and entertaining squeak. The rubbery texture is produced by long chains of protein that break down into smaller pieces as the cheddar ages and produce typical cheddar flavor compounds. A few days after they are removed from the vat, the squeak begins to disappear. At first, a brief zap in the microwave can bring back something akin to the fresh curd taste, but within a week, curds are just small pieces of mild cheddar.
We try to get the fresh curds into the market as quickly as possible so that consumers can enjoy that “straight from the vat” freshness that cheese makers love.
– From the pen of Bob, Head Cheese
