Stilton cheese

Blue Stilton or just Stilton is an English blue cheese made ​​from pasteurized cow's milk with at least 48-55 % fat in the dry matter.

History

The Stilton is considered in England as King of Cheeses and has a long tradition. It is named after the village of Stilton in the central English county of Cambridgeshire. There in the Great North Road in the 18th century led Cooper Thornhill economic Bell Inn. In 1730, Thornhill discovered when visiting a small farm at Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire a very special blue cheese, which so appealed to him that he was a contract completed with the farmer's wife Frances Pawlett, of the Bell Inn the marketing rights of the below Blue Stilton called cheese exclusively secured. A short time later truckloads of cheese were sold through the Inn, as the main trade route between London and the north of England was about Stilton, so that Thornhill could advertise and sell the cheese perfectly and the special reputation of Stilton spread rapidly throughout the country.

Today, the Stilton gekäst six dairies, which are located in the counties of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Stilton is a trademark of Stilton Cheese Makers' Association ( SCMA ), protected the five belong to the producers, also enjoys the cheese since 1996 throughout the EU area of ​​justice the status of a protected designation of origin / PDO. Meanwhile, even the smallest producers of raw milk has switched to pasteurized milk.

Overall Stilton per year are now over one million loaves produced, of which about one-tenth are exported to around 40 countries worldwide.

Production

In order to produce an 8 kg Stilton cheese, it takes 78 liters of milk, the method employed here is similar to the conventional cheddar: first, the milk is curdled by using a starter culture followed by addition of rennet. Once the jelly has set, it is cut with a cheese harp in long strips or cubes. ( Penicillium roqueforti ) blue mold cultures added - After the fracture has rested for a while, be - unlike the Cheddar. Then, the curd is poured into large strainer, where it remains for 24 hours, until it is first broken up into blocks and is then ground by hand on apple size. Once the whey is drained off, the curd is sliced ​​and salted, the salt must be distributed as evenly as possible. Then the fracture is filled into round shapes and turned over several times, until it is released from the mold. Now he can be brought to maturity in the cheese store, where he is piqued during a three-month maturity period of two to three times, so pierced with long stainless steel needles, so that oxygen gets inside and stimulates the growth of mold. During this time the characteristic brown crust begins to form. The large cylindrical loaves are sorted before the sale by drilling and classified only perfect products may be traded as Blue Stilton, the rest comes as Blue Cheese in the trade.

Properties

The Stilton has a thick, rugose - wrinkled, slightly scaly bark of gray brown color with hints of white mold. The dough is at a young Stilton light ivory with subtle blue marbling and still quite crumbly, at the age he is soft and darken, which is also the mycelium from the center towards the edge formation becomes more and is colored bright blue-green. The cheese has a pronounced nutty flavor and tastes mild and pure, pleasantly fruity and spicy, with increasing maturity always spicy. He is a typical seasonal cheese, the best Stilton is produced in the summer and come in late autumn and in the winter months in the sale. Sometimes it is sold in the fresh state and then to hard, white, calcareous and slightly acidic flavor. If the dough is, however, covered with brown goo, it indicates that the obsolescence.

Variants

• White Stilton is a rather rare version of the young, short- ripened cheese still without mold growth.
• Flavoured Stilton is a series of compositions, where Stilton is layered with other cheeses such as cheddar and seasonings to a cake. Mostly this is used for leftovers for inferior Stilton.
• Jumbunna is an Australian blue cheese on the type of Stilton.

Use

The results cheese with bread and pickles a small meal. In his home he is often served with celery. Also, as an ingredient in salads or as part of a filling for baked potatoes or mushrooms he does well. It melts well in soups, in England it is for example given together with cream of celery soup. Equally it is suitable for sauces, he also gives together with butter, brandy and nutmeg spice paste for a grilled steaks and chops. Finally, he is also a dessert cheese that is traditionally served in England with port wine or even poured over, to some port wine is poured and worked out with a spoon a creamy Stilton Port Wine paste into a little hole in the wheel of cheese that is eaten with crackers.