He also owns Clock Shadow Creamy in Milwaukee. What are they? How are they made? Why do they squeak? Settle in with a few fresh curds , and read on to find out what makes cheese curds so special. Cheese isn't fresh. In fact, cheese is old — that's the point. Cheeses are aged to reach their ideal flavor and texture.
But cheese curds should be fresh, and if you aren't in Wisconsin or in the Midwest, the curds you're seeing pop up at your grocery store likely aren't the real deal. Wisconsin works with particular state laws that permit cheese curds to be sold up to one day after production without being refrigerated.
He continues, "If they have not been purchased by that time, they must be discarded," Wills explains. Outside of Wisconsin, the rules aren't so specific. That means those curds you're picking up at the store could be not at all fresh. So, sellers find various ways to extend the shelf life, from refrigerating to gas flushing to vacuum packaging.
In all likelihood, the longer the shelf-life, the lower the quality. A cheese curd isn't a special kind of cheese. It's just a young cheddar, one that hasn't been aged at all. These curds are separated from the whey during the cheesemaking process, and instead of being molded for a future cheese wheel, they're sliced up and bagged to be sold right away.
It's quick money for the cheesemakers, who are usually waiting months, even years, for their prized cheeses to be sliced and sold. This releases moisture and gives the curds their unique texture. The curds are then cut into small pieces and salted to help retain their moisture. The casein or milk protein structure in a fresh curd is fairly porous, with a certain amount of air trapped inside it. When we bite them, the contact of our teeth against a wet, rubbery curd creates a vibration at a frequency we can hear, producing a squeak.
Cheese is made by curdling milk, which produces both whey a liquid and curds milk solids. Cheese curds are literally freshly made curds. It's not exactly clear who invented cheese curds, but we think they like to call Wisconsin home. In fact, cheese curds are so baked into everyday life in Wisconsin that people who grew up here are shocked they can't get their daily fix when they travel outside the state. Cheese curds are best enjoyed the same day they're made or shortly after , so it makes sense that the epicenter of cheese curds is Wisconsin, the state that produces the most flavors and varieties of cheese in the world.
These little cuties are not only deliciously adorable, they are award-winning. That's because we take cheese seriously here. We're the only state where cheesemakers must have a license, and the only place in the world outside Switzerland with a Master Cheesemaker program. That's the reason so many cheese fanatics — not to mention cheese curds — call Wisconsin home. Craving award-winning aged cheddar, pining for parmesan, or searching for a new cheese to try?
Explore our directory of Wisconsin cheesemakers and retailers who offer online cheese shopping and get cheese shipped right to your door. What are you waiting for? In Wisconsin, we make more flavors, varieties, and styles of cheese than anywhere else in the world. We believe in tradition, producing everything from Italian classics, like parmesan and ricotta , to swiss cheese and cheddar varieties. But every Wisconsin cheesemaker is an innovator as well, which is why we have so many Wisconsin originals, like colby and muenster.
Cheese Curds. Of course, you can always enjoy them the way our Wisconsin cheesemakers made them: plain and squeaky clean. When it comes to beer, curds aren't picky. A frosty pilsner? A pint of pale ale? That'll do — the more the better. Curds aren't really into fine wine, but they won't stop you from quaffing your favorite red or white while popping a plate of curds in your mouth. Curds are small bits of curdled milk that are the product of the first stage of cheesemaking.
Curds have a mild flavor and a rubbery texture that produces a squeak as they are eaten. Plain curds and fried cheese curds are highly popular options for serving.
Curds are created when an additive like rennet is introduced into milk, causing the liquid to acidify and coagulate. After the milk is heated to separate the solid curds from the liquid whey, curds are usually "cheddared" — a process where the cheese is cut into blocks, then stacked and turned repeatedly to release moisture. After the blocks are cut into small pieces, the curds are salted to help keep their moisture.
Fresh curds produce an audible squeak when they are bitten into — the result of air being released from the porous milk protein structure within fresh curds. The contact of teeth against the wet rubbery texture of curds creates an audible vibration or squeak.
Nobody knows for sure, but we like to think curds got their start in Wisconsin. It's the only decent explanation for why Wisconsinites are so crazy for curds and why we crave this delicious bite of fried cheese whenever we leave. Curds are a part of everyday life here, just one more spectacular contribution from a state that produces more flavors and varieties of cheese than any other place in the world.
And while are cheesemakers are usually all business we're the only state where you need a license to make cheese, and we have the only Master Cheesemakers program in the world outside of Switzerland with curds, it's really all about the joy.
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