Characteristics:
Derby, or Derbyshire, is a hard, sweet-curd cheese made in Drbyshire,
England, from cow's whole milk. It is similar to Cheddar but is not so
firm and solid, is more flaky when broken, has a higher moisture content,
and ripens more rapidly. Gloucester, Leicester, Warwickshire, and Wilt-
shire are other English cheese that are very similar to Derby.
Factory production of cheese in England began in 1870 with the setablish-
ment of two factories for making Derby cheese. This made it possible to
produce cheese more uniform in quality and size than was made in farm
dairies. The cheeses are circular, about 38 cm
15 inches in diameter and
12,5 cm 5 inches
thick, and weigh about 13,5 kg 30 pounds.
The Method of Making:
A mixture of evening and morning milk is
warmed to a temperature of
27-29°C 80-85°F. Lactic starter and rennet are added, and color is added for
certain markets. About an hour after the milk has set, the curd should be very
firm
it is then cut to 12,5 mm
1/2 inch, heated with stirring to a temperature of
36°C 96°F
in
50 minutes, and the whey is drained off. Sometimes the curd is placed on
a cloth on a drain rack to drain, and sometimes the whey is expelled by
pressing the curd lightly, then more heavily, in the vat. The matted curd
is cut into large blocks which are kept warm and are turned occasionally as
the whey continues to drain and then develops firmness.
When the curd is sufficiently firm - usually in about 40 minutes - it is
put through a curd mill. Sometimes it is salted at this time (as In making
Cheddar and Cheshire), and it is put in the hoops and pressed.
When the cheeses have been in the press an hour, they are removed and
immersed in hot water (at a temperature of 66°C
150°F.) for about a minute;
then they are dressed in cloth and pressed again. About 5 hours later,
they are removed from the press again. If the curd was not salted earlier,
the cheese are salted on the surface before they are redressed and returned
to the press. This procedure is repeated at intervals and the pressure is
increased gradually, until the final pressure is about a ton.
Usually the cheeses are taken to the curing room on the third day.
They are cured at a temperature of approximately 16°C
60°F. for at least a
month, but more often for 3 or 4 months as the flavor and quality im-
prove with age. Storage temperature is 10-13°C
50-55°F.
My proposal: Sage-Derby; the middle
layer of the cheese is made with extract from fresh sage leaves.
Analysis:
