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Stilton CheeseStilton takes its name from the village of Stilton, located approximately 80 miles north of London where the blue-veined cheese was sold to travelers making their way along the Great North Road to Scotland and other Northern cities. In the 18th century, the town of Stilton was a staging post for coaches, where horses were changed and weary travelers' sought refreshment. Cooper Thornhill, a landlord at the famous Bell Inn, introduced these travelers' to a creamy, blue-veined cheese called Stilton. He purchased the cheese from a local cheese maker named Frances Pawlett who produced the cheese in a nearby town called Melton Mowbray.The industrious Mrs. Pawlett is credited for setting universal guidelines for Stilton cheese's quality and shape. Mrs. Pawlett's standards became well-known amongst other cheese makers who desired to market their blued cream cheese as Stilton cheese. Stilton is still made according to the standards set in the 1700's when Daniel Defoe writing his Tour through England and Wales noted, "he passed through Stilton, a town famous for cheese. And yet, Stilton was never made in the town of Stilton." In 1936, The Stilton Cheese Makers' Association was formed to maintain the quality standards and protect the name and legacy of Stilton cheese. Stilton is a trademark and has been certified by the European Commission as a PDO or protected designation of origin cheese. This certification means that Stilton can only be made in the counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Today, there are six creameries which are authorized to make Stilton. To be called "The King of Cheeses" a Stilton must be made only in three counties from local milk which is pasteurized before use, be made only in the traditional cylindrical shape, be allowed to form its own crust or coat, be unpressed, have delicate blue veins radiating from the center and have a taste profile typical of Stilton. Stilton is still made in much the same way as it was in the early 1700's when a local Wymondham saying became popular, "Drink a pot of ale, eat of scoop of Stilton, every day, you will make ?old bones'." The process begins when fresh, pasteurized milk is fed into a vat to which starter cultures are added. A milk clotting agent and blue mold spores are also added, allowing a curd to form. Once the curd has formed, the whey is removed and the curds are drained overnight. The next day, the curd is cut into blocks and allowed to drain further before it is milled and salted. Each cheese requires about twenty-four pounds of salted curd to be fed into cylindrical molds. The molds are then placed on boards and rotated daily to allow further drainage. After 5 or 6 days, the molds are removed and the cheese is sealed to prevent air contamination. The cheese is turned periodically during the ripening period, until at about 6 weeks of age, the Stilton forms its trademark crust and is ready to be pierced. The piercing process requires the cheese to be pierced with stainless steel needles which allows air to enter the cheese, thus forming the blue veins typical of Stilton. By the time the cheese is 9 weeks of age, and weighs about 17 pounds, the cheese is ready to be sold. Before it can be sold, it must be graded using a cheese iron to extract a plug of the cheese. An inspection of the smell will determine whether the cheese is up to par and can be sold as Stilton. Some interesting facts about Stilton cheese are: 1) 136 pints of milk are used to make one 17 lb. round of Stilton; 2) Over one million Stilton cheeses are made each year; 3) More than 10% of Stilton cheese is exported to foreign countries; 4) White Stilton is made in a similar manner to Stilton, except that no mold spores are added and the cheese is sold at four weeks of age. Like all good cheeses, Stilton is best served at room temperature. It can be frozen for up to three months, but should be wrapped several times with Saran wrap and aluminum foil. It should be defrosted overnight in the refrigerator and set out several hours before serving. Carmelized Onion & Stilton Quiche Tuxford & Tebbutt Blue Stilton Cheese Stilton Cheese in Clasp Jar - 11 oz. |
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Astral Brands · Aloette Cosmetics · Pür Minerals · CosMedix · Chesapeake Bay Crabcakes & More
Astral Brands · Aloette Cosmetics · Pür Minerals · CosMedix · Chesapeake Bay Crabcakes & More