What makes swiss cheese have holes

Since cheese is made from milk, cheese types tend to vary based on the source of milk. Some of the most popular cheeses are made from the milk of cows, goats and sheep. But there are also cheeses made from camel milk, water buffalo milk — even moose milk. To make cheese, you need to add bacteria to the milk.

These create chemical reactions that cause it to change into a combination of solid " curds " and liquid " whey ". The whey is generally drained off, concentrated and dried into a powder. Variations in the amount and type of bacteria influence the taste and texture of the final product.

Other aspects factor into the type of cheese that's produced: the salting method, its temperature and how long cheesemakers age it, which refers to the amount of time it is left alone to ripen and form. Some cheeses are aged for as long as 18 years. Like many other kinds of cheese, Swiss cheese is made with cow's milk and contains bacteria that help convert the milk into a solid. DIP IN Swiss cheese fondue A great way to gather friends and family around the table, Swiss cheese fondue is winter comfort food at its best.

Also called "eyes", they're so essential to Swiss cheese that when they're missing, the cheesemakers say the batch is " blind ". What makes Swiss cheese "holey" is additional bacteria called Propionibacterium freudenrichii subspecies shermanii — P.

Under the specific conditions that Swiss cheese is made, the P. Because Swiss cheese is made at a warm temperature — around 21 degrees Celsius — the cheese is soft and malleable. So as the bacteria grow, the gases they emit end up creating round openings. Think of blowing a bubble with chewing gum: As you blow air from your lungs, the pressure forces the gum into a circle. The bubble eventually pops, due to air pressure from your lungs or the atmosphere.

Why does Swiss cheese have holes? Also called 'eyes', they're so essential to Swiss cheese that when they're missing, the cheesemakers say the batch is 'blind'. But when a bubble has formed inside a hunk of warm cheese — and then that cheese is cooled to around 4. The cheese now has its eyes.

It takes about four weeks at 21 degrees Celsius for the eyes to form. In the U. Gouda cheese — which originated in the Netherlands — is sometimes intentionally made with cultures that produce a little bit of gas and tiny eyes.

But in most cases, cheesemakers actually try to prevent the formation of gas in their cheeses. Stephanie Clark , Virginia M. This article was first published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.

TheJakartaPost Please Update your browser Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. LOG IN. Forgot Password? Or continue login with Google Facebook Linkedin. Register here Want to register your company or campus? Register here. Why does Swiss cheese have holes? France has Gruyere , while Italy has Fontina. In the U. Gouda cheese — which originated in the Netherlands — is sometimes intentionally made with cultures that produce a little bit of gas and tiny eyes.

But in most cases, cheesemakers actually try to prevent the formation of gas in their cheeses. Want more? Portsmouth Climate Festival — Portsmouth, Portsmouth. Edition: Available editions United Kingdom. Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in. Holey moley! Stephanie Clark , Iowa State University.