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Firm Cheese

This category of Canadian cheese is the most important in terms of variety. It also boasts the best-known varieties, notably Cheddar. Once the curdling process is complete, the curd is drained and subjected to high pressure to remove the maximum amount of whey (lactoserum). This process produces a firm cheese. These multi-purpose cheeses are then interior-ripened, which means that the process starts at the centre and progresses to the surface.

Certain cheeses, like Raclette, Provolone or Swiss require an additional step in which they are cooked, which makes them even firmer.

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In the course of ripening, firm cheeses receive different treatment and care. Some, like Miranda or Raclette, are washed, scraped and brushed to avoid the forming of any unwanted mould. Others are wrapped in paraffin (Gouda, Provolone) or vacuum-packed (Caciocavallo).

The ripening period, which varies according to cheese, sees the forming of "eyes" in some cheeses (like Emmental and Swiss). These elegant holes, so fascinating to children, are due to the release of gases which dilate the cheese body before it becomes truly firm.

Firm cheeses have a butterfat content varying from 20 to 31% and a moisture level varying from 35 to 52%.

Find out more about these firm cheeses:

Brick
Caciocavallo
Canadian Swiss
Cheddar
Colby
Curds
Emmental
Extra Aged Gouda-Grizzly
Farmers
Friulano
 Gouda
Kingsberg
Le Fin Renard
Le Gré des Champs
Le Lotbinière
Marble
Miranda
Pastorella
Provolone
Raclette

Storage

Firm cheeses keep very well, from a few weeks to several months. In fact, cheese continue to ripen and to develop the different tastes appreciated by a growing number of consumers. To learn more about shelf life for the different cheeses, you can access their respective description from this list.

Store your cheeses in their original packages, in aluminum foil or in airtight plastic containers. If whitish traces appear on the cheese, indicating the beginning of mould, cut off the affected part and wrap the cheese in paper towel before repackaging it. Your fridge’s vegetable drawer is always the best place to store your cheeses.

Well wrapped, set apart from the vegetables contained in the drawer, they will keep for a long time.

Information provided by Dairy Farmers of Canada (www.dairygoodness.ca) 

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Characteristics

Appearance and texture:
Rindless except for Gouda; cheeses vary from ivory to yellow in colour; soft and elastic texture, slightly brittle when chewed.

Aroma:
Milk, cream and butter.

Taste:
Taste of hazelnut and almond, fruity, slightly salted; varies from mild to sharp according to the type, ripening time and technique.

Attributes:
They melt well; brown at high temperatures and mix well with other ingredients.

Varieties:
some are light; others are smoked; flavoured with spices or aged.

How to enjoy them?

Canadian firm cheeses offer a great flexibility of use. They keep very well. They are delicious by themselves and can also be used in a thousand different ways in the kitchen. Pastas, cooked dishes, quiches, omelets, gratins, sandwiches and salads couldn't survive by without them! At any meal, these cheeses add taste and nutritional value.

At a tasting or simply at the end of a meal, accompanied by fruit and nuts or with varied breads, they're always able to please young and old alike.

Freezing

Once grated, firm cheeses like Cheddar, Swiss or Emmental survive well in the freezer. Their texture is slightly altered, but they become more brittle and are easier to use in dishes such as gratins. If you prefer to grate the cheese before freezing, make sure to place the cheese in a freezer bag and to cool it in the refrigerator before placing in the freezer.

After a thawing period in the refrigerator, your cheese is ready to be used! Its taste is not affected by freezing done under proper conditions.
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