What are these little crystals in my Cheese?
In some Mature Cheddar, whilst slicing with a knife, I've noticed some tiny crystals.
What are these crystals are they a sign of good Cheddar or not?
Best Answer
To quote On Food and Cooking (Harold McGee), page 63, about crystals in Cheddar:
In aged Cheddar, there are often crystals of calcium lactate, formed when ripening bacteria convert the usual form of lactic acid into its less soluble mirror ("D") image.
In blue cheeses:
The white crystals often visible against the blue mold of a Roquefort, or detectable in the rind of a Camembert, are calcium phosphate, deposited because the Penicillium molds have made the cheese less acid, and calcium salts less soluble.
And, in other aged cheeses:
In Parmesan, Gruyere, and aged Gouda, the crystals may be calcium lactate or else tyrosine, an amino acid produced by protein breakdown that has limited solubility in these low-moisture cheeses.
So, basically there are a variety of salts present in the milk, and formed from milk by the action of bacteria and molds. As the cheese dries, and ripening micro-organisms act on the cheese, these salts fall out of the solution and crystallize. Personally, I love the slight crystalline texture present in aged cheeses, as it almost always comes with a robust and mature flavor.
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What causes crystallization in cheese?
As lactic acid levels rise in the cheese they can begin to bind with calcium ions forming calcium lactate. As the calcium lactate levels rise they will eventually reach a point where they crystallize and become visible to us as the crystals. These crystals can form on the surface of cheeses where moisture can collect.Can you eat cheese crystals?
They're most likely calcium lactate crystals, also known as \u201ccheese crystals.\u201d They are completely safe to eat, and usually signify that a cheese is flavorful and well-aged. Calcium lactate crystals form naturally during the aging process and are most commonly found in aged cheddars, including Smoked Medium Cheddar.Why does my American cheese have crystals?
Stated simply, crystals in cheese occur when the concentration of a product (such as a salt like calcium lactate or an amino acid like tyrosine), exceeds the maximum solubility within the moisture phase of a cheese.What are cheese diamonds?
Or maybe you've bitten into a super aged cheddar, only to have a bit of crispy crunch break in. Maybe you love that little crunch \u2013 asking your monger for the \u201ccrunchies\u201d whenever you visit the shop. Those little cheese diamonds, they're a cheese lover's best friend. They're also known as tyrosine crystals.What’s the Crunch? Crystals in Cheese
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Egor Kamelev, Laker, Skyler Ewing, Nothing Ahead