The diagram illustrates the process of transforming raw milk into cheese. Overall, the process involves two main stages: coagulating the milk to form curds and processing these curds into different types of cheese.
In the first stage, raw milk is pasteurized, then standardized and filtered. Afterward, the milk is inoculated with fermenting microorganisms, and rennet, a type of enzyme, is added. This causes the milk to coagulate, separating it into curds and whey.
There are two primary methods to treat raw milk. For most cheese makers, the raw milk is pasteurized, and then transferred to a standardization and filtration machine. In contrast, traditional cheese-making bypasses these steps, focusing more on the natural process.
Regarding the last primary phase, the freshly formed curds are cut, then stirred and cooked, while the whey is drained away. Afterwards, a milling machine is utilized to break curdled milk into smaller pieces, salted, and either used immediately as fresh cheese (cottage and cream cheese) or continuously poured into molds to be pressed for draining additional whey. Finally, the cheese is left to ripen. Ripened cheese develops a stronger flavor through aging, while fresh cheese typically has a mild, creamy, and sometimes tangy flavor.