Cheese - What’s the liquid on the outside of my cheese? - FAQ (2024)

FAQs

Cheese - What’s the liquid on the outside of my cheese? - FAQ? ›

Whey is the liquid from milk that is separated from the curds during cheesemaking. Many cheeses discard this liquid, but some fresh cheeses, like ricotta, are actually made from whey!

Whey is the liquid from milk that is separated from the curds during cheesemaking. Many cheeses discard this liquid, but some fresh cheeses, like ricotta, are actually made from whey!

The liquid is just a bit of extra moisture or liquid whey. During the aging process, cheese releases water vapor. This allows the cheese to reach the next stage of maturity. You might even notice a little moisture after you've brought your cheese home and it has been in the fridge a while – it's still maturing!

The basic building blocks of cheese are milk protein (casein), water, fat, and salt. When heated, the protein molecules break apart and become fluid. Melting, a phase change from a solid to a liquid isn't really happening, the cheese becomes fluid, much like what happens to plastic when it's heated.

Cheese is made up primarily of coagulated milk solids, or curd. In solid (that is, cheese) form, that fat is held together within an interlocking web of protein chains, which loosen when brought to room temperature, thereby permitting that once-trapped butterfat to leech out and bead on the surface of the cheese.

No need to worry – the liquid on the outside of your cheese is just excess moisture, or liquid whey. Wipe off your cheese with a napkin or paper towel and enjoy! It's common for naturally-aged cheeses to develop a small amount of moisture inside their packaging.

Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard cheese, like cheddar or Swiss cheese.

Cheesemaking involves coagulating the casein protein in milk and then separating the milk into solid curds and liquid whey. The liquid whey is drained away, and the curds are salted, shaped and left to ripen in a controlled environment.

Sweet whey, which is often used to make the whey protein powder supplements you'll find at any health food store, is leftover from the process of making harder cheese like cheddar and Swiss.

DFI's Liquid Cheese is a soft cheese that maintains a liquid/semi-viscous form. This product is a clean label, preservative free natural cheese which can improve a variety of recipes and it can help with nutritional challenges. The product is available in a 10kg bag in tray and 1 tonne pallecons.

Why is my cheese oily? ›

A cheese with more moisture will also have more loosely packed milk proteins, which separate more easily when heated. That's why a harder, drier cheese like Parmesan becomes oily and greasy instead of creamy, as compared to a moister, already naturally runny cheese like Brie, which melts the second it's warmed.

If they taste or smell sour, have a watery texture or mould has grown on the cheese or any part of the container, then you should throw it away.

Over time, these patches of yellowish white fur are patted down to form a cohesive skin, or rind, on the cheese's surface. This live rind breaks down the fats and proteins of a cheese, causing an increasingly creamy to runny texture over time.

Draining cheese is an important step of cheesemaking in order to prevent decomposition and begin the fermentation process. What this means is that you must remove any excess water or liquid that is retained from the cheese milk known as whey--a byproduct of cheesemaking.

If you're going to put your cheese in bags, just wrap them in some parchment paper first. The paper will absorb any excess moisture. Again, change the paper often, to make sure it doesn't get too wet. Plastic containers or any containers, including glass, metal, etc., should be treated the same way as the bags.

When the curds have reached the desired acidity and moisture, the whey is drained off. After whey drainage, the curd handling varies from cheese to cheese. The curds are then salted, either directly in the vat (e.g., Cheddar) or after pressing (e.g., Gouda). Curds and whey are heated and stirred.